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Childhood Days- continued
View of Corfe Castle from Poole by the artist Turner
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 Manning's 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 Manning's Heaths stony 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.
At Weekend’s, Gran and I would visit the local dump just across the heath, where we would explore the large amounts of timber cuts and other materials; which local companies (Knotts caravans) dumped there.
Often finding some useful items to take back home.
In the early evenings, during the autumn months, we would drag go-karts and sacks up high, to the lodge hill banks, to collect sacks of fallen fir cones from the base of the tall pine trees. Then drag our heavy-laden carts, down the winding sandy tracks of the heather hills to the Manning's coal shed, for winter storage as firewood.
I was thus educated never to waste any natural resource. At our families fruit orchards, I would collect fallen apples and pears for storage in a large metal chest, for the winter months ahead.
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 these families are now residents of Kinson and Parkstone.
The SeaView. The Trinadad Water Tower.
Sea View Hotel
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 enc-line to the bottom of our garden, arriving home for tea.
Kinson was originally a much wider neighborhood at one time the parish stretched from seaview to kinson village.
LADY WIMBORNE LORD WIMBORNE CANFORD SCHOOL For great Images of Canford Heath click here Canford Village Me with my dog Rusty on my 7th birthday. (The road in the rear now leads to Tower Park shopping and leisure centre)
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 tarmacked school playgrounds. Our games were boisterous then with piggy back battles, or chase, usually resulting in falls and resulting in grazed knees from the tarmac-ed 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 children's favourite.
Occasionally my Aunt Betty and Uncle John Dove 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.Or we would see the TV all Stars play soccer at Poole Stadium.
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 play times 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.
Wareham Secondry modern school
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 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
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 of Wolves and, 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 campe Here up to 120 children per week from schools across the county 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.
Back to The Mannings
During my early teenage year’s, I moved back to live at the Mannings in Newtown,Poole, attending the local secoundary modern school Martin 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’.
The Crusaders soccer team. Junior Leaders Regiment
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.
The 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.
lulworth Castle by the artist Turner
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
Nnearby 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. ROADS TO WOOL. 
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
My 21st Birthday party in Bovington 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.
THE CAVALIERS -Winners of best group in 5 counties. Cavalier Days the 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 Beatles 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.
Woolbridge Manor
PICTURE GALLERY/links
Dancing Ledge
LINKS Canford Heath pics. 
west howe
DORSET ANCESTRY THE GYPSY POET POETRY SITE 
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.
What an extraordinary adventure    |
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