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This Is My Life
1955–1959: A move to Wandsworth, and Chris

Muriel Mary Baldrey (Johnson), 1915–1999

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Pages for 1955–1956

1955

This year started as usual with School activities, and the children bringing friends home from school to tea or going out to tea themselves. One thing happened early in January Stan’s mother came to stay with us, she had not been very well often having very bad pains in her side, and the Matron at the Hospital became a bit anxious about her and suggested she should come and stay with us for a time. She quite enjoyed her stay as Stan was able to take her around in the car, and she visited several relatives including the ones that live at Baldrey Gardens, Streatham.

Stan went down to see his mother just before her birthday in March, and although she seemed to be better, she was still troubled by the pain. On the 16th March we had a telephone message to say that she had been taken into Hospital and had had an emergency operation. Stan went down there and she was very ill.

On the following Sunday Stan and I went down to see her, and she was gravely ill, the Doctor called us aside and said they were very worried as her kidneys were ceasing to work, and there was not a great deal they could do. Frank stayed on down there, and on the 23rd she died, Stan just missed seeing her alive.

I went to the funeral with Stan, also Phyllis and Frank, afterwards we went back to her flat at Brunel House and sorted out her personal things, arranging for some of the stuff to be brought back to either our house or Frank’s.

The Saturday after the funeral we were to attend David and Barbara’s wedding at Southwark Cathedral. Astonishing a funeral and wedding in the same week.

About this time Dad mentioned that 18 Dorlcote was up for sale, and he was wondering if we were interested. I don’t think I have mentioned that we had known for a long time that the School at Ashford was to close. Mr. Bailey was retiring this year, and everything was to be finished up by July, so we knew that we would have to find somewhere else to live, and that Stan would have to look for another School.

Stan’s mother left about £400 to be divided between the boys, this was to prove a big help to us, as Dad managed to persuade Uncle Will to advance the £1000 necessary to buy No 18 on lease, and he said it would be O.K. to pay it back on a long term basis with no interest. The money that came to us from Stan’s mother, was used to pay Solicitor’s bills, and to buy essential things for the house.

Eric was confirmed on May 24th at St. Hilda’s Church, and soon afterwards Wendy had an interview at “The Bank of England” – knowing that we would be moving to London, the question of Schools arose for the children. Wendy decided that she did not want to go into the 6th form at another school, and that she would rather start a job, so Digger suggested that she should try the Bank.

Eric was accepted at the Bec School, and it was arranged that Pam should continue at Twickenham, in order that she could take her advanced levels.

Wendy was due to take her ‘O’ levels in June, but on the 15th, she was taken ill, and had to go into Hospital, we thought it might be her old trouble again. However, they only kept her in a week but she missed all her exams. We realised afterwards, that she had worked herself up into a fine old state over the exams.

It was rather sad when we realised that our time at the School was drawing to a close. There was a farewell Fête in June, and Mr. and Mrs. Bailey had a farewell party at their house in July. They were moving to the Scilly Isles, Mrs. Bailey’s old home, they had managed to buy a big house there, and everything looked as if it would be fine for them. Unfortunately Mr. Bailey died within two years, I don’t think he ever settled down after leaving the School, the children there had been his whole life.

On the 9th July contracts were exchanged and No 18 became ours, which meant that we could spend a lot of time during the August holiday re-decorating, as the house had been empty for a year, and in any case was thoroughly neglected. I shall never forget the first time Stan turned on the water – the pipes were absolutely riddled with holes, and that meant lots of work on the water system.

Wendy was going out with a boy from the School – Robin, and once or twice they came up with us and helped with painting, etc. David also gave a hand, and Dad and Edna helped with the cleaning up.

We moved on the 30th August, and the night before the Leslies invited us up for drinks, and we had a long saga of how badly they had been treated at the School. Their job entitled them to food as it was a living in post, and they decided to have the same system as the Baileys, having it doled out to them from the stores, but whereas the Baileys had the pick of everything, they came a very poor second, in fact I was jolly glad we hadn’t got involved in the set-up.

The day of the move was gloriously hot, not very good for the removal men, as it certainly was a large move, not only did we have loads of stuff in the house and our shed, there was also quite a bit of Stan’s mother’s furniture stored in the Lodge next to Stan’s workshop. When they arrived at No 18, they weren’t surprised that we needed as much furniture as we could get. Dad had offered us his piano, and a three piece suite, which they moved in finally.

[In the margin, in a later hand: “– Charge for mo[ve] £10”. The edge of the note is cut off in the photograph.]

I was very sorry to say goodbye to the little house where we had been very happy. It was eventually knocked down when the School was taken over as a Borstal and Warder’s houses built nearby.

Stan had accepted a job at Parsons Green Secondary Modern School, which was the other side of the river, so it was family all change. Pat and Beryl were to go to Beatrix Potter School, [added by hand, in blue: “to Tranmere”] and gradually everybody settled down.

Wendy seemed to like the job at the Bank, Robin had also left School, and had taken a job at the Bank, he was a very frequent visitor. I don’t think Pam enjoyed the journeying to Twickenham, however, she had made friends with the brother of a girl at Twickenham – Robert Good, and he came to see us quite a bit. Again I don’t think Eric liked Bec as much as Hampton, but the authorities would not allow him to stay on at Hampton.

We had lots of visits from people at Ashford – Mr. and Mrs. Phillips were eventually moved to a house at Morden, the Leslies stayed on throughout the winter in very bad circumstances, I think he had pneumonia. He made a big fuss and would not accept a post unless it provided good housing. I do think that perhaps they had not been treated very well, as when they came to Ashford apparently they were not told that the School would be closing, and they spent masses of money on curtains and carpeting for the Chestnuts, the great big house they took over. I think they wanted to make a bit of show, but when they eventually found out about the School I expect they were very fed up.

He applied to be a Padre at Wandsworth Prison, but was not accepted. They eventually went up to Scotland to a Hostel up there.

We spent Christmas Day on our own. Robin joined us on Boxing Day, and Frank came over with Ala[n], then we went to Dad and Edna’s the next day. So ended an eventful year.

[Pasted on to the page, over the last paragraph, is a birthday card: “To my darling little wifey, with lots & lots of love, from her affectionate hubby”.]

1956

We were all settling in well at Wandsworth, I was getting involved with Bec School activities, trying to get down to Twickenham to Pam’s School’s parents meetings. Beryl had joined the Brownies run by Sally Sparkes, and Wendy was still involved with Robin.

In March Pam went to Wales on a Course with a party from the School. It was about that time that I realised that I was pregnant again, and I was hard put to know what to do about it. I thought it would be a good idea if I went in to West Middlesex Hospital once again, and I asked Phyllis if she would mind if I gave her address.

I went to the Hospital on the 11th April and got booked in all right, they said I would probably have to stay at Twickenham when it got nearer the time, but I thought I would face that hurdle when I got near to it.

However during the night of the 14th May, I realised I was losing blood, and Stan ’phoned the Doctor in the morning, and he thought I was starting a miscarriage and that the best thing would be to go into Hospital. So the ambulance had to be sent for, and I found myself in the Gynaecology Ward at St. James’s.

It wasn’t very pleasant there, and all the time people were coming in with miscarriages, and often this happened in the Ward, and I realised it was as painful as giving birth. I wasn’t allowed to get out of bed, and consequently I got very constipated, they then said they would give me an enema, which would probably bring on the baby. I think they thought I had tried to get rid of it, as I already had five.

However, I tried to make them see that I wanted to keep the baby, and they finally decided it should be a suppository. This did the trick, and I suppose from then onwards I was O.K.

I came home on the 27th May, but decided that I would have to take it easy. So I asked the Almoner how I should go about getting a home-help. Of course there were forms to fill in, but I managed to get on the list for a home help, and although I didn’t always have the same woman, each week somebody would come to do the heavy cleaning.

Of course, it was made clear to me that I would have to have the baby nearer home than West Middlesex, St. James’s already had my papers, and it was decided that I should attend their clinic and go into the Weir Hospital.

It wasn’t possible for me to go away this year, but it was decided that Pam should take Beryl and Pat down to the Caravan at Middleton, and that Stan would join them for a week. Wendy and Robin were around most of the time that they were away. Pam looked after the children very well, and I think they enjoyed themselves.

Eric went to Cadet Camp up in Norfolk. When he arrived home I was flabergasted at seeing the contents of his kit-bag, everything was in such a mess. Apparently he had lost his comb the first day he arrived, so he didn’t comb his hair for the rest of the time!!!

Pam had been applying to Colleges in the hope that she would pass her “A” levels. She fancied going to Wye College, Nr. Ashford, Kent, she had an interview and was accepted on condition that she got the “A” levels. Then she heard that it would be best if she worked for a year on the land.

This presented a problem, but she heard through the School that there was a Research Station specialising in fruit at West Malling, Kent. She managed to get accepted for a year there, and also was able to arrange to share a flat with another girl, her address was “Stream Cottage, The Stream, Ditton, Kent”, and it was a lovely little place. She started there in September, and seemed to settle down well. She also managed to pass the necessary “A” levels.

In October I went over to Alice’s Sheila, and she permed my hair, which was a great help when the babe arrived.

Towards the end of October the Home Help Service said that I would not be able to have anybody whilst I was in Hospital, and it might be difficult afterwards. Strangely enough Betty heard of a Mrs. Lewis who lived at Balham, through somebody that she worked with, who was anxious to do a little housework, and I got in touch with her and arranged for her to come in three times a week, so we breathed again.

On Wednesday the 7th November I was due to go to the Clinic at St. James’s, but early that morning, I realised that something was happening, I think the waters broke. However, I wasn’t feeling any pain, so I thought I would keep the Hospital appointment, but was a bit anxious about getting over there as I couldn’t walk very well. Dad came in and said that Mrs. Eggleton would go over there with me.

When it came to my turn to be seen, panic set in when I told them I thought it might happen any minute. They got the ambulance and shot me across to the Weir Hospital. Mrs. Eggleton kindly came with me, and took my clothes.

I was put in a side Ward after the usual bath, etc., and had some supper I think it was sausages and tomatoes, I was so pleased to be in the right place at the right time, and I was quite relaxed. I think about 8 p.m. I realised that the pains were starting, but as I was an old hand at the game, they asked me to time them. Then finally I went in to the labour ward, still timing the pains.

Then I asked for gas and air, saying that I was a real coward, they let me have this, and I was having a high old time knocking it back, when I suddenly realised that there was no gap between the pains, I managed to press the alarm bell as I was on my own, and they dashed in as the babe was born.

I think it was so quick that I tore rather badly. I had to have stitches and remember that the Doctor had a student with him who did the job at about 3 a.m. I was very tired, and they got a bit annoyed with my fidgeting. However back to the Ward, and next morning serve me right I had a sore throat from too much gas and air.

I was so looking forward to seeing Stan that evening, but he didn’t come as he couldn’t get anybody to do his evening classes he sent Wendy with a note!!

I was in a small ward with three other women and it was quite nice, but I was near a window which was left open, and Chris developed a discharging eye. Once again the Doctor saw it, and thought it might be an infection, so I had to go upstairs to a room on my own. They were so short-staffed that I seldom saw a nurse, and from then on carried on changing, bathing and feeding Chris – I believe somebody came to attend to me.

I came home on the 17th, and was real glad to be back. Stan and the children had managed very well. They had all had dinners at School, so there wasn’t much worry about food.

[The family kept Chris’s Baby’s Book from the London County Council’s child welfare centre at Earlsfield: “Johnson, Christine Helen”, of 18 Dorlcote Road, dated 8.11.56.]

So now we had six to cope with, and I was certainly kept busy. In December we went to the Revels at Fulham Town Hall, and David and Barbara came with us. We went into Dad’s on Christmas evening, then Den and Edith, Dave and Barbara, Pam’s friend John and Robin came to us for dinner and tea on Boxing Day. My word looking back I must have had my work cut out.

Chris was a very good baby, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to cope.

Pages for 1957–1958

1957

One of the first recorded events of this year was that Helena had a daughter Anne Charlotte on the 28th January, and all was well. By February 5th Chris was almost three months and taking her to the clinic she weighed 14lbs 6 ozs, so she was doing fine. On the 10th February Pat developed chicken pox but she didn’t have it too badly, and Chris didn’t get it, probably because I was feeding her and she had some immunity through me. We had frequent visits from Dave and Barbara, who was very interested in Christine’s progress. Stan asked two Australian teachers to tea one evening in February. It was rather chaotic, as they arrived late and our children had had tea, but I still had to feed Chris. However, they seemed a nice couple, they had met coming over on the boat, he was from Sydney and she from Brisbane, so they were going back to meet each other’s families.

Eric was playing the part of Viola in “Twelfth Night” at Bec, we went and saw it, and he acted very well. We went to a bottle party about this time at Mark Wilson’s flat, I didn’t know many people on the staff at Parsons Green, and I felt a bit out of it, I think that this was the last time that I felt thin, as I steadily put on weight after having Chris.

On March 10th Chris was Christened, we had it on this date as it was Stan’s mother’s birthday, and near to my mother’s. It was quite a party, Uncle Len and Vera came, besides all the family – Pete, Den, Dave and co, and various friends of the children. We asked a chap from Henderson Road, who was good at photography to come round and take some pictures and they turned out to be very good.

My Dad had an attack of ’flu in April but recovered soon after, then Frank was taken ill with a collapsed lung. We went to the usual Institute Dinner Dance at Zeeta Cafe, and this was very good.

I weaned Chris in May, and she cut her first tooth round about my birthday, she was getting along very well. Eric and Wendy were very much involved in the Y.Cs. and we were seeing quite a lot of their friends.

We heard that Beryl had been accepted at Clapham County School, we had wanted her to go to Putney High School, I can’t think why at the moment. However she was not accepted there, and she had an interview with Miss Viner, who found a place for her.

On June 16th, for some reason or other Pam decided to cycle up from Maidstone in boiling hot sun, and when she got here she had a touch of the sun. About this time Eric was sitting his G.C.E. exams, and we were hoping he would do well.

I was quite friendly with Mrs. Fessey at No 2, and they asked us to a bottle party one evening in June. It was quite enjoyable, but there were one or two strange people from his Office. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas came up from Ashford to tea.

At the end of July Eric went to Cadet Camp for two weeks, and we were preparing for a holiday at Middleton. This year we decided to hire a Commer Van, as we had so much to take down with us for Chris. We set off on August 10th, then the next day we went across to pick up Pam at Brighton, as she was joining us for a week. We had managed to take on Mr. and Mrs. Robinson’s Caravan as well as our own, and this Pam and Wendy were going to use, I think Kathy also came down for a week. We went around quite a bit in the Van, one day we went across to Lulworth, and went down on the beach, climbing up again we met two people who knew Dad. On the 18th we took Pam back to Maidstone, it was a long run and we rested in her flat for a while, I was able to give Chris some milk, before starting back.

We returned home on the 23rd and Pam came back the same week-end, her friend Sally was getting married on September 7th, and she had asked Pam to be bridesmaid. [Added by hand: “Eric did well in G.C.E.”]

We went up to Kinch and Lack to get Beryl’s uniform, and she looked very nice on her first day at School, I walked across the Common with her taking Chris, but she carried on to the School by herself. She soon made friends, but it was rather unfortunate that on the 19th September, she was playing on some roller skates outside the back door, when she slipped and cracked her wrist, so I had to take her to the Hospital, I remember we sat round there till about 10 p.m. that evening.

Pam finished at West Malling on the 26th September, and came home to get ready to go to Wye College, there was quite a lot to do. We took her down there on the 1st October, and I didn’t much like leaving her as the Women’s Hostel seemed to be right out in the country. However, she settled in well,

[The rest of this sentence is not in the photographs.]

Whilst we were on holiday Wendy had become very friendly with John Morris, who lived in the next road, and when we came back he came round here quite a bit, he also joined the Y.Cs. Also I think that about this time Frank and Phyllis moved in to a new house at Thornton Heath.

Pam came home from College on 10th December, and we had quite a busy time with various functions, we always went to the Institute Dance at the Old Town Hall, Fulham.

This Christmas, we spent on our own, but Frank and Phyllis and David and Barbara joined us on Boxing Day.

[Pasted on to the next page is another birthday card from Stan: “With all my love, Stan”.]

1958

Pam returned to College on the 8th January, and Stan and the children started back to School. Dad’s sister Auntie Bess came once a week to help me with the ironing on Wednesday January 15th, she was sitting in the kitchen doing the ironing, when she suddenly collapsed and fell back, I got Dad to come in, and she had had one of her black-outs. I think after this she did not come up again. Then one after the other we seemed to be ill, Beryl was in bed for a time and I had a gastric turn, then Chris had a cough and high temperature, she was so chesty one evening that we asked the Doctor to come round and have a look at her. Then Eric had ear trouble, so it wasn’t a very good month.

At half-term Pam and her friend Margaret came up for the week-end to stay with their boy friends Martin and John, I think a good time was had by all.

Wendy was going strongly with John and he often came round to tea. This year it was decided that we should go to Middleton again, and that we should hire the Poole’s van to take the overflow.

Pam came home from College in March and John Weedon came to stay for a few days. We went to the Institute dinner at Zeeta’s again.

[A paragraph here is crossed out, with “Sept 1959” written above it: “In May Pam was chosen to compete against Paris University in throwing the Javelin, I think she thoroughly enjoyed the trip.”]

In June we heard that John Weedon had not passed his College exam, which meant that he would have to leave. This upset them both a lot. Pam went up to stay with John’s people at Ipswich. At the end of July Pat developed a bad rash and had a very sore throat, later whilst we were at the caravan she skinned, and we had an idea that she must have had scarlet fever.

Pam had decided this year to do a touring holiday in Scotland with Margaret who had a small motor cycle. We went down to Middleton as usual, Wendy was in the Poole’s van, and John and his parents were down there. Eric had come down on his bike, as he was going to France with Stuart St John, on the 17th August he left for France and he returned on the 31st. He hadn’t had much luck as his bike had packed up and they had to hitch lifts.

In September the people at No 4 were selling up and going to Australia and we heard that their car was for sale, Dad decided that he would lend us the money to buy it on condition that we took him around when necessary, the day after we acquired the car we went down to Den and Edith’s and met Hazel and Arthur at Wooton Hatch.

Pam returned to College on October 1st, and John was going to Cirencester Agricultural College. She was hoping to have a 21st Birthday party, and we gradually got this under control. We managed to put up 14 people from the College, Dad took quite a number. I catered for 50, and I think it was a great success.

The following week we went to the Club Dinner Dance, and later to the Institute Dance. Chris was not very well at Christmas, but John Weedon came to stay and John Morris and David and Barbara came over on Boxing Day.

[Pasted on to the next page is a birthday card to Muriel from three of her children: “Lots of Love, Eric, Beryl, Pat”.]

Pages for 1959

1959

This year started very calmly, we visited Den and Edith, Pete and Daphne and Dave and Barbara in January. At half-term in February Pam went up to Cirencester to stay with John.

On the 7th March we went to Valerie Phillips’ Wedding at Morden followed by a nice reception at a restaurant in Morden. Afterwards we went to a party at St. Mark’s which was run by the lady Tutor-in-Charge. I think apart from us and the Hunt family there were about ten people – it was a wash-out!!

We went to the Institute Dinner Dance at Zeeta’s in March, and I think this time there was a bit of trouble over the seating. However we had an enjoyable time.

Stan re-decorated the kitchen during the Easter holidays, and Pam went up to Ipswich to stay with John’s people.

At this time I was very friendly with Mrs. Fessey and often popped up to have a cup of tea with her or she came down here.

On May 1st Pam went to Paris with a team from the College to compete against an athletic team from Paris University. Wye College won the Athletic Cup – and Pam had a marvellous time and enjoyed throwing the javelin. One Saturday in May we went to Wooton Hatch, and met up with Den and Edith taking Dad and Edna with us. It is a lovely place.

At the end of May Stan managed to decorate the dining room. About this time Wendy had a big row with John Morris, and started going with John Haydon-Lane.

We started our holiday on 25th July, we left home at 6.30 a.m. with Pat, Beryl and Chris, Eric was travelling down by Train to Barnstaple. We had booked in at a Farm at Hartland, Devon – it was a long journey and we arrived at about 3 p.m. We unloaded our luggage then set off to Barnstaple to pick up Eric. Chris was a bit sick on this journey, but we were all otherwise O.K. We had very good weather and visited Bude, Westward Ho, Saunton and Appledore. We found a good beach at Bude with a natural pool in the rocks for bathing, so we went there several times. Quite a good holiday.

Stan must have had lots of energy this year as he started redecorating our bedroom on our return from the holiday. About this time Mr. Robinson, Edna’s father, asked Stan if he would do some repair work on his caravan at Oxford, so we went up there to see Mr. and Mrs Robinson, with the outcome that Eric and Stan went up there to stay for a few days and did the work on the caravan.

Wendy was back again with John and they settled down after a bit of trouble. Soon after Wendy got a job in the Bank at Harrods which she seemed to like.

On September 13th we went over to David’s for the evening at the “Beehive”, Den and Edith and Pete and Daphne were also there I think that Frank and Nancy also turned up. It was that evening that the Americans sent their first rocket to the moon. Peter got quite excited as he said anything could happen if it landed on the moon!!!! [Added by hand: “Eric started work with firm of Chartered Accountants, on 14th September.”]

[The rocket that reached the Moon that evening was in fact the Soviet Luna 2, the first craft to do so.]

At the end of September we paid a visit to Ipswich, Pam had managed to get a job in a nursery up there for the whole of the summer holidays. She had nice digs with a Mrs. Clowe, and we had tea with her and then we went over to see Mr. and Mrs. Weedon. Pam came home on the 27th September and got ready to start back to College, she went back on the 7th October. The day after this a General Election was held and the Conservatives won.

Dad’s dog Bing died this month, he hadn’t been well for some time, Dad and Edna were very upset.

On October 24th I went to the Jubilee Commemoration Service of the Clapham County School at St. Luke’s Church, and afterwards we went back to the School for a Reception. I met one or two girls from our year – May Wilson, Peggy Taylor and I think Margaret Blake. It was quite interesting.

This year we went up to the Fessey’s on Firework night. Chris had a party on the 7th November, but there was a fog, so she could not have any fireworks.

We went to the usual Institute “Revels” on the 23rd December, and this time Betty came with us.

We were on our own on Christmas Day – John Morris joined us in the evening. Then on Boxing Day Frank and Phyllis and co joined us. Pete and Daph, Dave and Barbara and Basil and Audrey came round on the Sunday. Then Pam and John went back to Ipswich.

On the 30th December there was a knock at the door and the Grand Piano which Pam had bought at an Auction at Wye was delivered. We already had a piano in the front room, so it was action stations!

[Pasted on to the next page is a birthday card that the family made up, with cut-out figures stuck in and numbered 1 to 7: “With lots of love from: 1. Mum. 2. Pam 3. Wendy 4. Eric 5. Beryl 6. Pat 7. Chris”. The man in the picture has no number, so the card was probably for Stan.]

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With thanks to Muriel’s family.

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