Best Years Of Our Lives

A Memory of Barking.

My name is David Cannon I was born in Dagenham in 1947 at my maternal grandmothers house but immediately moved to Alfred’s Way Barking opposite the Volunteer pub to live with my Gran and Grandad Cannon. They had lived in Barking from the early 1900’s having owed a barbers and a grocery shop in North Street. Though retired they found room for mum and dad plus me. My sister Barbara arrived in 1952 born in Upney Hospital and this event gave us the reason for the council to award a two bedroom flat at Faircross next to the Co-Op and just in time to enrol me in Manor infants.Sandringham Road. I don’t remember much of the infants but the Juniors is quite vivid. Mrs Stirk was my teacher and I remember her reading famous five stories and I recall making a tape recording of a play of the English Civil war, we also went to Hainault forest for a weeks camp in small wooden huts. Two were named after the boys Nottage’s Cottage and Cubbon’s Cabin. other teachers were Mr Barham and Miss Williams with Mr Hunter as the headmaster.Not much of a scholar I failed my 11 plus and went straight to Park Modern there were 6 classes of 40+ children in that final year so I wasn’t expecting much, in fact no one in my class passed.
The most outstanding thing I remember from those early days is that we were never bored. Saturday morning pictures was the highlight of the week but you had to pay the upgrade to the 9d circle to avoid the missiles lobbed onto to stalls. We would re-enact the western or Flash Gordon running through the bushes that ran adjacent to Barking Park on the way home. Barking park as was had a miniature railway a paddling pool, cafe, and a play area which I am sure health and safety would have closed years ago.
Plus the Lido for which I had an annual pass from the age of 8
Looking back it is surprising we survived. We played on roller skates and bikes without crash helmets or knee and elbow pads. Shot catapults made bows and arrows with garden canes and even played conkers without safety goggles.
A previous contributor stated he had fallen in the park lake. I think it happened to many of us. My dice with death happened when I was dared to walk across the overflow at the end of the lake when the steamer came past. Steamer 1 me 0. I was wearing a brand new blazer and my parents were none too pleased seeing it on a stick carried by my best mate John Cubbon.
Wet days were filled with making flying model aircraft which took hours to build and minutes to destroy. Collecting cigarette cards, though as no one in my family smoked,
Meant we drank gallons of tea to get the PG tips cards.
On leaving school 2 GCEs, Maths and Metalwork ( thanks to Mr Temple and Mr King) and a school certificate I joined the City of London Police Cadets in 1963.
Found the travelling a little much and looked for a job closer to home. I got a position as stock control assistant at General Steel and Iron (later Miles Druce) in River Road. Over the years I managed to work my way up to Contracts Manager before leaving and starting my own business here in Norfolk. Still working at 77. Years.

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