Early days in Bermondsey
Many thanks to Bermondsey Boy for this website. I've only just discovered it and have found it marvellous to read about places I barely remember. I haven't recognised any of the names mentioned but hope someone will remember mine or my family.
My name is Fred Cockerton, youngest child of Wal and Lou. My family lived in Chichester Buildings when I was born and the first house I can remember is, or was, 14, Rothsay Street. We must have moved there around 1937 or perhaps earlier, I remember seeing Meakin Estate being built (the fun we had climbing the stacks of bricks) and I think we moved into Meakin Estate in 1938, number 59.
I was evacuated the day war was declared and didn't return until some time in 1945. I did my National Service (Royal Artillery) 1946-48. After that I had various jobs until I married Pat Connelly (mother's name Margaret Chambers) in 1955, and we emigrated to New Zealand where we now live in Nelson, a seaside town in the South Island, in 1960.
I would particularly like to hear from one of my best friends, Wally Moore, who lived in a small council block of flats at the end of Decima Street. I treated Wally badly and wouldn't be surprised if he didn't want to know me, or Billy Downes, or Les Palmer who I worked with at St John's Wharf, or any of the members of the Alexis Social Club. I would be very grateful to hear from anyone who remembers my family or myself
I would like to add a bit more of my person history to my first effort,
When I lived in Rothsay Street and then Meakin Estate I went to Webb Street school. (I remember a Mr.Lewis there who had a habit of using the edge of a ruler on the back of children's hands, but not much else). In 1939 I was awarded a scholarship to St Olaves and St Saviours Grammar School. I had to sit an entry exam but no sooner had I learned I'd been accepted than war was declared and I think it was on that Sunday, September 3rd that the whole school was evacuated, first to Uckfield then to Torquay. There we shared the Torquay Grammar School buildings, St Olaves in the morning and the local boys in the afternoon. I lived in Torquay until the middle of 1945 when I went back home to Meakin Estate. I had quite few jobs (and wasted my education), the last one at St Johns Wharf in Wapping for 8 years. I was married in 1955 and a year later Pat and I put down a deposit on a house at 67 The Heights, off Charlton Church Lane. We had 2 children, Carol and Valley, before we left for New Zealand in 1960. Valley was 4 months when we boarded the "Rangitiki" at Tilbury (325 pounds for a 2-berth cabin) . We went via the Panama Canal and arrived in Wellington 6 weeks later.
I can't remember any school friends at Webb Street, and I don't think any of the boys who started St Olaves the same year as myself came from Bermondsey, they were from all over London and even further so I don't think any of them would be reading Bermondseyboy, but it would be really something to hear from anyone who knew me, or of me, all those days ago.
Best wishes to all present and past Bermondsey people and especially to those who read this.
I was traveling back from Cornwall last week, chatting to a lovely couple sitting opposite, somehow we got around to Bermondsey. He went to St Olaves and mentioned about you all being evacuated during the War. As always when one meets someone from Bermondsey we had lots of shared memories.He wasn't a Bermondsey boy as such having come from somewhere else, but still spent time there.
I did tell him about this Forum so perhaps he will have a look and make contact. It was very interesting reading your post.
Rod.
