Richard Alibon Infants And Junior School

A Memory of Dagenham.

I used to live st 30 Rogers Road and attended Richard Alibon school, my first teacher there was Mrs Rees a right strict woman, no talking in class she had a hard sharp face with greying blonde hair in a bun, Mrs Bell was the Headteacher, Mrs Ashford the secretary, Mr Catchpole was the caretaker he had a yellow Labrador who came on all his rounds with him, he won a lot of money on the football pools I believe in the early 70s, he bought every child an ice cream I've never forgot that kindness he was a lovely man, I remember the awful iron climbing frame in the front playground the bars were so cold in winter, if you fell off it was onto hard Tarmac, no rubber coatings to save you the scrapes then. My next teacher was Mrs Townsend she was married to a policeman and he came into school a lot in his uniform they had twins then something went wrong and he did not come any more she had big Deirdre Barlow glasses and long blonde hair, Mrs Foulds was a weird lady and very old sometimes she did not turn up to class on time, Mrs Allsop was lovely she let me feed the fish outside in the corridor she died of a brain tumour I think, school dinners were gorgeous there all properly cooked, I loved cornflake pie, but hated creamed tapioca, I remember turning up and the school roof was on fire Mr Tyzac was in the junior playground just watching the flames I stood beside him for ages then he told me to go home no school today, I went home my mum did not believe the school was shut and marched me back up there, and asked Mr Tyzac what she was supposed to do with me all day !!! 4 classrooms had burnt down one of which was mine, I was taught in the school gym for a year by Mr Corps, I think this was around 1974/75 , all in all a much simpler happier time for me, I loved my school and all the caracters there,