1921 to 1930

He didn't write much about his very early years but here is a story to his own words written shortly before his death, he had been ill and I think suddenly wanted to record his life. I have transcribed this directly from his manuscript with no editing.

​

"After I left school, unwillingly, at the age of 14, the prospect of WORK, meaning a JOB, had to be faced. I had no idea of what I was going to do, and this was a good thing in some ways because there was no choice - one took the first job for which one was accepted - one applied for any and every job advertised in the local rag or hinted at by friends as "going". I was sure I didn't want to work with my father, not that there was much chance of that at this time - it was hard enough for him to get work for himself - but he did make a noise or two about being able to get me on a tea-boy for Albert Reading a builder and decorator for whom he was currently working, but although I like doing the things he did (the rudiments of which he taught me) carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, decorating. I didn't like his rough treatment of me. Very early I had gone out with him on jobs during holidays etc., jobs he was doing on his own, for he was a Master-man and preferred to work as such when possible. My main jobs were 'footing' a ladder for hours on end, fetching a quart of Mild and Bitter (in a bottle which he always carried!) at intervals as soon as the pubs were open, occasional humping of a bucket of heavy things up or down the ladder, but mostly just being there, not trusted to do anything. I had been doing a paper round for a year or two and one summer during the holidays I had run a WH Smith's stall on the Down platform of the station so during this time I was up at the crack to go to the station, collect the papers take them to the shop, sort and arrange them into that heavy canvass bag and then deliver them. Home for a very quick breakfast and back to the station to open up and lay out the stall - very small (being the down line). The old stock with which I was lumbered - anything with a date was of course, returned if not sold and daily returns had to be made, but every day I was aware of these terrible 1/- books, sort of blood and thunder, crimes or 'he took her in his big strong arms' love stories - paper backs that over the weeks had become dog-eared and unsavoury - but I had to display them. Every day a small blond, exquisitely turned out and totally beautiful lady used to use my platform and her scented presence haunted me. At first she would walk by, but , by dint of coughing, grimacing and staring I got her to notice me and one morning I was reduced to speechlessness when she bought a woman's glossy - I fell about, dropped her change, giggled, made strange strangled noises and found she had gone before I had discovered that I was 2d in hand - I loved her so I would have left the stall and run after her with the 2d only I didn't know where she'd gone. I pressed that part of my palm that her gloved hand had touched to my lips - I could smell her perfume - I was in love, I was in love. I waylaid her on her return that evening and offered her the 2d only to be told that it was for me to buy chocolate with! She knew I was in love with her and me all of 12 and she, well she was 'grown up' she took to spending a little while talking to me nearly every day- I think she worked in films and theatre - I told about my shabby books, for something to talk about one day and she made a funny bargain with me - for fun I suppose. She bought one and when she'd read it she gave it back to me and I gave her another, until she'd been thro' them all!! In the end I was 1/- better off and at least all the books had been read and they were, anyway much more valuable now that SHE had had them in her hands - they smelt better too."

​

The first of many romantic encounters.

​

He wasnt a sporty child but loved the outdoors so he was first a Wolf Cub and then a Boy Scout starting from about 1923. That was when scouting was new and all dib-dib-dob, Baden Powell and camping; oh, and shouting 

“All together - Heave ho. Up to the top St Marks! Gee whiz bang! We’re the boys who make no noise, ooh ahh, ooh ahh ahh, boom-a-lacka, boom-a-lacka, bow wow wow. RAH RAH, RAHHHH !

He was in the in 1st Surbiton St Mark’s Pack and we as kids all learned the pack chant from him and in fact during a family history visit to Surbiton in 2021 I went to St Mark’s and repeated the chant in the churchyard for old times sake. I wonder how long it’s been since it heard those words ring out?

 

Through reading he found a fondness for tales of a seafaring life but didn't get to go to cadet school - not enough money-  so got a job at Hadleigh Manufacturing Co. on Portsmouth Road in Surbiton. This American company made spectacle frames ranging from plain silver ones to ornate tortoiseshell. He was put into toolmaking department where he unfortunately developed oil dermatitis and had to move on. He then applied for an errand boy job at Perowne & Russell (Leslie and Hamish) at their newly set up record shop in Claremont Road, Surbiton and was taken on, and then I believe, taken under their wings and (willingly) educated. 

Following on from the abortive sea cadet training and continuing in the scouts and due to its links with the church he became confirmed and once one of the flock he was offered an opportunity to go to sea as the vicar had friends in high places. So with financial help from the church funds for his uniform and a successful interview he became a cabin boy with the Union Castle Line aboard the Garth Castle. He was about 16 (late 1920s) and his earlier romantic idea of a life at sea - Earl Effiingham was his schoolboy hero - he sailed with the ship around Africa and up to Madagascar and returned. There were many tales. However the Great Depression hit and after that one maiden voyage he wasn’t requested for any more trips and moved on. 

​

​