Eastcote Lane School.

My name is DEREK MASKELL. I am 77 years old. My email address is: skyman@globalnet.co.uk

In 1935 when I was 4 years old, my parents moved from Hammersmith to Warwick Avenue South Harrow. My early education was at Eastcote Lane school, going through the infant,junior and senior schools.My memories of the infants school is now rather vague but I do have recollection of assembling on the playing field out the back for the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937, waving a small Union Jack flag (given away free with every tin of Vim!). Also the 1/3 pint bottles of milk given to us each day, warmed up in the winter on the hot pipes around the classroom. I progressed up to the juniors about 1939, the head mistress as I recall was Miss Price, a very frightening woman who ruled with a rod of iron. I remember taking a drink in the cloakroom when I had asked to “be excused”, this was totally against the rules and I was rewarded with several smacks on the leg by the stern headmistress. When the war started many of the teachers were called up so. until replacements could be found. we had no schooling at all for about 6 months and once they started again the boys went in the mornings and the girls in the afternoon for one week and then alternated with girls in the morning and boys in the afternoon. This went on for some time until more teachers could be found.
The playing fields were dug out with huge trenches to form air raid shelters for us. The trenches were covered in railway sleepers and then with soil. Crude benches were provided for us to sit on with duckboards on the ground A row of bare electric bulbs were strung along the roof. We would often be down there for hours, community singing, you can imagine the cold and dampness of such a place. We had to stay there until the all clear sounded or until our parents came to fetch us. Of the other pupils from that time only a few come to mind, Peter Lucas, Donald Dunthorn, Cynthia Farley who lived across the road opposite the gates of the school and the very pretty blonde twins who lived in Field End Road, Ann and Jill.
I cannot remember any of the teacher’s names of that period, but despite the lack of schooling I do think we had a good basic education in terms of the three Rs. Unfortunately, on the basis of one day’s mock tests, the authorities at that time considered me too dumb to take the 11 plus so I progressed to the senior school being very envious of my friends who made it to grammar schools. I entered the senior school at the age of 11, and found myself very close to the top of the class in most subjects. I was also involved in the sporting activities and played football and cricket for the school. I do remember the teachers at that time and will always recall Mr Henry, Mr Eaton, Mr Mould and Mr Bacon, By adding an “s” to Mr Henry and a “y” to Mr Mould and using their surnames only, they form a phrase which caused much amusement. I particularly remember Mr Mould, a teacher with great enthusiasm, he used to take us for gardening as well as community singing in the hall, many of the songs we belted out with enthusiasm equal to his, I can even now recall the words. My time there was happy and covered the years 1941 to 1943. During my time at the school there were never any photos taken and no school trips but I recall that school dinners were started at that time..
Fellow student names I remember from those days are few: Brian Mulley (my singing partner in the descant choir), Brian Benningfield, Derek Fint, John Killingly, Tony Broadbent and Arthur Clarke. I then had the offer to sit entrance exams for both engineering college and teacher training, I chose engineering and successfully passed the exam to go to Acton Technical College, now Brunel University, where I stayed for two years before starting an apprenticeship with GEC Research Laboratories at Nth Wembley and 2 years in the RAF as an instrument technician .Passing on from earlier schooling, I eventually studied at night school as a mature student obtaining an HNC in electronic engineering with extra specialist subjects from Harrow Technical college eventually obtaining the qualifications: Chartered engineer, Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and Fellow of the Institution of Marine Engineers. I often wonder where I would have ended up had I been allowed to sit the 11 plus!
My career took many turns before I finally retired from offshore work involving un-manned submarines in 1996, having travelled much in my work. I now live in Gloucester and still travel the world. My main hobby is astro imaging and I have great interest in anything scientific. I often recall the days at Eastcote Lane and believe that, despite all the problems of being educated during the war, Eastcote |lane school gave its students a thorough basic education which has seen me in good stead all my life, and for which I will always be grateful.
©Derek Maskell2008