MY CHILDHOOD DAYS
PAGES OF CHILDHOOD
flickering through pages of a bye gone age
looking through the pictures
memories i have saved
childhood reflections
drifting through time
words of remembrance
in this world of mine
stones that skimmed rivers
newts and tadpoles caught
dreams and wonders
that could not be bought
swift dogs and carriages
trains that bellowed steam
twisting trails of countryside
scenic views serene
trees that i climbed once
many years ago
summers were long then
winters freezing snow
snowmen and guy Fawkes
bonfires touched the sky
Catherine wheels that spun my world
right up to the sky
chestnuts and strawberry's
candy floss at fairs
flowers on the heath then
apples and sweet pears
girls that came calling
haystacks and dens to build
river banks and swans
toffee apples licked
friends neighbors families
strangers were not known
crickets in the meadows
nights i played alone
cliffs on the seashore
durdle door and fun
sandcastles to build
races for to run
punch and Judy box shows
trips to London town
happy days of holidays
leaves of golden brown
blackberry picking
ponies for to ride
days out to the picture shows
watch the evening tide
all childhood memories
painted in my book
grandmas pudding recipes
Xmas puds to cook
penny for the guy
another for your thoughts
all of these precious memories
can never o'er be bought.
"If you ask adults about the happiest memories of play, they will seldom mention parks, but they will recall the vacant lot, the secret places behind billboards or hoardings".
Herman Mattern / Berlin Playgrounds.
"Whatever we do, children will always play on the streets, on the docklands and the railways, just as they always have played in the fields, barns and haystacks". "The point is that surely these activities are age old and can no more be stopped than the child themselves can be stopped from growing. If this is so, then surely too, it is our job to provide clubs, playgrounds and leaders, not only covering a wide range of interests, but also at places and in situations where they are needed".
Joe Benjamin / Adventure Play Leader.
"Children will play everywhere and with anything, the provision that is made for their needs operates on one plane, but children operate on another. They will play wherever they happen to be, a city that is really concerned with the needs of it’s children will make the whole environment accessible to them, because invited or not, they are going to use the whole environment".
Colin Ward / The Child in the City.
Me at the mannings heath on Canford
The play of children has always held a special fascination for me. With my own childhood play experiences being so full, I guess in many ways this was inevitable.
The Mannings
I was born in one of my grandfathers properties on the ringwood road in newtown, poole Dorset in the spring of 1945.Then because of family circumstances I was raised by my grand-parents (Reg and Alice Rogers) from a very early age at the family small holding farm (The Mannings), situated on the edge of Lady Wimborne Estate at Canford Heath, Poole in Dorset. The Mannings House and grounds were situated in a basin surrounded by Canford estate with its wild flowers,tumbling heather downs, gorse bushes, and the bracken of the Mannings heath.The closest neighberhoods were just a mile away at Alderney and Newtown. High in the distance were the Lodge hills of the Canford Magna Estate with its panoramic views and tall pine trees. In recent years a great deal of the area has become better known as Tower Park, which took its name from the prominent water tower.
Funnily enough the whole area is now a modern day multi-media activity and leisure park, very commercially based. (The actual tower itself and for many years a local landmark, originally based within the local Limmer and Trinidad road surfaces compound). The local council housing estate of Trinidad, situated close to Rossmore, was itself named after the works and had no connection with a foreign tropical country.
As a small child, I attended the new Sylvan road infant school in lower Parkstone before going up the constitution hill to attend the Branksome Heath junior school situated near to seaview. When at home at the Mannings I spent my play times amongst our own farm animals, and with the many wild rabbits and amongst the numerous gypsies who frequented the area with their gayly decorated caravans. Which stretched from the Lodge Hills of Canford Magna to the local neighberhoods of Newtown and Alderney.
Uncle George Castle family n friends in the picture" The Story Teller".
Apart from the many gypsy children who frequented the heath, the other few children I saw outside of school time hours usually were intruders from the three communities of the nearby and surrounding housing estates, at Alderney, West Howe and Trinidad/Rossmore.
GRANFER ROGERS
Old granfer rogers kept chickens had hundreds near Poole
he bought him a pig he called George Waterloo
he had him ten ganders and a billy goat too
i milked the nanny and she liked it too
there were doves in a loft and pigeons a few
bantams and cockerels hens on the loose
with pigs in the sties and cows in the shed
budgies and ferrets and dogs all in their beds
the cats chased the rats and there were ducks in the pond
wild birds that sang and views of Poole far beyond
granfer had large allotments and grew him some veg
he had two orchards and wife Alice in bed
he went to the Albion boozer when it was the snake
he used lots of tools like spades n a rake
he never believed in all that folks said
he said you have to work hard and make your own bed
he served in the army in the french trench war
he got shot up badly didn't want to go back there no more
he worked in the family brickyard and he worked on his land
for he was a very independent sort of a man
he made bricks and laid them built many a house
but he didn't chase the fox or go out shooting grouse
he was a friend of the cousin of Churchill you see
lady wimborne was her name n she had a house at sandbanks by the sea
old granfer was god fearing and a christian methodist man
those Jehovah witnesses he didn't understand
he knew his bible and he worked the land
he brought up eight children and me
he was wise and honest as could be.
In my early childhood at the Mannings there was no street or house electric lighting and we had to rely on candles or (tilley) oil lamps, (made in the local factory at Newtown),This was until we eventually had gas lighting and finally electricity.
GRANFERS COOPY PEN
In summer they would gather to sit in granfers pen
all the little children aged from one to ten
theyd listen to his stories all his durzet rhymes
he always had time for them all of the time
he told them off the cuckoo who came from stobourough green
he recited poems of William Barnes drew forth the country scenes
he had a pig called waterloo a cow called daisy too
he lived upon the Manning's where i lived from age of two
granfer worked the brickyard's he lived upon the farm
he was night watchman at the foundry his skills went on and on
he always loved the children everyone who came to call
he listened to their prattling from two to beyond four
granfer had a pony pylon was its name
he also had a billy goat thats how he got his fame
granfer told us stories tales of yesterday
frolics on the common tumbles in the hay
the kids all sat in granfers coopy pen every single day
he was the master story teller they came from far away
granfer told us yarns and tales some of them were true
others were just nursery rhymes snow white and little boy blue
In the very early years there was also no running water and the family (Grandfather,grandmother and their eight children) collected water from local natural springs in the banks on the heath. Occasionally, I would invite school friends home( such as the Suttons), along with my cousins (Brooms/Domineys) who lived at Newtown and (Colliers) from Wimborne. All of my school friends considered me to be extremely lucky to live on a farm and to have so many animals to play amongst. Animals ranging from dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, ducks, chickens, geese, birds, cows, pigs, ponies and goats. There were so many new experiences for the urban children to enjoy; many of which I took for granted. Like the collecting of chickens eggs, hot from under the wings of hens .The Feeding and scattering corn to the chickens, the mucking out of the pigs in their sties and taking the dogs and ferrets(which I carried in a pouch in my trouser pockets) out searching for rabbits. Laying fresh hay down in the cow shed as bedding, mixing meal and pigswill (which grandad bought monthly from the large Bournemouth hotels) and then cooked in the boiling hot copper house oven, mixed with meal and potatoes, ready for the pigs’ dinners. Then actually feeding the pigs, what a fabulous experience that was.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 
Augustus John
One of my earliest childhood memories is of observing the local artist, the eccentric Augustus John,who lived at Alderney Manor were he had his own studio in the woods,which is now manor road. As a small infant I would watch him in the setting up of his easel, to paint Heather View house with its delightfull brickwork,stable and roses around the door(the house belonged to Lady Wimbornes estate and was originally rented out to my grandfather). This was just a few yards away from our own house at Mannings Heath Road which was built by grandads cousin harold rogers.
Augustus John had a wild and liberal reputation and was frowned on for his womanising.
He caused quite a scandal when he had a local girl pose for him in the nude.Often Augustus Johns children visited and we played games in my families brickyard.
The brickyard was opposite to the house and it was here,where my grandfather Reginald Rogers worked as a brick maker.
gran granfer and gran Reg and Alice Rogers my mother Iris
| Local children with whom I occasionally played with as I grew older, built underground dens in the sandy mounds on the heath, at the rear of the Trent companies car dump at ringwood road. Charlie Trents car dump displayed a large placard, which stated it was the largest in Europe. These children's ingenious underground dens which we built were all padded out on the inside, with mattresses and carpets. Then covered over the top with a roof made of galvanise tin sheeting at ground level. Then cleverly covered over with sods of grass; as camouflage, all well hidden from naked eyes.
Trees that were suitable would be conquered and used for rope Tarzan swings, with their high branches to hang from; using disgraced or abandoned car tyres, or a stick as the seat. Such swings rotated in large circular movements with a high drop below, with us children falling onto sandy surfaces. This was often to be our only escape in a moment of danger.
FOREVER A CHILD
He was forever a child born to be free a childhood spent living so loved by the sea
his handle was cupid you could tell from his smile he chased the young girls just once in a while
he climbed all the trees he ran all the streets his voice it was merry so swift were his feet
his friends they were many his exploits a few he ran with the wind he was born just like you
he dressed in the manner not like kids of today he sported a cap when he went out to play
his school was a chapel his master a don he jumped the sea tides hes Constitution so strong
he was up with the sun to bed with the moon he sang of love each new day in June
his sweethearts were many from London to Poole then he rode on the ferry from lands end to crewe.
A short distance away towards waterloo, many older kids rode the new modern motor bikes and push bikes on the heath, using the area as an unofficial speedway track. This pastime is now illegal and the police monitor the local heaths with wasp helicopters, to protect the wildlife. Nearby and to the rear of the Alderney Hospital grounds, was a large abandoned red sandy quarry area with a reservoir. This was often used by hordes of us children for playing games and adventurous pursuits. It was here we built special camps and dens similar to caves, into the sides of the quarrys sandy red banks. We would often swim naked in the wide, but safe pool of water, which in actual fact was a reservoir. Such places were my own personal adventure playgrounds.
WHERE AS A KID I PLAYED
Where geese did hiss and ganders chase where cock did crow each morn where chickens roost and old in tooth the saddle back pig was born
where granfer made the swill each morn where grandma baked a pie where dogs ran free then followed me across the heaths thereby
where springs were born within the thorns where heathers spread the floor where trees did ripe and birds took flight each and every morn
where cows did moo and pigeons flew where cats did chase the rats where summers were long and greenfich song did bless the day your born
where flowers grew upon the heath where tramps and vagrants hid where nettles brooks and uncles took me out a ferreting
where rabbits played out of the shade where trees grew tall and proud where conkers grew and fir cones too where planes flew o'er so loud
where bantams eggs were neatly spread where ducks and drakes did play where apples grew within the dew and lovers babes were laid where as a kid i played.
There was little housing then, no roads for miles and with only bird song, gypsy caravans and sand lizards for company a great deal of the time. The area of heathlands were renowned for splendid pine trees, which were originally brought into the country by Captain and Lady Tregonwell.
The sweet smelling scent of the pines was seen as a cure for tuberculosis and consequently, many sanatoriums were built locally. Including the present Alderney Hospital.
The writer and invalid Robert Louis Stevenson
It was at Brownsea Island where Lord Robert Baden Powell based his very first Scout camp in 1907. Thereby founding and establishing ‘The Scout Association. The wife of Baden-Powell was herself a local lady; her maiden name was Olivia Soames. She originally lived with her family at Grey Riggs in Parkstone. (Poole).
Baden-Powell and Olivia were married in 1908 at St Peter’s church in Poole which was the largest in the town. Poole brownsea island church
My childhood play world then was a great deal safer then than the present 2Ist Century environment.With its dangerous highways, heavy traffic, and crime, including that of stranger’s danger. A child was able to roam miles in complete safety, parents were not so concerned then as now. Even our front door would often remain unlocked at night. Grandad would be more concerned with the foxes, which occasionally came to the Mannings during the early hours. To drag off chickens to their lairs high up in the banks of lodge hills at Canford Magna. He housed a twelve bore shotgun in the hall.
However, there were other hidden dangers. As I discovered on one occasion when my young sister Julie visited, and I took her for a stroll across an abandoned clay pit at the rear of the family brickyard. My sister Julie who was only a toddler then, found that she had trapped herself in an area of quicksand. I tried to reach her but I too found myself slipping in. Fortunately I had called for help and the local brickyard watchman, appeared with a strong length of rope and fortunately managed to haul my sister free. We went home with our skins baked in red clay and quick sand. My sister rushed directly to the deep stone kitchen sink, and was lifted into it and scrubbed by my mother.
We were constantly warned of such hidden dangers, such as a store of hidden ammunition, abandoned on the boggy heath during the war years. The store containing grenades and mines embedded in the heathland mossy blanket. Another serious danger to the roaming children of the heathland.
As an older boy I would be taken to watch the local football league team play at Boscombe, (Bournemouth) with my grandfather and Uncle Bill, in our family car. The ‘Boscombe Cherries’ football matches would always be an occasion. I would sport the red scarf and berry, along with the popular noisy wooden rattle.
During school holidays uncle Bill Rogers would take me for days out in his 'British Road Services' lorry. To collect coal from railway sidings at Southampton Docks. Or else drive through the beautiful New Forest countryside to deliver large water pipes. Often we would drop in at Uncle Sid Rogers on our way home at his large local transport companies’ lorry yard of Rogers Tansport at fancy road. The road was named after my great grandmother Emily Fancy.
We would also visit Uncle Charlie Rogers at his large pig sties at Wool Road in Newtown. The Rogers families operated numerous enterprises over the years. These all originated from my great grandmothers’ Elizabeth Fancys first pig and the growth of the original brickyards and the smallholding farm. Hence the road was called Fancy Road.
Culminating in the family brickyard on the Mannings Heath. Which was a focal point in the landscape and could be seen from the trains carriage windows at nearby Poole railway station.
KIDDIES RHYME
When noddy and big ears went out to play
they met loopy Lou upon the way there was dougal and Dylan and brer rabbit too plus the silly old woman who lived in a shoe
they all joined with zippy and Zebedee sailed on a ship with captain hooks crew there was peter and Wendy and tinker bell too then they all had a party on the wee train in the park down at Poole lanes
there was muffin the mule and big bird playing the fool the man in the moon and little boy blue then Larry the lamb and sooty and sweep joined in the fun and had ice cream so neat
the little dog laughed and the girls did a trip whilst the music man played so sweet from his lips the octopus garden and the yellow submarine basil brush laughed at the antics that day when the sheep and the hares danced in the hay
the road runner zoomed and speedy Gonzales made his way home its was all just too much for the little BO peep as she laid in the hay and had a big weep
the muffin man came to sell of his wares then marmalade sandwiches were given away by paddington bear then they all made the journey down to Poole fair.
The activities of the family at the Mannings house often took precedent over every other consideration. I would be expected to assist with the wheel barrowing of pig manure, which was used to fill in trenches at the allotment garden. The planting of seeds, gardening work, or the collection of fruit, from the trees in the two vast orchards. These were all essential tasks, which I was expected to participate in. Along with similar duties, such as assisting my Grandfather with the brick building of the front garden wall, or the new pig stys. All of such activities kept me very busy indeed. GRANDMA ALICES TREASURE.
At the bottom of her garden was grandmas treasure trove it was buried in a hole at least that was what were to see what we could find at the bottom of her garden we left this world behind
some said she hid her treasures in pots of gold and dust of all her love and trust
we looked beneath the apple trees beneath the gooseberry bushes too but all we found were nettles along with slow worms and a shoe
they say that grandma Alice was rich in tales of lore for she sang her hymns there daily She believed in love not war
she was a salvation soldier thats where yould find her there
on sundays she would tell you that jesus christ was king for her words were kind and open you should have heard her sing
we never found that pot of gold beneath the orchard trees we all discovered love and thruth instead for the searching made us free.
I created my own hide outs, such as in an abandoned pig sty shed, furnishing it throughout with carpets, curtains and chairs, or in a chick run, using hardboard and carpeting. During these play activities, I was actually involved in what later came to be known as junk play.
Funny things happened which brightened up my childhood days. On one occasion I dressed my Airedale dog, Rusty, up in a dress and red Indian head-dress and played football with her. on the large grassed area at the rear of the house. My uncles would take their prize pigeons to Exeter, when we visited our relations there.
Aunt Ivy, Uncle Tom and cousins Maureen and Tommy Thorpe each year. The pigeons would be set free as we left, arriving back at the Mannings pigeon and dove lofts well before our return home.
Christmas was very different then and not so commercialised. We would use the front room parlour, as the room for our coal fire throughout the Christmas period. In our Christmas preparations, we would catch a chicken outside on the farm, kill it, then pluck its feathers in the bath. Then it was scorched and hung for a while, before being finally prepared for the oven. This was our Christmas dinner to feed the large family of grandparents, uncles, aunts and visitors.
One year we had a new magic lantern film projector and screened pictures onto a cotton sheet draped across the bathroom door. Watching Laurel and Hardy, boxing matches and Tom Mix the cowboy, was seen to be quite an event.
During school holidays, I would spend time with my mother Iris
At their tied cottage, close to their employers home at Barnsley Farm, where my uncle worked as head dairyman.
Occasionally, I would be taken on an excursion by my cousin Joan Broom, to watch the pictures shown at the Parkstone Regal cinema. Locals referred to as, "up on the hill". As the little yellow and brown bus took us through rossmore, the ups and downs and through the alder hills. The route of the gypsy driver Louie Foot with her old Ford T.
At the Regal cinema we would attend and watch the A.B.C children’s matinee films, shown there on every Saturday morning. We would queue up with hundreds of other local children, to watch cartoons and trailers on the big screen. Along with favourites, like ‘Hopalong Cassidy’ and "Tom Mix", with Pathe news bulletins. During windy autumn days at the Mannings, I would construct huge kites made from large sheets of brown paper; canes, string and a tail made from newspaper strips. On such a windy day, I would be able to fly my kite at a great height, extending the roll of string to its base and tying this to a chicken house corner nearby. However, such a high flyer caused problems with local aircraft flying through the terrain from Hurn Airport. Thus I would have to shorten the kites’ length of flight, due to a telephone call made from the airport to my Grandad, at the brickyards little office, opposite our house.
The Mannings smallholding farm presented a panoramic view of the whole surrounding area, based as it was in a wide area basin of open expanse. The smallholding was itself situated in the base of a valley, from where I could view all around, including the water tower at Old Wareham Road and the Wool Road area of Newtown. The area is now known as Tower Park. From here, one could also gain splendid views of the Lodge Hills of the Canford Heath estate at Canford Magna. In the opposite direction one could see the backwaters of Hamworthy Poole, known as Waterloo and see the distant trains on their way to Londons waterloo station. I was at night able to view the street lights in the distance at the Fleets Bridge roundabout along with the power station at Poole, with its tall chimneys. (which was unfortunately dynamited down in recent years) As a small boy, I was fascinated with the power of matches, on one occasion I caught fire to furze bushes on the common, which terrified me. I was unable to put the fire out, for it was spreading so quickly. Being mid summer, the day was very hot, however eventually three fire engines arrived. I was kept in my room and scolded for this major misdemeanour. Because of this, I was determined in later years to provide safe play opportunities for children, to both control fires and to enjoy the excitement, energy and warmth of fires within supervised adventure playground environments. The many play opportunities provided to build, create and take responsibility for oneself was always a part of my childhood at The Mannings. This along with the daily care of all the many animals and pets, the picking of blackberries and the apples for freshly made pies.There was always some form of construction going on on the farm, such as new pens, ready for the chickens. Along with garden's created and fresh trees saplings to be planted. The Mannings and its surrounding terrain was in so many ways an adventure playground. In itself a community, yet of animals and pets.
 Occasionally my Aunt Vera Dominey would take me out for the day with her large family of 8 children, cockling. In the backwaters of Poole at Hamworthy. |
bear cross
| N This was a muddy occupation, which involved the searching for cockles, amongst the muddy seashore, then collecting them in tin buckets and sacks. We would all wear wellington boots for this event. Such days I will never forget for their uniqueness.
At The Mannings, my uncles Bill, Tony, along with Aunt Betty, taught me the basic skills involved in the building of chicken and bird pens, cow sheds and pig sties. Skills which would all come in useful in later years, when I was to build Adventure Playgrounds.
Often we would walk to market, or to another smallholding, across the extensive Canford estate, often to buy a pig, such as the giant boar from Waterloo that we named, ' Waterloo George’. He was huge and ugly with big teeth.
During one such visit to this huge expanse of open water, known as Waterloo, we brought home a new nanny goat with collar and long metal chain, onto a double-decker bus, along with our three dogs, Rusty, Jacko and Spider. These were two Airedales and a miniature sheep dog. This was much to the amusement of the passengers and the bus conductor, particularly so when we all ran upstairs to the top flight of the bus. An event that one could not so easily do in our present society.
At the family owned brickyard, opposite the Mannings house, I would spend hours in the evenings in the company of my grandfather, whilst he was brick maker and later night watchman there and at the iron foundry of Hamworthy Engineers which is situated at the top of the Mannings Heaths stoney gravelled road. Nearby at the Broom road pond, and to the rear of the iron foundry. I would often catch newts in glass jars, in between playing on the swing, at the rear of our neighbours’ home at the heather view cottage. Where my friend Marion Archer lived.
One of my best memories, was to observe the fertilised chicken eggs as the new born chicks hatched out in the large wooden tray placed in front of the fireplace range, initially the oven had played the part of the mother hen. To hear the noise of the pecking inside the eggs and then to watch the new born chicks breaking through their individual shells, was really quite something. Such experiences are rare today, to the majority of children, brought up to shop for groceries with their parents, at Sainsburys or Tescos. The large expanse of water, known as Waterloo, was itself situated across the boggy rushes of the heath towards Poole. This was a great exploring terrain. At this time there were vast numbers and variety of gypsy caravans and other gypsy camps at Alderney, along with those based on the edge of the Old Wareham road itself. These caravans of gypsies and tinkers caused much concern to the locals and to the authorities then, just as they do today,although many of thse families are now residents of Kinson and Parkstone.
The SeaView. The Trinadad Water Tower.
When I was attending junior school at Branksome Heath, I would occasionally stay on long after the bus left for home and go with a few others to look through the large spyglass for just a penny, based at Sea View. To look out to sea to watch the many boats at Poole Harbour. Or we would often explore the dump nearby,close to the Kinson pottery where often old family photographs and cinema negatives were dumped by the million. Then I would run home, along the Ringwood road to the water tower at wool road. Which is now a local landmark focal point. Then across the heath and down the steep wooded encline to the bottom of our garden, arriving home for tea.
Kinson was originally a much wider neighberhood at one time the parish stretched from seaview to kinson village. For great Images of Cnford Heath click here Me with my dog Rusty on my 7th birthday.
Popular toys at that time included train sets with circular metal tracks, tin red london buses and tin money red pillar boxes. At school us kids played marbles, flick cards and conkers in the school playgrounds. Kids now had cap guns and cap bombs which they threw high and exploded on these tarmaced school playgrounds. Our games were boisterous then with piggy back battles, or chase, usually resulting in falls and resulting in grazed knees from the tarmaced school playgrounds.
Football was played with a small rubber ball and hordes of kids would chase and kick out, there was little skill involved. The girls played skipping games and chants of "brooke bond divi tea" were popular. We could buy jamboree bags and penny chews from the local tuck shop on the corner, or long sticks of liquorice and candy false teeth, sweet cigarettes and black jacks. There were now loads of kids comics, from film fun to the eagle, or the swift. At school we would often chat about the radio series, such as, journey into space, or the ever popular, uncle mac , the childrens favourite. Occasionally my Aunt Betty and Uncle John Dove. John who was a groundsman for Bournemouth council parks dept would take me to Poole, to watch the Poole Pirates speedway. With stars on view, like Poole Pirates own World Champion speedway star, Brian Crutcher.
Each autumn we would visit Poole Fairground, which was situated on common land at the rear of the fire station. Here we could view the boxing champion Freddie Mills, the Sherwoods and Stanley boxers. We also walked the many rows of the fairground stalls, within what was known as the largest national fairground in the UK. The Old Granary at Wareham Quay
At the age of 10, I moved home to live at Wareham. A purbeck holiday town, to live with my Mother, Stepfather and Sisters Julia and Joanna, in the heart of the Purbecks Hills. Here I spent my playtimes with country farm children, exploring the most enchanting market town of Wareham. With its high undulating grassy banks of earthen grass walls, surrounding the town itself. It was here where I quickly grasped from other children, new skills. Like how to catch lizards on the high grass walls, or fish for minnows from the rivers. The children I played with included were those such as Alan Fry, Colin Woods, Stephen Comden, Robin Grant, Moochey Matum and all his brothers and family.
We built strong earthen forts and wooden dens on the wasteland opposite the Church of Lady St. Mary’s, here we had our own community for one long summer. Other times we would go paddling at the sandy white sandpits, close to the mill where the mad miller of Wareham town once lived. Or swimming at the Wareham Quay, where Mickey the monkey lived in his cage, outside the inn and where he collected donations in his metal box for the R.N.L.I lifeboats .
WAREHAM DAYS.
When I lived in Wareham as a lad we played on the high grass walls what fun we had
we caught the lizards played with the snakes then went down east street bakeries for fresh cakes
jack spiller builder had a yard seamore lee owned best walls dairies n cream Mr Pratt was the fish shop guy who was always so clean he always had a word for you and I
Cedric Hughes rang st Mary’s church bells each Sunday morn wareham was a special place to wake each dawn samways had the farm by the walls there were many a trader and many a cause
we played footy across the rec just by the walls
David Mellor was a kid just then I baby sat him Sunday morn at half past ten I went to school with Edwards glen where old bill stuckey was the head we all said he was a Ted though he had a pimple on his head.
Here at the quay the older more adventurous youth, like Michael Joseph and David Young dived off from the top of the rivers bridge into the river during the summer months. This still happens today. Our other amusements included skimming flat stones across the top of the river to the opposite bank, or splashing shoals of fish onto the riverbank, using large stones from the top of the Wareham Quay Bridge.
During the evenings we children had a variety of pursuits to keep us occupied. These included playing chase games around the saw pits car park or playing hide and seek in and out of Lady St. Mary's church grounds in the dark winter evenings. We would play cricket in the narrow alleys, using the nearby stone bollards as wickets, or else the chalk marked walls of the church grounds themselves.
Other times we would play football matches on the Worgret Road recreation grounds. Close to where one of the smaller kids, David Mellor lived. David Mellor’s father was a science master at the nearby secondary school, which I attended. I would often call on David and take him to the recreational grounds, which were just opposite his house, to play football. David would always bring along his 'frido ball’. In later years David was to become an MP, radio and sports presenter. Another local lad, David Best who was in my games class, was head prefect and played soccer for Wareham rangers. He would eventually go on to play professional football for Bournemouth and Ipswich, before playing for the England under 21 international side. David once turned down an offer to play for Manchester United.
Sometimes the wareham kids who played soccer at the recreation grounds would nick carrots from the nearby allotments, wash them off in the tap water provided at the recreation ground and crunch them, in between games of football. During the school holidays, many of us would walk, or ride bikes to local villages, such as Corfe, Stoborough, or Creech. At Easter on hot cross bun day, we would go to Creech Barrow top where one could view three counties from the top peak. Here we would have a picnic, this was a regular traditional event each year. In the summer months the town of Wareham was a great tourist attraction.
Each Christmas the whole town would gather in the square at Wareham to watch as the Lord Mayor, Jack Spiller as Father Christmas, arrived by helicopter, landing on the roof of the Red Lion Hotel. Jack Spiller was no doubt some guy. Later he would give out sweets to the kids after the carol service itself had ended.
During the long summer months and school holidays, many kids would build wooden Go-karts, constructed from fruit boxes and pram wheels and ride them around the grass pathways, which ran throughout the surrounding grass walls of the town.
Black Bear Hotel
THE RITZ CINEMA
My mother Iris Banks and my stepfather Bill Banks worked at the local Black Bear Hotel. My mother was also an usherette part time at the little Ritz cinema in west street which was managed by Mrs Merrick and a waitress at the small Mrs Finemores cafe in south street.
Because of this I was able to obtain free admittance to the pictures on a regular basis and listen to the new pop world phenomena, which was sweeping the nation, through the 'juke box jivers’ of the town. People like my friend Tony Thomas and the Andersons, who frequented the café. The town was a Mecca, for people from the pop world, who lodged at the Black Bear Hotel. Celebrities such as the footballer Billy Wright, captain of England, along with his wife Joy, of the original "girl power" group The Beverley Sisters.
Billy and Joy were to marry in the nearby Poole registry office.
The town of Wareham was full of life and interest to children with so many natural playtime attractions, such as rivers, sand pits, recreation areas, grass walls, and woodlands. Including fascinating little shops with an assortment of novelties, where one could buy anything from stamp collecting sets, to i spy books. There was a thriving cattle in east street with a produce market and with many traders shouting their wares.
Many of us kids would walk to the nearby Corfe Castle at weekends, where we would slide down the slope of the steep rise a sheer drop to the foot of the castle itself, sat only upon thick pieces of cardboard. The area was very safe then with little traffic and ideal for such activities.
Carey
My family moved to a number of different locations in the town whilst living there. One was on the Carey housing estate which was at the rear of the Wareham railway station, where the kids played games of marbles on the small communial greens. In later years the Dorset County Council education department created the Carey Camp. Here 120 children per fortnight camped.
In later years I was to work there as assistant to the camp warden Rob White and the great camp chef and local railway station employee Les Hurst.
Amongst the grassy walls of the town of Wareham, we built camps within the thorny bushes and trees. During the evenings we would visit each others homes to swop comics This activity was another popular pastime of many local children.
The town itself was particularly safe for a vast variety of more adventurous activities. As there were few dangerous side roads and it was very child orientated.
During my early teenage year’s, I moved back to live at the Mannings in Newtown,Poole, attending the local secoundary modern school Peter Kemp Welch. During my out of school time I would be involved in helping my grandfather in the operating of the smallholding. But the remoteness and solitude of the heath was far to limiting for my youthful energies
. Bluebird Caravans.
Then at 18 I left my employment at the ‘Bluebird Caravan Organisation’, which was the largest in the country, shortly after a trade dispute. I had been employed there for 3 years as a painter decorator and a chassis sprayer. During that time I found myself on local tv news and met up with all of the great trade union leaders like Jack Jones. I then moved home once more, to live at 'Bovington Army Camp'near Wareham,where my step father Bill Banks worked as an army chef.
T E Lawrence of Arabia.
Bovington was the home of the Royal Engineers, the Tank Regiment and T.E.Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence was tragically killed at Clouds Hill just a few yards from his former cottage near Moreton
MOVIE
Bovington is situated in an area known as Thomas Hardy’s ‘Egdon Heath’, close to the beautiful Isle of Purbeck.
Officers Batman.
Initially Civilian Employment Personnel Offices employed me at the army camp for the Ministry of Defence and I was based at the Royal Armoured Corps Officers Mess. As a Civilian Batman for the Ministry of Defence. Here I was to be responsible for up to 8 officers. Which was in itself quite an experience and a learning curve.
Mum at R.A.C Officers Mess. With Mum, Bill, Joanna, n Diane.
Whilst at Bovington I had developed an ability to relate well to my peers, spending my free leisure time with local youth gangs of 'mods' and ‘rockers’.
Crusaders soccer team. Junior Leaders
I had developed an active interest in football, as a player manager of my own Sunday league team, known locally as the Bovington ‘Crusaders’. We played football matches against the army Reme teams and the junior leaders Regiment. As well as local teams from Bere Regis, Kingston Lacey, Winfrith, Wareham, Herston and Winfrith. The 'Crusaders' soccer team was named after the local Y.M.C.A centre. Which we youths frequented each evening, for games of table tennis, table football, pop juke box music, frothy coffee and fun.
Barbecues at Durdle Door.
At Bovington, we spent our summer holidays in the woodlands, where we built hide outs, using discarded pigs houses of galvanised sheeting, stuffed with straw begged from the local military stables,
During the summer months, we would take part in large gatherings of our peers at organised barbecues on the local beaches at Durdle Door nr Lulworth Cove. Here we collected, the large pieces of driftwood which had washed in from the sea, to make large fires on the sandy beaches close to cave entrances. With the support of the organiser David "Snoze" Bamber who had all the contacts and Pete Franklin the local professional folk singer who played each week at various local pub venues throughout Dorset. Here we would gather in large numbers, with other youths from all areas of the dorset county, playing guitars, singing folk songs and drinking draught cider. Which we youths had previously rolled down the cliffs in large barrels. Here we would listen to music played by members of the local winners of the best beat group in four counties, called the ‘Cavaliers’, such as my friends Terry Andrews and accompanied by Gordon Halford. Whilst a Liverpool lad named Paddy who had bummed his way down to Bovington, sang and played Bob Dylan songs. WAREHAM TOWN.
There were cobbled streets in wareham town lots of pubs but not a rose and crown there were sandpit's and saw pits too plus Carey camp to take kids to
on the quay we swam and fished where the river frome swans did kiss there were walks up winding tracks to redcliffes ridge across from stoboroughs farms and markets bids
the clock it struck upon the hour there where the old granary did turn the flour the mad miller lived by warehams walls where lizards swarmed and yokels talked long hours
nearby the town where Lawrence stone was laid a tribute to his moreton grave the hardy town where farmers talked where deer once ran and forests walked
as a child we chased the girls across those downs and wareham walls the bestwall tracks and lundigo the wareham fair and the country show
here kings rode to corfe each day the castle on the hills still there today the road to swanage where blyton lived the purbeck isle and the tales the yokels bid
old wareham town was in doomsday book its charms alive still just take a look.
The local youths all rode an assortment of motor bikes as well as scooters and the popular mini cars. During these early sixties years there was never any youth trouble with the law and it was remarkable that no friction ever existed between the local groups of mods and the rockers. However there would on some occasions be some trouble with the local Junior Leaders Regiment members, at the army camp itself. This was usually over the opposite sex as the cause. However, these were good times to cherish and recall.
WOOL DAYS
I travelled back to Wool today watched the zunners hard at play the wool-bridge manor stood so grand the little bridge the river too felt like they were in my hand the track which ran to Moreton heath the winding road to visit Keith the d’Urbervilles village hall the little thatched cottages cute n small the road to lulworth durdle door
the hours spent there when we thought we knew it all the hill to bovy garrison abode the winter when it snowed and snowed
the ship hall where we would ofttimes dance chatting up gals oh sweet romance the swans and sheep the fields and the honey sweet the cowslips and buttercups beneath your feet the barbecues at durdle door the driftwood fires collected n built upon the shores the guitar players the folksy songs the nights that seemed to go on and on the fair at Wool which runs each year the smiles and laughs the fights and tears the mods and rockers the dens in the woods the gang of twenty like robin hood lambretta scooters and greaser bikes the days were hot the long long hikes the fields of clover the dips n dales the cows n meadows the farmyard smells the days of merriment in our youth
the trains we caught to Weymouth town the highs the lows the ups and downs what you could buy for just half a crown.
The film of Thomas Hardys book "The Maddening Crowd" was filmed locally and many of my old childhood girlfriends from Wareham were cast as extras. Family Pictures
21st Birthday party in woods
This was quite an event, which went on well into the early hours with my friends Terry Andrews and Gordon Halford playing their guitars. Unknown to us, two guys had travelled down from London and were busy syphoning petrol from parked cars at the rear of the nearby British Legion club. Thus at two a.m we were raided by police, alsation dogs on chains, helicopters etc. So it was quite a night to remember in more ways than one.
CAVALIER DAYS.
THE CAVALIERS -Winners of best group in 5 counties. I still can recall those beat-ifull daysthe dances at the naffi and the ship where they played the beat it was loud and the music was cool we were all the wiser that side of Poole the songs that we sung and the music went twang our heartbeats were quick and it went with a bang the long hair and drainpipes with beatle new boots we were young but much wiser n not old in the tooth the mods and the rockers along with the squires the sounds of the guns from the bovington scenes the laughter and frolics and ballroom attires
he music was rich then as they strummed a few chords from trips to the oceans on queen Elizabeth's world the band played a medley of Beatles and rock where teenagers gathered in their best gear and smocks
near lulworths great bay and durdles wide door where tanks they did roll and emblems cross swords the garrison nearby with its history of shaw
they drunk from the ship inn and danced on the floor in the old hut that's not there anymore the guys they had long hair and the girls beehive too they snogged on the dance floor close to the loos the music they played was out of this world they sang all the standards and we heard every word
the Morley's and Jones boy sung out the songs wel never forget them as we sang them along the nights then were free and full of good cheer as we ate up our crisps and drunk of fine beer
those days are gone now but the music lives on in the minds of the dreamers who still sing the songs the cavalier days and the barbecue sets the walks in the country we will never forget.
Canford Heath pics. 
DORSET ANCESTRY THE GYPSY POET POETRY SITE  BACKBEAT 
Shortly after I joined Community Service Volunteers at Toynbee Hall London, to become involved in community work, after reading an article in the Sunday Pictorial written by Donald Zec about community service.
 Tenko the bbc film series was shot at nearby Moreton.
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