Photos from Goldings
1950 - 1954

I picked up your web site recently and on looking through it a number of the names brought back memories. I transferred to Goldings from New Lodge, Windsor, on September 3, 1950. In August ’53 I moved to The Verney having signed my indentures in the Print Department. In September ’54 I went into lodgings in Hertford and in September ’58 I married and moved to Harlow.

The first name to jog my memory was Charlie Carson. I recall one morning at breakfast. The four Aberdeen dining tables were to the right of the right-hand entrance. Kit Carson sat at the head of the first table, his brother Charlie sat on his left and I sat opposite on Kit’s right. On this occasion we had streaky bacon for breakfast, and Charlie was making us all laugh the way he was twirling it around on his fork and wriggling it around on the Formica table like it was a worm.

After a while Kit said, “OK, that’s enough.” I had learned a bit by this time, so I shut up. Charlie on the other hand kept larking about with his bit of bacon. Kit laid his knife and fork down and then swung a mighty right hook at Charlie, knocking him clean off his chair. As he scrambled to his feet, Kit picked up his knife and fork and carried on eating his breakfast. Christ, I thought. If he did that to his brother, what would he have done to me?

I was sorry to read Kit’s no longer with us. I had some respect for him, which probably explains why I have a photo of him vaulting the horse in a gym class on lower field. I also read he had been wounded in Korea with the Canadian army. Strange that because a couple of years later I recall the headmaster reading out a telegram that Polly White had been killed on White Horse Hill in that conflict. It somehow seemed sad that he must have had Goldings down as his next of kin.

Another name I picked up on was Bob Pegg. I had followed him in the Linotype Department under Ron Stackwood. I stayed on the Lino until I finished my time, then worked on the Hertfordshire Mercury for about nine months before taking a job on the Harlow Citizen. In 1964, when the TA merged with the LTS, I started work as a piece operator at Temple Press in London, transferred two years later to Fleetway Publications, and in 1969 moved to the Daily/Sunday Express in Fleet Street. While at the Express some years later I went to the IPEX exhibition as a Chapel representative. There was a lot of talk at that time of Fleet Street following the general trade into “photo composition.”

That’s when I again met Bob Pegg. He was a salesman on the stand for a computer system which I think was called Atek. I met him again a year or two later when he came into the Express still trying to sell his photo system. By this time I had become what was known as the Imperial FoC and my negotiations were on behalf of all NGA in the Express and usually at Board level, so I knew all about Bob. I read in his contribution that he worked in Fleet Street but he doesn’t say which title. Not being unkind, but I wonder if he was one of those “blackleg” instructors that helped Rupert Murdoch and Eric Hammond’s electricians union produce newspapers at Wapping in 1985 when the rest of the newspaper industry was out on the street. Maybe if he picks up on this he will let me know.

To finish, I would say that I have a number of photos from my time at Goldings, and if I hear back from you on this I will climb up into the loft and see what I can dig out.

Good luck and best wishes, Richard (Dick) Davies

Sent January 13, 2009

As promised, I have climbed up into the loft and found myself sifting through six decades of photo memorabilia. It wasn’t too difficult to find those from the ‘50’s as they were all in black and white. A few photos from Goldings, 1950-54

Wimbledon Ball Boys, June/July 1952

Back row: (1) Michael Jarvis, (4) Mogford, (5) Sports master Sandeman, (6) Jimmy Watts, (7) Alan Blackburn, (8) Aldwinkle A., (9) Aldwinckle F., (10) Cliff Hawkins.
Middle row: (2) Ben Lines, (3) Whacker Walker, (5) John Smoker, (6) Colin Fuller.
Front row: (4) Bill Tither, (5) Dickie Davies.

In August 1950 a photographer came to the School to record School life. That was when the House photos were taken, he also recorded the trades, gymnastics and swimming. This one shows Phil Arends doing his high dive. It was probably a Sunday as all the “spectators” had obviously been instructed to be there straight from church parade – all neat and tidy in blazers and grey flannels! I can’t begin to name them, so I will leave that to any interested reader.

This is the earlier mentioned photograph of Kit Carson. Taken during a gym class on lower field, in August 1950. Kit is doing the vault; I think the catcher is a boy by the name of Chick. I believe he was School captain at the time. The boy just running back behind the horse looks a bit like Snowy Payne.

 To the left: Me with John Guy (Mt Stephen) in 1951.

To the right Brian Herbert. After he left the School in ’51 or ’52 he was courting my wife’s sister for a short time. On this occasion he had cycled over to visit her family for the day

I first met Johnny Woods at the first All-England Inter-Homes Sports held in Crowborough, July 1950. I was entered for the mile, the 440, and the 80yds hurdle for New Lodge, he was running for Kingston in the hurdles. He won, I came second. Met him again on the lorry going to Goldings in the September. He was a good friend – and did not take kindly to being called “Rastus”.  Bill Tither was in Mt Stephen. He left in 1953 for a job as a carpenter in Tottenham. Did National Service in the RAF, not heard from him since. Don’t know how I came to have this photograph of Vic King, but I note he is one of your contributors.

I Must include this last photo before closing. It was taken at the back of The Verney in 1954. From left to right it is Colin Fuller, who I last met about five years ago. He had spent most of his working life in a jam factory, which would no doubt have disappointed Mr. W “Dusty” Miller and the staff in the printing department. When he came out of his time I think he worked at Stephen Austin’s for a while before marrying a local girl.

In the middle is Roy Addinall. I have been exchanging birthday and Christmas cards with him for 50 years – not always the same card. He is retired and lives in Diss, Norfolk. Worked on the East Anglian Times series and eventually moved into editorial and became a sports reporter.

No. 3 is Charlie Piper. Met him again about five or six years ago when he told me he had spent 21 years in the army! Last I heard he had retired to South Wales but was planning to be on the move again.

I think that is enough for now, otherwise I will be taking up too much space on the web-site. I hope the photos jog a memory or two for any other old boys. (Right now “old” is the operative word).

Best wishes, Richard (Dickie) Davies

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