Goodrich36

I went to Heber Road school in 1966 when I was about 5 and also attended the Juniors. I think my first teacher was called Mrs Newson. I remember crying over my milk and biscuits on my first day. I remember in assembly the headmistress had a hymn book that had a gold cover I couldn't stop staring at that book, not sure why. I remember a girl being sick all over me one morning in assembly and I had to wear "dressing up clothes" all morning while my dress dried on the school keepers fence - don't think my mum ever believed that! I can remember in the playground to the right of the entrance gate there was the big shelter held up with metal bars and everyone swinging on those metal bars in the morning and at playtime. I can also remember 3 or 4 coal bunkers to the left of the gate which we used to try and climb on. My sister who was a little over 2yrs older than me also went to Heber as did my brother 6yrs younger than me. I know at one time my sister had Miss Graver as a teacher and one morning in winter my mum took me into school late after having a doctors appointment and my sister was in the playground in her vest and knickers doing PE. It was freezing and Miss Graver was wearing her sheepskin coat, scarf and gloves and my mum ordered my sister to go inside and get dressed whereby there was an argument between Miss Graver and mum! When I was in the juniors I know Mr Stevenson was headmaster, I can remember Mrs Pearson who played the piano, Mrs Parsons who had a baby and I think left, Miss Girling who had long ginger hair and I think I remember a Mr Beaston? In the juniors Miss Graver was my class teacher and I was also in The Unit which I think was experimental where all the classrooms were knocked down to make one big long classroom. I remember a film crew coming in making a film on The Unit and being shown on TV. We seemed to be left to work at our own pace through exercise books but I don't think anyone kept tabs on whether you did or didn't. In my case I preferred playing all day with my best friend Susan Mustafa. My other friend was Pat Randall and I can remember Tony Magee, Gary Johnston and Timothy Moore. I don't think I learned an awful lot in the juniors and when we were told we would be doing the 11 plus the following week it didn't really mean a lot. If you passed it you went to a grammar school if you failed it you went to the comprehensive. Simple. No stress. I went on to go to Friern. My sister went to Peckham Girls and my brother to Kingsdale. We lived in Goodrich rd there was a shop at the end called Blackmores, owned by Mr Blackmore this sold sweets and also useful things like plasters! However I do remember Mr Blackmore died and I don't remember it opening as a shop again. At the other end - Crystal Palace rd end there was at one time a bakery on one side and The Castle pub on the other. Opposite the bakery (which did close and become a house) was a fish and chip shop, next to another sweet shop which became known as Ally's. Found memories of the school, Goodrich Road and East Dulwich. It was a great place to grow up.