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John Sansom Goldings 1946 1949
Somerset House
 I
arrived at Goldings early in 1946 after being boarded out in a
little village called Grundisburgh in Suffolk, many happy years
spent chasing rabbits and enjoying the countryside. I then
went to Stepney for a few days, before going to Goldings
My
first visit to the dinning hall was informative, I closed my eyes
during grace and when I opened them, the two pieces of marge that
been on my plate were gone, first lesson learnt.
After my time as spare boy I joined the Carpenters shop, first with
Pop Diss who wasn't very happy with my pathetic attempts at
fitting one piece of timber into another, I must have been the worst
ever. Eventually I moved to the main shop, he must have been glad to
get rid of me, there I met Mr. All, Mr. Tempest, and Mr. Bishop all
very nice people and excellent at their job. Mr. All didn't have a
lot of hair before I went there, he must have lost a lot more trying
to teach me, any way I enjoyed my time with them all.
Sport was No1 with me and Goldings certainly gave you every
opportunity to get involved, also I was lucky to be in Somerset
house as our House Captain was George Valance, a real leader and an
excellent all rounder, along with Wiz Willson Bosky Stewart and many
others, we were strong at most sports. I was fortunate to
represent the School at most of them, and have many happy memories
When I look back on these days the names of the masters come back to
you, The Rev Corbet was a wonderful man a real inspiration to us
all, Polly White who tried to teach us science, Skipper Culver, who
can forget the Army Cadets and their band, Ron Stackwood, a real
gentleman who never seemed to age, Mr. Embledon who taught gardening
when I was there, he was a good cricketer , along with Mr. Tordoff
we had many good Masters vs Boys games. Finally the Headmaster Mr.
Wheatley, what a dedicated man and very fair, he also enjoyed his
cricket, and like every he did he gave it his all. When the School
of Printing held a reunion I Met the Headmaster again for the last
time before he left I said goodbye and told him it had been
nice knowing him, and it certainly had.
When George Valance was made School Captain, I Followed him as House
Captain, a very hard act to follow, with his leading roll in the
Army Cadets George was a wise choice, how tragic that he should die
so young. One of my other memories is when Mr. Bilton the night
watchman took his summer holiday the prefects had to do his job, and
patrol the building during the night, we had to get the annex boys
out of bed, on a regular basis, to stop them bedwetting I think we
spent most of the night frying chips chips in the kitchen, and
taking them to our mates, as well as playing billiards in the staff
room.
Wimbledon Fortnight
I
was pleased to be picked to act as a ball boy at Wimbledon, we spent
an enjoyable fortnight, learnt about the game and players, and the
food was very good. I started on no 15 court, one of the last
outside courts in those days, but spent most of my time on no 2
court. My favourite player was Jack Kramer, who won in
1947, in my opinion the best player of his day. I enjoyed my three
years, and have played ever since.
Sid
Whitbread [ Mr. Foot ball]
How
we enjoyed those trips in the School Van to football matches, he was
a nice man and we learnt a lot from him. I met him again at a
reunion at Goldings, he was still the same , and it was nice taking
to him again.
I
left Goldings in 1949 to do National Service, but didn't fancy the
Army so I signed on for 5 years, so I could carry on learning to be
a Carpenter, I needed all the practice I could get. After initial
training, during which I was lucky to be a member of the RAF PT
display team at Wembley during the half time interval of the 1949
Cup Final Wolves won 3-1, I was posted to Weeton in Lancs, near
Blackpool, lovely summer weather beside the seaside, the only snag
we had to take trade tests, I managed to pass and was posted to
Henlow in Beds.
From there it was RAF Seleter in Singapore it was a wonderful place
for sport of all kinds, I spent most of my spare time training for
athletics, and it paid dividends in the last year I was there, I
managed to win the RAF and Combined Services 440 yards titles, as
the Goldings motto says, the end crowns the work.
I
left the RAF in 1954 got married to JOAN, the best thing I ever did,
and we have spent the rest of our very happy married life in
Hertford. My working life has mostly been spent with the Local
Authority, as a carpenter on housing maintenance until 1977, a short
time as Foreman, and then I was transferred to the Building
Surveyors in 1978, as an assistant Building Surveyor. We moved to
the Castle in 1985, and I finished my time as a Building Surveyor,
in the newly formed Property Department until 1995 when I retired. I
enjoyed my time as a carpenter, and met a lot of very nice people,
also it was nice to move to the other side of the fence, so to
speak, and learn from Professional people, who I found more than
willing to help.
Now
retired we spend most of our time gardening, we have a medium sized
garden at home and we look after two allotments, its an all the year
round job and we are both lucky to be fit enough to do it.
I
owe all this to Dr Barnardo's and the older I get the more I realise
how they gave me a life I never would have had.
John Sansom [ Sam ]
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