Alan Gibbs Remembers.

I lived on Ancona Road and attended the Infant and Primary School at Conway. (In this picture of Conways School Class of 1950, I am the fourth boy from the left in the back row). I can recall the caretaker ringing the school bell every morning. In the Infants we were given a spoonful of malt every morning, as we went in.

In the Primary School we had to do Country Dancing. On the days we had P.E. (Physical Education) if you had no plimsoles to wear during the P.E. you had to go to a cupboard in the hall and hope to find a pair that fitted you.

At Christmas time we were taken around to the church next to the school, in Hector Street, for a Carol Service. (This church is now a Roman Catholic church)
I can't recall all the teachers names, but the few I can are: Mrs Moore, who was in the Infants, Miss Baker and Mrs Barnaby; Mr Mockridge, who was the football master, who later became Headmaster of Alexander McLeod School in Abbey Wood; Mr Lovatt, who always wore a three piece suit and had a pencil moustache; Mr Jenkins, who was in charge of the school band; and Mr Bull, the Headmaster.

I went to East Plumstead Baptist Church for Sunday School, the old church on the corner of Griffin and Brewery Roads, and then later I went there to Cubs (14th Woolwich group). In those days we used to march to Woolwich through the streets on the annual St George's Day Parade.

On leaving Conway School I then attended Wickham Lane Secondary Modern School for Boys. I remember the annual cross-country races which we ran through Bostall Woods. We were put into 'Houses,' each house had a different colour. The house names were, Abbey, King, and School. I was in Abbey. Some of the schoolteachers I recall are, Mr Whitworth, who took Religious Instruction, Mr Hough, Bookcraft & Gardening, Mr War, History, Mr Armound, Woodwork, Mr Bennet, Metal Work and Mr Waites, Music.

I remember when my dad took me to see the last tram. We stood on the Plumstead rail bridge as the very last tram rattled past us. It was all lit up (sad day). They were good, those old trams.

I remember they had controls at both ends of the tram and the backs of the seats could be pushed backwards and forwards, for whichever way the tram was going. No need to turn the tram around; quite clever.

On a Sunday we would have winkles for tea. We each had a pin ready to winkle out the tasty morsel in its little shell. Before you took them out though you had to take a small black top off of them. My sister used to get these little black things and lick and stick them on her face to make them look like beauty spots.