After we left school, Steve, Derek and I formed a group, and on at least one occasion, we practiced in Trevor’s house. Wisely, I think, Mr and Mrs Hancock went out for the evening!
Derek left after awhile, and we got in two new members. This Is a photo of us at Steve’s 70th party in September 2019. In case you can’t tell, Steve is on the left and I am next to him.
I can remember Trevor’s first car. It was a maroon coloured Mark 1 Cortina. I think the reg. no. was KWC 898C (or something like that). He took that on the Bigbury Bay holiday (we stayed in a caravan park at Challaborough), with Steve as a passenger. Derek and I went on our motorbikes. That was in 1968 as I recall.
From our class, I’m still in touch with Steve, Derek, Bob, Martyn, Jeanette, Tina, Hazel and Marion.
Was he at Aldersbrook Primary School? I can’t remember him there, though as he lived locally, I would have thought he would have done.
Head Boy at Secondary
Lived at 36 Herongate Road
His Dad owned The Rubber Shop in East Ham. The rubber referred to toy soldiers and plastic items, not condoms!
Used to have a girlfriend called Mavis Fink (I fink that’s how you spell her surname; we all thought she was a finkment of his imagination), who I found out a few years ago is a friend of a friend of mine.
A few of us used to go motorcycling. Trevor had a BSA motorbike (maybe a Gold Flash) and sidecar, Steve had a BSA 350cc, Derek had a Suzuki 50cc and later got an Aerial Arrow, I had a Capriolo, then a BSA C15 250cc and later a Norton 350cc, Bob Ager had a Triumph Cub and Bob Browning for a while had a Capriolo like mine. Trevor’s original sidecar was an enclosed two seater, but he later fitted a single seater open one.
One of our regular jaunts, was to go to the Halfway House café on the A127. We’d either go there on the 127 and back along St Mary’s Lane, or vice versa. Often this would be a Sunday evening ride. We’d have our ‘tea’ there. Usually something like sausage chips and beans, washed down with cups of strong tea. We knew how to live it up!
In 1968, Trevor, in his Mk1 Cortina with Steve as passenger, Derek and myself on motorbikes went to Challaborough, Bigbury Bay, in Devon, for a caravan holiday. Also with us (but staying in a different caravan) were Steve’s Mum, Dada and Sister, Pauline. I think we spent most evenings in The Journey’s End pub.
We had a few parties at Trevor’s house. One I recall was on the night of the Eurovision Song Contest, when Cliff Richard sang ‘Congratulations, so that would have been 1968.’
At another party, Bob Browning got a bit drunkand went to have a lay down on Trevor’s bed. Being compassionate??!!??, I went and sat beside him. Soon afterwards, Trevor’s parents arrived home, and I could hear Trev say to his Dad, as they came up the stairs, that Bob got a bit ‘worse for wear’ and was having a lay down. Mr Hancock came into the room, looked at me and said “not feeling too good Bob?” I said that I was okay, and that Bob was in the bed. I must have looked pretty ropey as well!
A friend of mine had a caravan in Shoeburyness, near Southend. One day Jeanette, Steve, Derek and I went with Trevor (in his Cortina) for a visit. We did all the touristy things, like going on an open top bus, visiting amusement places, including the famous Kursaal, eating candy floss, etc.
There’s lots of memories, and they’re all good ones.
Ray
