Reminiscing my memories of Goldings.
By Roy Dean
For some years now I
have been told that I should write about my days in Dr. Barnardo's.
I have decided to concentrate on just one period of my boyhood, the
days I spent at Goldings. How can I add to what surely must be quite
a substantial catalogue of times spent within the walls of that red
stone, mock gothic building, in the middle of the Hertfordshire
countryside? I will try in my own personal way to re-capture what it
was like to be living within what was then to me in 1947, a young
lad of fourteen, quite a frightening place. Every one of us has a
story to tell and I feel that somewhere out there in the world
beyond my front window, someone may just read what I am about to
write, and it will strike a cord within their own memories and bring
back childhood events to them.
The Margaret Home
On the 18th March 1947, with the regulation
blue kitbag in my hand I arrived at Stepney Causeway in the east-end
of London
from the warmth and relative security of a small Branch Home called
The Margaret Home at Bognor Regis, Sussex, for the onward
journey by Albion lorry, along with assorted piles of bread and
provisions for the drive through North London and Hertfordshire to a
place I had only been told about by the Matron at Bognor.
Goldings
The winter of 1947
was probably the worst on record and the snow that covered the
fields and roads was extremely deep and slippery. After what seemed
like an eternity the lorry arrived at the gates of a long winding
driveway leading up towards, what I called Gaunt House, rather like
a character from a Victorian novel arriving at his or her place of
employment, cold and hungry, out of the gloom of a darkening March
afternoon there loomed up out of the mist this huge redbrick
building, with it's lights streaming out of the windows onto the
cold afternoon air, It was rather frightening to stand there, not
knowing what to do, where to go, and for the life of me now, I still
can't remember who it was who met us and took us into this awesome
building. I remember walking up the long dark passage and up some
steps into a large hall the only decoration being a glass cabinet
with sporting trophies and large board giving lists of names. I
remember various
 doors leading off from the hall, one in particular
was open showing a large billiard table, I had never seen one
before, and really didn't know what it was, but over the years that
hall with it's sporting trophies, billiard room and office etc.,
became a meeting place for myself and the friends I made whilst at
the school. Someone told me that I would be in
Cairns House. What
that meant I had no idea, but I was led up a narrow winding stone
staircase leading off from the hall and into a vast room, almost the
size of the
Bognor Home itself, with lofty ceilings, large bare
windows and highly polished wooden floor, and against the walls rows
of black iron beds, all with their bed clothes neatly folded and
stacked on the mattress.
I remember that my
first night at Goldings was spent in what can only be described as
awesomeness at the overwhelming size of the place, and a certain
amount of terror, at what?, I ask myself now. The vastness, coldness
and perhaps what was most striking the impersonality and insecurity
of a new home, just struck me with terror, I knew no-one, they did
not know me. But there I was all alone, yet not, if you know what I
mean, climbing into bed, after having to make it, which I wasn't
quite used to, listening to all the unfamiliar noises, the shouting
and the commands from the older boys, who turned out to be the House
Prefects or the House Captain, and the sound of bugles, blowing for
this command and that. I think I must have shed many a tear that
night, and longed for the quiet security that I was used to at
Bognor, but like everything else one soon settles down, and all
these strange commands, bugle calls etc. became part and parcel of
my life, and very soon I learnt to take little or more notice of
them, in more ways than one, sometimes to my cost.
Shortly after my
arrival at Goldings, I was called into the Headmaster's study.
Mr Wheatley asked what I intended to do with my time whilst at
Goldings. I really had no idea at that time, but as he said he
thought that I was perhaps best suited to a career in printing, I
readily agreed, perhaps, if only to be allowed to be get out of the
study as quickly as I could. At that time I really had no idea of
what printing entailed. I was soon to find out, as I was shown into
the print shop and introduced to
Mr Miller (Dusty). He explained to me the rudiments of the trade
and asked me what branch of printing I would like to go into. Again
I had no idea, but not being of a mechanical bent, it was suggested
that I start in the Composing Room. My years in printing
began, under the watchful eyes of instructors such as Mr Riley,
Mr
East, Mr Amos and
Mr Stackwood. A few years later, an apprenticeship scheme was
introduced and I, along with others, became indentured apprentices
to
Mr Miller and
Mr Wheatley. I still have my indentures somewhere but I have
never in all my life been asked to produce them.
The Cadet Force
Life at school was
not all spent in the workshops, a lot of the time was spent at
sports, general education and also just hanging around with one's
own circle of friends. There was also the
Cadet Force run by
Skip Culver, but as I was not really of cadet material, he was
spared my entrance to his 'Elite' corps, but I must admit to a
rather sneaking admiration for the boys who were in the school Band,
and their succession of 'Baton' twirling Drum Majors, they were
always extremely smart and were relied on to 'Produce' a good
turnout and performance wherever they went I always preferred to be
amongst friends who had similar interests to me. I joined the Drama
Group under the direction of Mr Fogg and then when he left Mr Smith.
During the winter evenings I also joined the Music Appreciation
class. My circle of friends included William Cotton, Derek Godfrey,
J Jenkins, John Langdon, Jimmy Goode and Trevor Adcock. I wonder
where they are now? I still have a programme for the Christmas
Concert of 1950, and these and many other names appear on it.
I could not be
described as a devotee of sport whilst at Goldings. Football I
detested along with boxing. I preferred to watch cricket rather than
play, and I enjoyed athletics and took part in swimming only as a
pastime, never entering for the 'Swimming Sports.' To some readers
it might seem that I was a bit of whimp, but I can assure any person
interested that I enjoyed the activities I did enter, and perhaps
found that I did not have to compete against other boys to the
extent that the sporting fraternity were expected to do. here are
other things one can enjoy just as much, and I think that my love of
music and theatre were first introduced to me at Goldings. To this day I am
passionately fond of classical music and some of the music of the
late forties and early fifties brings back memories of my days spent
at Goldings.
The School Library
During the winter
evenings, one of the highlights was the 'Weekly' Film Show, and I
can still hear the roar when we were all in the gymnasium and the
shouting and whistles when each reel came to an end. The noise was
quite deafening. Two films stick in my memory. One was The Magic Bow
about the life and music of the violinist / composer Paganini and
the other film was The Young Mr Pitt.
Politics and
classical music play a large part in my life now but at that time,
sitting in the gym, no doubt shouting out with the loudest of them,
I could have had no idea as to just how much those two films would
have a bearing on my life in later years.
 I also remember that
some years after I had arrived, someone realised that we had no
library within the school. Some good Benefactor provided a sum of
money to be spent on such a project, and myself, along with a junior
boy and the School Chaplain, the Rev. S. C. Corbett visited Foyles
Bookshop in the Charing Cross Road in London and chose an amount of
books to start up a reasonable library. That in itself was quite an
undertaking, because the books had to be catalogued and numbered and
set out in a room at the school. It was a job that took quite some
time. The visit to London was extremely interesting and exciting,
especially as lunch was laid on in a restaurant in Cambridge Circus.
I well remember the fun we both had searching for suitable books for
the school. Somewhere out there, the other boy must remember that
particular outing.
Looking back from
today’s vantage point, I sometimes wonder how on earth I survived my
early day s at Goldings. There must have been some concern because
in January 1948 a report about my progress at Goldings said he is
now settling down and is much more confident and friendly. Physical
improvement has been very marked. But still a thin apprehensive boy,
worried looking, but writes to his mother and brothers a great deal.
Appears keen on printing, and now likes Goldings. So someone amongst
the many members of the staff must have noticed just how unhappy I
was in those early days, and just how long I took to settle down and
become a full member of the school. But survive I did, we all did,
in fact we had to. I am sure all ex-Goldings boys, will remember the
School Magazine 'The Goldonian', which was printed by the boys in
the Printing Department. Many times I was asked to write up the
magazine notes for
Cairns House, I wrote articles in my own right for
publication. Some of these I still have, and reading them now, I
think I was really quite naive in some of the subjects I wrote
about; perhaps it was a way for me to excel in something, that other
boys could not do, just as I did not excel in sport. To this day I
still think that the Goldonian as far as school magazines go can
hold its head up with the best of them.
Tennis
Another great
interest in my life now, which certainly came from schooldays, is my
interest in tennis. Who amongst us, who were members of the
'Ball Boys' at the Annual Lawn Tennis Championships at
Wimbledon, can either fail to profess an interest or a love for the
game. When I look at television now, and watch the present
generation of Ball Boys and of course now-a-days Ball Girls, I
cannot fail to remember just how much we had to sweat it out on the
courts of those days in grey flannel shirts and long grey trousers. I would have given
anything to be allowed to have worn the uniform they do now. But
then back in 1948-1949 even some of the players were still wearing
long white flannel trousers to play in. I remember the coach
rides in one of Birch's coaches to and from the grounds everyday,
and the dingy Ball Boy's room under the main staircase between
Centre and No: 1 Court. But I am sure that none of us would have
missed it for the world.
Pinewood Studios
Another great event
during my time at Goldings was our participation as extras for
schoolroom scenes and cricket scenes for the film that was being
made at Pinewood Studios
'The Browning Version.' I well remember the whole school being
lined up house by house on the Parade ground, while a member of the
film staff walked through the lines choosing the boys he thought
would be suitable. I was among them, and we spent a number of days
on the sets at Pinewood and on location at Winchester, and at the
St. Cross Hospital. It was exciting to meet such stars as Michael
Redgrave and Jean Kent.
Many other things
come to mind from those days, one of which is the school in Chapel,
and I think that I quite enjoyed attending Services there and being
able to sing with gusto the hymns etc. Services seemed far more
enjoyable when all the voices were of the same pitch, and one could
really get one's teeth into singing. And the sound of three hundred
boys and staff must have been quite spectacular when heard from
outside the chapel. Whether this Chapel was built at the same time
as the rest, of the building, or was a later addition I do
not know, but it was of the same red stone as the main house, and in
similar style. I can honestly say that I enjoyed attending the
services.
By the early 1950's
I had become, a House Prefect of
Cairns, and shortly after that I moved out of the main school
house into a smaller establishment known as
'The Verney' where Mr and Mrs Corbett looked after us.
Eventually, I was put into lodgings with a landlady somewhere in
Hoddesdon, and travelled to Goldings each day. I hated it, and as I
was lucky enough to have my own mother, living in London, I asked if
I could return home to live, keeping on my apprenticeship at
Goldings and travelling back and forth from London to Hertford
each day. It was quite a trek. This was agreed and so for the last
two years of my time at Goldings, 1952-1954 I really saw only the
printing department. I was still indentured to
Mr Miller and
Mr Wheatley, but did not come under the normal rules of the main
school and I was paid the going National rate of pay applicable for
those days, as were all the other apprentices.
I have kept my
thoughts to an absolute minimum. There have been many events and
observations I have had to omit but my mind is full of so many
events that took place at Goldings during my days, such as the fire
in the school kitchens, the annual holidays to
Dymchurch in Kent for those who were unable to go home for leave
to mention just two.
Heart Attack
In late January
1954, when I reached the age of twenty-one all my connections with
Goldings were severed, and I was really out in the big wide world
beyond the grounds of the William Baker Technical School, and to
this day I have never returned to Hertford, except for the Opening
of the
New Printing School in the town itself, which was built after
the closure of the Main School back in 1969 Though I have often
thought about the school and my time spent there, and I have longed
to be able to visit the estate, but circumstances have
always been such that have prevented me from achieving just that.
But life for me went on. My years in the R. A. F., spent
overseas in Egypt, Palestine (Jerusalem) and Cyprus, where I met up
with a number of Old Barnardo and ex 'Golding's boys. Then the years
spent working in the newspaper industry in London. My enjoyable time
spent at an Art College in Kent. Eventually I became a Trade Union
Official with the N. G. A. at the local and county level.
The School Motto was
"FINIS CORONAT OPUS" and what better way to end than to be able
to quote those Latin words and their English translation, "THE END
CROWNS ALL WORK".
Roy Dean
Goldings 1947 to 1950
The Verney 1951 to 1952
The above memory was
sent to
Johnny Leach prior to publishing his book on his life and
times.
For some more
memories from Roy in another letter sent to Johnny Leach in 1992
click here
Roy passed away
8 December 1996 and his ashes were buried on the grass bank by the back
door of the school chapel after the reunion of 1997.
to view article that
appeared in The Guild Magazine about the bench outside After Care.
Click here |