Your Mail

Your Emails to the site!

From Val Everett (ne Val Chivers) now in Peterborough on October 10th

I would like to know if anyone out there remembers me - I went to St Johns School in Epping in the sixties, my maiden name is Val Chilvers. Some of the names I remember are - Carol Porcus, Irene Furlong, Glynis Porter, Steven King - there are lots more but I cannot remember the surnames. I got married in St Johns Church in 1970 but moved to Peterborough in 1974. If anyone would like to contact me (at val.everett@mcmail.com) please feel free to do so. I'd love to know what you are all doing now.

From Len Aarons in Los Angeles at laarons@losangeles.mail.fco.gov.uk on 16th June.
I would love to find some old classmates of whom I have not seen or heard of since December 21st, 1960 (The day I left school) I now live in Los Angeles and have been here since 1970.
I was born 1945 in Walthamstow, so all my classmates will be in the 52 to 53 age range now. We went to Sidney Burnell Secondary Modern School, located in Handsworth Avenue, Highams Park. We were annexed over to Selywn Avenue school at around 12, 13 or 14 years of age. Our teachers were Mrs. Reichwald, Mr Allen, Mr Weech, and I think a Mr Finis for art. The headmaster was H G Paul.

If any of you out there reading this know (or are) the following people, please contact me either at laarons@losangeles.mail.fco.gov.uk or at LAfromUK@aol.com

The names I remember are:
Brian Jackson
John Fugler
Teddy Sillet (?)
Tony Gilbey
Sandra Bye
Rosemary Henry
Michael Haagman

John Heale
John Berry
Stephen Self
Michael Hurley
Steven ? Older brother named Barry who is a car mechanic, mother was Mary, I believe
and I'm sure many more who I cannot remember.

Please contact me, I would love to hear about your lives etc.........LEN AARONS

From Mike Read near Vancouver, Canada at mread@silk.net
Had to let you know that I enjoyed the Epping Forest page and will be checking it again.

I was borne in Seven Kings, my sister in Loughton. My father (being an Aussy) was instrumental in introducing motor-cycle speedway, behind a pub at High Beach.

I know the area 'like the back of my hand'.

Does the old oak tree, the one with the bull's head still stand? Gosh! it was struck by lightning so many times (On the old golf-course behind Woodford Green Elementary School).

I forgot to mention that I go back to 1925.

However I do remember the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, there was a prisoner-of-war-camp and bomb disposal compound just below. I always consider myself lucky growing-up in the area.

Anyway I am living in Canada now, 250mls. NE of Vancouver., a town by the name of Peachland. And, would you believe it, our ex-mayor came from Chingford, and we both went to SW Essex Tech.

I went to school with a chap named Dellow. From 1936-39, That's going back some.

My chiormaster. 'Tiggy' Norton is buried in the church-yard behind the High Beach pub. A peaceful place for a nice old guy. As for the old oak tree, I have a couple of photo's from the 1930 era. It still was the same when I visited in 1978.

I was in the Boy Scout's and choir at All Saints, Woodford Wells and spent alot of time in the forest around the Wake Arms tracking down badgers. Then there was cricket - . . . - it was a good life! ! Must not forget the tree at Fair-meads Bottom . As we would say .Fair-maids Bottom.

Memories. I have travelled alot . People living in the vicinity are blessed.

Enough for now. Thanks for looking after things over there. Keep up the good work. One never appreciates things until after they have gone.
and on the 17th June
There is not much I can tell you about the Men's Club, Woodford Green. Years ago the harriers met every Saturday. Paper chases were the past-time. Down the golf course parallel to Sunset Ave.Turn right and a bee-line for Whitehall Rd. Turn around to Mornington Rd. (up tobbogan-hill) and home.It also housed nice large billiard tables. The wooden floors were pitted from spiked track shoes, and there were "women nights".
The photo must have been around 1932. The bus has an out-side stair-case.

From Jane Arnold (now Jane Major) in Australia at " janem@iexpress.net.au"
I've just been on your Cambridge trip and really enjoyed it - it makes a change not to have to do anything, and the music is nice too! Thank you.

Yes, I think you should do a similar one of Epping Forest, and another of Saffron Walden.

My family came from Great Chesterford, so I know the area well, and spent many pleasant hours on The Backs when I was a child. We also lived in Wanstead, and my sister, Sandra, and I went to Woodford County High I've lived here in Western Australia for over 30 years and love it , though it took a long time for me to appreciate the very different beauty here after the prettiness of Essex and Cambridgeshire. Now I'm quite a fan of the wide open spaces after travelling up to our North-West. You can stop by the side of the road and not see another vehicle, house, or person! It's weird at first, but once you get used to it, it's wonderful. All you see for hours are kangaroos, emus, wedge-tail eagles, and goannas! Not a place for the faint-hearted, and so very different from my origins.

I'm very new at this internet business, so don't know how to send you sites, but if you are interested, try looking up some Western Australian sites, like our CALM (Conservation and Land Management) site (www.calm.wa.gov.au) . I'm also into photography, and when I learn how to use my scanner, I'll try and send you some photos taken around W.A.

Coincidentally, my sister and brother-in-law are here at the moment, but neither Sandra nor I can remember Christine Brightman (now Atkinson) ! After all, it's a long time ago. Do they still have School Birthday celebrations on 29 September? It's Sandra's and my birthday too, so we can't possibly forget the date! If they have an email address, I'll send them a birthday message this year.

I worked for many years at one of our local universities in a variety of non-academic positions, but for the last 11 years I've had my own little home-based calligraphy business. As a sideline, I also do quite a few craft things, and this is how I started my interest in photography. I'm very much an amateur, but have an excellent camera (Nikon, with a 28-200 Tamron lens), which does most of the work for me. I take mostly scenery and animal photos, and hand-write sayings on them and either block mount them or have them laminated and make them into fridge magnets. In fact, I have a three day craft fair this coming weekend, so I'm flat out making things at the moment.

Where abouts did you say that you lived? I live in Western Australia, which is the biggest State - I think the UK fits into WA about five times!

How close is the nearest large city? - I live in Willetton, which is a southern suburb of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Perth is about 15 minutes away from me by car.

Why did you come to Australia, and why did you stay? - Partly because of the weather, and partly for greater opportunities.

What are the things about Australia that you have come to enjoy most? - the weather, and the 'laid-back' lifestyle.

What do you miss most about Britain? - I still miss the English countryside, the birds (I was a very amateur bird-watcher, and still have my Book of British Birds), family and a very few friends, and the history of the place, the sense of security in being part of such a long-established country, which doesn't exist here for obvious reasons. I used to miss Birds Custard and Lyle's Golden Syrup, but you can get them here now!!

How do young people behave towards older people? - I think it varies as much here as it does anywhere - society seems to be split in two, with nice, caring people on one side, and ratbags on the other! We have more than our fair share of juvenile crime, with very little in the way of punishment if the criminals are caught, and attempts at rehabilitation just not working. People are as fed up with it here as they are in Britain.

What are the best and worst weather conditions you experience? - The highest temperature I remember was 45 degrees, and the lowest was about -1, so we do have a huge range. One memorable Christmas Day soon after we arrived, it went up to 109F, and all we had was a small fan. We had friends over for lunch, and we put our bathers in the freezer, then went and sat on the back lawn under the sprinkler!!

What things are comparatively cheap and expensive compared with Britain? - I'm pretty out of touch with British prices, as I haven't been back since 1981, but according to recent visitors, most of our prices compare pretty favourably with yours. Eating out is particularly cheap, we are told - one of our all-you-can-eat smorgasbord meals in a good class hotel or restaurant is about $20 - $25 per head (the rate of exchange being about $2.50 to the pound). Books are expensive. Meat is cheap. Petrol is a lot cheaper here at about 75c a litre. Australian wines are fairly cheap.

How much interest is there amongst Australians in what happens in Britain eg topics like the Spice Girls - a great deal amongst the younger set,

Manchester United - very little unless you have English origins and enjoy the football, the Boat race - most Australians would not have heard of it, unless they have travelled.
Wimbledon - a fair bit, specially among tennis nuts like my family: we have to stay up till all hours to watch it live,
Golf - again, if people have a general interest in golf then they would follow British tournaments,
Snooker - very much a minority thing here,
Princess Diana - huge!!,
Tony Blair - not a lot, except amongst ex-Poms,
Esther Ransen - Anna Ford - Terry Wogan - , the average Aussie would say "Who?",
The Lottery - people are very lottery oriented here, so they would definitely be interested in reports of big wins,
Coronation Street - only ex-pats,
British Comedians - depends who,
The Derby - did you know they pronounce it "durby" here? Not a lot of interest among Aussies,
The Wombles - I don't think Aussies would know about them - we have Bananas in Pyjamas here on children's TV
What issues dominate the news in Australia - crime, crime, crime, crime! Politics - one of the radio stations is currently offering tickets to Phantom of the Opera and dinner at a good restaurant for the first person drawn who guesses the correct election date!!! The road toll. Sport - ******** Australian Rules Football!!! Can you guess that I hate it?!?
What British cars are popular with Aussies? - There are so many good Japanese cars now that these predominate, but Range Rovers are still popular, and the occasional Jag.

That was fun! Hope you find my answers interesting.

All for now - must go and find something to cook for dinner, commonly known here as 'tea' - there's another useless bit of Australian Trivia!!

Jane
Back to Home Page