I was fifteen when I went to Goldings in 1933, having been at Russell-Cotes and Watts between 1930 - 1933.

There was no Headmaster at Goldings, but a Governor - the Rev F. C. Macdonald, who later took charge of a church in Oakham, Rutland. The Governor was supported by a Superintendent - Mr. R Jenkins. I was put into Cairns House, and after the normal spell as 'spare boy', acting as telephone operator and messenger, I went into the printing machine room which was run by 'Steve' Penny and 'Titch' Purkis. Mr. Purkis was the elder brother of 'Reggie' who was also to become a long-serving member of staff.

In 1936 I became School Captain, succeeding Albert Levy (another printer) who held the longest serving captaincy - some eighteen months. Albert and I met up again in the late forties; he had taken advantage of the post-war emergency teacher training course, and had become the Headmaster of a Coventry primary school. We kept in touch (making one visit together to a Goldings re-union without meeting anyone from our time) until he died some three years ago. 

I have kept in touch with Barnardo's since leaving, nationally as a member of association and a member of the Guild, and with local Homes so long as they remained. I have also given help in the Nuneaton Barnardo Shop since it opened in 1985 (I retired from work in 1981). It is difficult to know if any of this is useful to you - I hope it is. If it raises and questions in your mind let me know. 

Regards, Basil Cozens