I can remember my first day at school, Castle Hill Infant School. I never understood the name, there was no castle and it wasn't on a hill.

Holding Mum's hand, tricked out in my new school clothes. Mum talking with Clive Robinson's mum in the drive way area at the front of the school. Clive's Dad was the chemist who worked up the "top shops."

Names being called, then I had to go forward into school on my own. Don't remember looking back but I'm sure I was crying and reluctant.

Don't remember anything else about those first few days, apart from peeing myself cos I was too shy to use the toilet when everyone else did at breaktime and left it too late!

The junior school playgrounds and the infant school playgrounds were adjacent separated only by a grass bank. I can remember looking up the bank at the steps between the two junior school playgrounds where my sisters were sitting and swinging on the hand railings and waving at me. I remember feeling proud of my big sisters though I have no idea why.

Mrs. Evans was my teacher in the last year of infant school. I can't remember the other years or teachers. Mrs. Evans class was at the back and end of the school. Round the side was where I spent one of the other years where there was a big sunken sand pit. Loved playing in there.

The school was on the edge of the new council housing estate, New Addington, surrounded by corn fields at the edge of which were the woods.

We had "field trips" where we walked out of the rear gate in the fence around the school, through the corn fields, all the kids holding hands so as not to get lost, and we went into the woods to pick blue bells.

We were told, only pick a few flowers and leave the rest alone, don't uproot them.

I found an uprooted bunch and showed my teacher. I was right royally scolded for pulling them up by the roots and no amount of protest by me that I had only found them that way was entertained.

I have only one other vivid memory of infant school, one every man can sympathise with. Although this was an infant school back in those good old days no nonsense was tolerated so when the headmistress blew the whistle and break time everyone had to stop stock still and silent. On the second whistle everyone lined up in their respective class locations. On the third whistle each class in turn trooped into school. I remember the day well, the first whistle went and a boy, can't remember who it was or why, said "Do you want to see a trick?" Call me dumb but I must have said yes. He kneed me in the groin. Doubled up in pain, hoping around I remember getting shouted at by the teacher for not standing still! You never forget where you first find out what that pain feels like.

Sometime in the infant school I met my best friend, later my best man, David Corby.