My sisters (Doreen & Pat) and I lived at number 96 William Parnell House. I lived in that area from the age of three (1941) until I started work at sixteen. (1954). The Thorpes lived at 95 and the Springetts at 97. I have quite vivid memories of those halcyon days (or so they seem now). Most of them are World War 2 related and they will stick with me forever. There was the bomb blast that I saw take down part of Langford Road. The time spent in the concrete/brick bomb shelters erected in front of the flats in William Parnell House and sleeping on wooden slatted "bunks". The noise of falling bombs and the sounds of the "All Clear" siren. Also, Playing in the water tank that was in Langford Road, albeit damaged by the bombs.

In the early 50's one did not call the parents of friends by their first name so I always addressed the Springetts as Mr & Mrs Springett as did the grown up themselves. It was the done thing in those days! The Springetts were a lovely family who kept themselves to  themselves but would always be there for you if needed. There was Ray, Edna, Margaret (Moggie),Ron, Sheila and Peter roughly in that order, Sheila was a real tomboy and was my 'girlfriend'. A good athlete, she was always beating the boys at running. Two of the Springett boys went on to play football at International level. Ron Springett and Peter his younger brother both played in goal for Queens Park Rangers FC as well as Sheffield Wednesday. They were both capped many times for England. Ron, who was a few years older than I. was a great lad. He spent a lot of time with the kids in WPH and took me many times to watch Chelsea FC. I can remember when we used to throw half bricks at Ron in front of the drying area in WPH just to watch him save them. There was a great comradeship among of all the people who lived in WPH.

Other names I remember were Patsy Ashen,Tommy Hawkins, Bunny Weedon, Brian & Derek (Sam) Towner, Johnny Vallence, Jimmy Lawrence, Lily Warwick, Michael Clement and Martin Ring. Memories include earning pennies to go to the "Saturday pictures" by "toting" coke and coal for people and them paying me a tip.