People 42 - 55 Ravenswood Avenue TN2 3SQ

Information about the children who lived at numbers 42 to 55 Ravenswood Avenue between when it was built and the 1960s

If you lived at numbers 42 to 55 Ravenswood Avenue on the Ferndale Park Estate as a child between when it was built and the early 1960s, have you ever wondered what happened to the children you used to know and play with? This page may tell you because it contains information, and some pictures, about some of them. It has been compiled from information and memories from persons who used to live on the estate, and from my own memories and research. Since 1998, I have been interested in genealogy, researching my own PAGE family extensively throughout East Sussex, and my mother’s HARRIS family in the East-End of London. I have used the various genealogy websites, especially the General Record Office (GRO), Ancestry and Find my Past, to help find information about the children and their families who lived on the estate when I was a child. All my research on this page is information that is in the public domain.

The GRO references to Tonbridge is because between 1837 and 1980, Tonbridge was the registration district that covered Tunbridge Wells. Since then Tunbridge Wells has had its own district. The centralised registration of births, marriages, and deaths in England and Wales commenced on 1 July 1837. Indexes to the records are available for public inspection and are separated into birth, marriage and death indexes. Each index is divided into quarters for each year (January-March, April-June, July-September and October-December) and they are referred in the text by the year, followed by /1, /2, /3 or /4 to indicate the appropriate quarter, eg 1944/2 for my birth in June 1944. There are many references to items published in the Kent & Sussex Courier newspaper and these are referred to as just Courier.

The names of people are listed in address order. Some of the earlier built houses had names before they were numbered, and in those cases I have added the name to the address. Occasionally I have added text in italicised square brackets to information given to me from others for clarity.

Whilst I am very grateful to those who have given me information and pictures so far, I would love to have more, so if you know anything about any of the children who lived on the estate between when it was built and the early 1960s, then please get in touch with me so I can add it here. I also welcome any corrections or clarification of anything that has been written here so far – thanks (chris@g4bue.com).

42 Ravenswood Avenue – Denise and John HEASMAN

I remember John HEASMAN very well, and his sister Denise who was younger than us. We were good friends, got on well and were in the 18th St Barnabas Scout Troop together. The GRO has births at Tonbridge in 1944/3 for John S HEASMAN and 1948/3 for Jeanne D M HEASMAN, mother WILLIS. By coincidence, John also now lives at Bexhill-on-Sea and is Chairman of the Highwoods Preservation Society that is located less than a mile from where I live!

I made contact with John again in October 2016 and he said, “Keith HEASMAN was my dad. He was called up into the RAF in WW2 and worked as an instrument mechanic in Fighter Command. On leaving, his father, Ernest bought a plot of land and gave it to Keith and his brother Geoffrey [56 Ravenswood Avenue] and they turned it into a nursery and market garden. However, Geoff did not want to continue in the business and was bought out by Keith in or around 1958. The frontage onto Ferndale Road was sold off to do this. Ernest and Mabel (my grandparents) had a bungalow built on one of the plots and moved from Ravenswood Ave in 1958 to 57 Ferndale. Dad died in 1995 at the age of 73. He sold the nursery back in 1964 and bought another one near Speldhurst which he and my mum Mary ran until his death. Mum then sold up and moved to Willingdon, Eastbourne where she lived happily until she passed away in December 2012 age 90.”

The plot of land referred to by John was what we called ‘The Land’ and was located between the end of our garden, and the other even numbered houses 24-40 Ravenswood Avenue and 2-12 Pinewood Road, and Ferndale, which was an unmade road in the 1950s. One day, when I was about 15 years old, I went through the hedge at the top of our garden into ‘The Land’ and walked across to Keith’s office and asked if he had any work for me. Knowing who my father was and his gardening ability, Keith said I could work for him for one shilling (5 pence) an hour when I wanted to, after ‘clocking on and off’ with his foreman. This I did for several months and I remember how grown up I felt when I joined the adult workers in the office for our tea breaks.

John HEASMAN continued, “I joined the army from school, but was medically discharged. I then became a telephone engineer, first in Tunbridge Wells, then Hastings. During that time I worked with Keith GOODYEAR and John YATES. I also bumped into your brother Tim on a number of occasions. Keith GOODYEAR died several years ago (brain tumour), but I had lost touch with him by that time, as I had left the ‘Telephones’ to run my own business as an electrical contractor.

“I lived at 124 Sandhurst Road from 1953 to 1964 when Dad sold the nursery for building land and moved to a smaller nursery at ‘South Winds’, Stockland Green Road near Speldhurst. I moved to Hastings in 1967 and married twice, with a son Bruce from my first marriage. He has recently left the RAF where he was a radar engineer and now works for Thales, but doesn’t tell me what he does and I don’t ask! He has two children. I have two children from my second marriage, son Lorne and daughter Melissa. Lorne has a daughter and Melissa has two boys and two girls and so I have seven grandchildren.

“I moved to Bexhill in 1981 and have been there ever since with my partner, Sally PIPER. I became an East Sussex County Councillor in 1993, and remember you being head of CID at that time. I retired officially in 2009, but I keep busy with two standard allotment plots and am the Treasurer of the Bexhill Allotment & Smallholder’s Association Ltd. I am also the Chairman of the trustees of the Highwoods Preservation Society, which looks after a piece of ancient woodland in west Bexhill. When we can book a range, I also do a bit of long range rifle shooting.

“My sister Denise married Ronald GROVES from Bidborough and moved to Eastbourne where she still lives, but is divorced. They have two children, Suzanne and Andrew. Suzanne has two children but Andrew has no issue yet, having only recently married.

“When my Nan and Grandad moved to Ferndale, my links with Ravenswood were very much to do with the St Barnabas Scouts and those of us who went St Barnabas and Church of Christ youth clubs. Scouts was brilliant, with Malc FOY, Keith G, Bill MAYLING, John DAVIS, good old Roger CASTLE, and of course, Eric HANSON [21 St James Road] our Scoutmaster. Girls I recall at the youth club: Gillian your sister, Pat EADE, Valerie WATSON, Angela HAFFENDEN and Christine and Sheila STILL. I remember us cannibalising old radios and tellys to make radio receivers, and fishing out at the Furnace Pond at Horsmonden. We did quite a bit of fishing at Dunorlan Lake as well. Also the scout camps and the two of us hitch-hiking to Torquay one weekend.”

John’s reference to Torquay reminds me of the passion I had for hitch-hiking when I was 15 and 16 years old and before I joined the Police Cadets. It was a great way to see places at little cost and we met some very interesting people along the way! Unlike the world we live in today, where we wouldn’t dream of letting our children and grandchildren do the things we did then, we felt perfectly safe. We used to see how far we could get from Tunbridge Wells and back in a set time, and John and I were very proud of the fact that we made it the 450 miles to Torquay and back. I remember buying a postcard to prove we had got there!

During the summer of 1961, Bill MAYLING and I decided to try hitch-hiking on the Continent and after catching the ferry from Dover to Calais with £5 each in our pockets, we set off across France. We got as far as Stuttgart in southern Germany before we decided to head back home. I re-call being picked up in Cologne by two students who, in their broken English, told us the third world war was about to start! Evidently the Russian and Amercian tanks were facing each other in a stand-off in Berlin and neither looked like backing down. That was probably what made us decide to return home! Bill MAYLING didn’t live on the estate, but was a friend of mine from Skinners’ and scouts, and lived in a flat in one of the large houses in Sandrock Road opposite St James Church. He was going to join the army when he left school and I lost touch with him then.

The 2 September 1966 Courier published a picture of John Heasman holding a 2/6d half crown (12½p) coin under the heading ‘And from the fish came forth 2/6d’ and reported, ‘Telephone engineer Mr John Heasman had the surprise of his life when he cut open the mackeral he had caught off Hastings on Saturday. Inside the fish was a half-crown. He turnd to two friends and said, “How lucky can you get?” They had been fishing two miles off the beach in rough seas without much success. “There were not too many mackeral around,” said 22-year-old Mr Heasman of Stockland Green Road, Southborough, “but suddenly I got hold of a big one, a whopper. The fish was about 18 inches long and weighed over a pound. It was quite old and had a big mouth.” Mackeral are know to swallow keys and ruings but Mr Heasman has never heard of one devouring anything as large as a coin. “They swallow anything that shines,” he said. “You use bright feather traces to catch them.” The coin, minted in 1948, had turned brown. It is now with the Angling Times. The mackeral, by the way, was fried and, says Mr Heasman, was delicious.’

The 1939 Register shows John’s grandparents, Ernest G HEASMAN, born 19 October 1887, a draper’s assistant and Mabel E HEASMAN, born 23 February 1887, living at 42 Ravenswood Avenue with three of their children, Myrtle M HEASMAN, born 15 June 1911, a stockroom assistant at a departmental store; Douglas HEASMAN, born 8 September 1916, a costing clerk, and Keith V HEASMAN (John’s dad), born 29 November 1922, an apprentice in the furnishing trade. The GRO has HEASMAN births at Tonbridge in 1911/3 for Myrtle M, 1914/2 for Geoffrey G (the father of Graham and Stuart HEASMAN and shown in the 1939 Register at 56 Ravenswood Avenue, born 26 April 1914, a collector for the gas company, and his wife Norah L HEASMAN, born 27 November 1913); 1916/4 for Douglas E and 1923/1 for Keith V HEASMAN.

The 12 April 1946 Courier reported, ‘The marriage will take place at the Baptist Tabernacle on Wednesday April 17 at 2.30 between John Sandall of 10 St Lukes Road and Myrtle Heasman of 42 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells. All friends will be welcomed at the Church.’

An Ancestry family tree traces John’s family back to William HEASMAN (1540-1610) at Barcombe, Sussex.

44 Ravenswood Avenue, Trix – Mary, Brian and Rodney DELVES

I remember Mary, who was older than me, but not her older brothers. The GRO has DELVES births recorded at Tonbridge in 1928/1 for Rodney, 1933/2 for Brian and 1939/2 for Mary, mother SHOOSMITH. The 1939 Register shows Rodney was born on 18 February 1928 and Brian on 15 April 1933. The 17 March 1939 Courier shows Rodney DELVES, aged 11, of Trix, Ravenswood Avenue as a new member of the Pea-Nut Club, suggesting the numbering of the houses in Ravenswood Avenue took place between March and July 1939, when my mum and dad bought their house.

The 1939 Register shows their father, Stanley William DELVES, was born on 1 April 1902 and their mother, Kathleen SHOOSMITH on 3 June 1903, and the GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1926/4 for Stanley W DELVES and Kathleen SHOOSMITH. The 1911 Census shows Stanley aged nine born at Eastbourne, living with his family in Melbourne Road, Eastbourne, and the 1921 Census living as a boarder at 7 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells working as a grocer’s assistant for E. Durrant at that address. The 1911 Census shows Kathleen SHOOSMITH aged seven living with her parents at Heathfield, and in 1921 at Beamsley Road, Eastbourne living with her father Edmund, a pianist working at the Tivoli Cinema, and working as a clerk in a printer’s office. Stanley and Kathleen probably met in Eastbourne because Beamsley Road is less than half a mile from Melbourne Road. The 14 July 1961 Courier announced Kathleen’s death after a long illness on 5 July at Guy’s Hospital, London, aged 58 years. The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge 1962/2 for Stanley W DELVES and Daphne M PORTER, and the 23 March 1973 Courier reported the death of Stanley, aged 70 of 44 Ravenswood Avenue on 18 March.

Stanley was involved with the supporters club of the newly formed Tunbridge Wells FC after WW2. The 11 April 1947 Courier reported, ‘The newly formed Tunbridge Wells FC is to have the backing of a Supporters’ Club, and officers of the old Rangers Supporters’ Club are arranging to hold a public meeting at the Friendly Societies’ Hall within the next few weeks. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Football Club general committee, a cheque for over £27 was handed over by Mr Stanley W Delves, of the old Supporters’ Club...Quite a lot will have to be done to the old Rangers ground so that it will conform with requirements, and in this connection Mr Delves, of 44 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, will be pleased to hear from any enthusiasts who will be willing to assist...’

The 30 December 1949 Courier reported, ‘The engagement is announced between Rodney, eldest son of Mr and Mrs S W Delves of “Trix”, Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells and Eileen, only daughter of Mr and Mrs G S Philcox of 20 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells.’ The 24 August 1951 Courier reported the marriage, ‘The wedding of Mr R Delves, son of Mr and Mrs S W Delves of 44 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells and Miss E Philcox, daughter of Mr and Mrs G S Philcox of 20 Cambrian Road, Tunbridge Wells, took place at St Matthew’s Church, High Brooms on Saturday. The bridegroom is a member of the Metropolitan Police. Bridesmaid was Miss M DELVES...Mr B Delves was best man.’

1964 electoral registers show Rodney and Eileen living in Honor Oak Road, Lewisham and an Ancestry family tree shows Rodney died on 25 February 2005 at Lewisham and Eileen on 5 February 2016 at London SE6.

The 20 August 1965 Courier reported, ‘Mr Brian Delves, son of Mr J W Delves of 44 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells and the late Mrs Delves was married on Saturday at Church, Merton Abbey, SW19 to Miss Mary Ellen Kay, daughter of Mr and Mrs R F Kay of Colliers Wood. Mr Delves is the secretary of the London branch of the Guild of the Leopards, past-chairman of Wadhurst Young Conservatives, and past vice-chairman of Tunbridge Wells Young Conservatives.” See picture above right.

Mary, see school pictures above right, was born in May 1939 because the 26 May Sevenoaks Chronicle reported Mary DELVES one week old, a new member of the Pea-Nut Club. The following was published in the classified ‘Forthcoming Marriages’ section of the Sevenoaks Chronicle on 3 November 1961: ‘MARTIN - DELVES - The marriage will take place on November 4th 1961 at 2pm at St Courier, Tunbridge Wells for Christopher Neil Martin and Mary Delves. All friends welcome at church.’ The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge 1961/4 for Mary DELVES and Christopher N MARTIN. I haven’t been able to find what happened to Mary after that but in November 2016 Marion OAKLEY (46 Ravenswood Avenue) told me she had died recently.

I remember Stanley DELVES and although the 1939 Register shows him working as ‘mechanic wiring repair general electrician & radio’, I thought he was a plumber because I recall seeing him going to and from work past our house on his pedal cycle with the traditional shaped plumber’s bag on the crossbar.

An Ancestry family tree shows the DELVES family are descended from Samuel DELVES, born 1837 at Waldron, Sussex and died 1899 at Hellingly.

45 Ravenswood Avenue – Gaynor and Malcolm FOY

Immediately after the FOYs moved into one of the two post-war ‘police’ houses at 45 Ravenswood Avenue by 1953, Malcolm became one of my best friends. We played and grew up together, both went to Skinners’ School and later joined the 18th St Barnabas scout troop together. He, and the rest of his family, were very keen on sport. In 1937-1938, his dad played 11 cricket matches for Kent scoring 153 runs, his mother Anne was a good swimmer and coach, his sister Gaynor was an Olympian swimmer and Malcolm was a very good footballer.

When they first moved in, Fred FOY was one of the few residents on the estate to own a car and, for some obscure reason, I still remember the index number of it – AMO 206. Their house was built in a more modern style to our pre-war houses, with two reception rooms and a sliding door so they could be opened to make one large room. Like several other boys of my age on the estate, Malcolm and I had a Triang double O guage electric train set, and I remember we all used to descend on Malcom’s house, open the sliding doors, and by combining all our train sets, were able to make one very large track layout in their large room, much bigger than we were able to make in our own homes with the smaller rooms!

The GRO has births at Exeter in 1944/3 for Malcolm C FOY and at Tonbridge in 1947/2 for Gaynor FOY, mother BARR. The 18 August 1944 Courier announced, ‘On Tuesday August 8, 1944, at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital to Ann (nee Barr), wife of Frederick Foy of Tunbridge Wells, a son (Malcolm)’. The GRO also has births for their parents, at Maidstone, in 1915/2 for Frederick G FOY, mother’s maiden GOLDSMITH, and at Wandsworth in 1909/3 for Annie Edith Alice BARR, mother BURTON, and a marriage at Tonbridge in 1940/4 for Frederick G FOY and Anne E A BARR.

The 1921 Census shows Annie BARR aged 12 at school living with her family in Battersea, and the 1939 Register living at Canterbury, born 18 June 1909 and working as a typist for a bus company. The 1921 Census shows Frederick FOY aged six living with his mother and step-father at Maidstone and the 1939 Register living at Bexley, born 4 October 1915, and working as a builder’s labourer. His father, Fredrick William FOY, died aged only 32 at Maidstone on 14 August 1917 when Fred was less than two years old.

The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1971/2 for Malcolm FOY and Jennifer M JOHNSON, and births at Tonbridge in 1976//1 for Warren James FOY and 1978/4 for Scott Edward FOY, mother JOHNSON.

Malcolm continued playing football, first for the newly formed Ramslye FC (with my brother Tim) and later for Hawkenbury FC, where he was also secretary for many years. In 1997 he was writing a history about the club and the 31 January Courier reported his request for photographs and information about past players and matches for the book. In the 1990s, Malcolm became a prolific letter writer to the Editor of the Courier, and his letters were regularly published in the newspaper covering a variety of subjects that affected the interests of Tunbridge Wells and its residents.

Sadly, Malcom died on 17 September 2008 and his Obituary on the Kentlive News website reads, ‘True “man of the community” Malcolm Foy of Hawkenbury, died aged 64 on September 17 after a battle with Motor Neurone Disease. Former Skinners’ School pupil Mr Foy worked in the area for most of his life as a computer programmer before ending his career as a merchandiser for the Kent and Sussex Courier newspaper.

‘His passion was football and for many years he could be seen at Hawkenbury FC – where he played and helped to run the club in various capacities up until his death. He was also a West Kent Sunday League committee member for many years and secretary for the Hawkenbury Cricket Club. His other interests saw him out cycling, drinking a pint in the pub, organising reunions for the former Satelitte Youth Club and his friends at Skinners’ School. He was also secretary of the Hawkenbury Village Association.

‘He was the son of ex-local policeman and Kent cricketer Fred Foy, and prominent Monson Swimming Club figure Ann. His sister was Gaynor Foy, who swam for Great Britain. He leaves behind wife Jenny and two sons Warren and Scott.

‘A memorial service to commemorate his life will be held at 11am on Wednesday, at St Marks Church, in Broadwater Down. Flowers only for the immediate family but any donations to be made to the Motor Neurone Disease Association, c/o ER Hickmott and Son, 41 Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1SD.’

In 2012 the following was reported on the internet, ‘On Saturday 7th July 2012 at Ridgeway playing fields in Southborough, Hawkenbury Football Club hosted the inaugural charity tournament. The event was a joint fundraiser for both the club, and motor neuron disease and, despite the weather, was a great success with over £500 raised. Each cause will receive an amount of over £250.

‘The event was held this year, in memory of Malcolm Foy, who was a long standing member of the football club. Sadly, Malcolm passed away in 2008 from Motor Neuron Disease, but his widow, Jenny Foy, was able to be there to present the trophies to the winners, and to thank the 16 teams and 100+ players who took part in the tournament, which was played in a competitive, but sporting manner’.

Malcom’s younger sister Gaynor FOY, who used to play with my sister Gillian, was a very good swimmer, coached by her mother. In 1961 she won the Kent County Amateur Swimming Association’s Swimmer of the Year Lionel Parker Memorial Trophy, and went on to represent Great Britain at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo.

The 8 September 1961 Courier published a picture of Gaynor (right) and reported, ‘Gaynor Foy is a tall 14-year-old as befits the daughter of a policeman. She is near international standard in the swimming world, as befits the daughter of a mother who missed swimming in the Empire Games by “point something of a second.” Gaynor lives with her parents at 45 Ravenswood Avenue and last week she won a gold medal with the Hampstead Ladies relay team at the national championships in Blackpool.

The 11 May 1962 Courier also published a picture of Gaynor (above right) and one with her mum and dad (right), and reported, ‘Gaynor Foy, the 14-year-old Tunbridge Wells girl who has been picked to swim for Britain against Holland in Blackpool in June, relaxes with her family at their home in Ravenswood Avenue. Gaynor’s father is Police Constable Fred Foy, a keen sportsman at cricket and football, but not a serious swimmer. Mrs Ann Foy missed the Empire Games by “point something of a second” when she had a chance in the swimming trials.’ The same paper also published a picture of Gaynor with her mum and dad and reported, ‘She learned to swim aged six and has been a keen member of the successful Monson Amateur Swimming Club since then. Lately she has been swimming in international trials for Hampstead Ladies.

The 29 September 1980 Australian Canberra Times published a picture of gaynor (below right) and reported she was still swimming, joining the Canberra Adult Swimming Club in 1978 and soon twice clocked being the fastest lady in the world, in the early 30s age group.

The 4 April 1969 Courier reported Gaynor’s dad Frederick’s retirement from the police on 29 March 1969, ‘...Constable Foy, whose daughter Gaynor, Monson Swimming Club champion, is now in Australia...’ The 14 November 1975 Courier reported the Monson Swimming Club’s 20th annual dinner-dance at which Gaynor’s mother, Anne FOY, president of the club was guest of honour. The report said, ‘Mrs Foy’s guests at the dinner included her son Malcolm Foy and his wife, and her daughter, international swimmer Mrs Gaynor Stark, who returns to Australia next month with husband John and daughter Clare.’

Gaynor had emigrated to Australia in 1968 and married John STARK there on 21 August 1971. The National Archives of Australia have a record of an incoming passenger from Christchurch, New Zealand on 31 August 1970 for John Brian STARK, born 17 February 1949 in Australia, never married, a school teacher, returning to live in NSW, Australia permanently at Pagewood, Sydney, suggesting Gaynor met John in Australia. Electoral rolls for Macarthur, NSW, Australia in 1972 show Gaynor STARK and John Brian STARK living at Myrtle Street, Gaynor working as a stenographer and John a teacher. The rolls for Charnwood, ACT (200 miles south-east of Macarthur) in 1977 show them living in Packham Place, John still a teacher but no occupation for Gaynor, and in 1980 close by in Balonne Street, Kaleen, John still a teacher and no occupation for Gaynor.

In view of that report, Gaynor appears to have married twice because the GRO has a marriage at Tunbridge Wells in 1983/2 for Gaynor STARK and John M CORLIS. This is confirmed by a Facebook posting by Liz Blank in 2022, ‘I knew Gaynor well as I grew up. She was lovely, full of fun. I remember being distraught when she moved to Australia. I met her first husband when they came over to the UK for a while. They had a son and daughter together. They divorced. Gaynor remarried and she had two further daughters.’

Malcolm FOY’s son Scott FOY, writing about Gaynor on Facebook, said, ‘Her kids were Claire, Ian, Erin and Jemma. Both husbands of Gaynor were called John. As far as I know, she never went to an Olympics in Tokyo. She just missed out by a few hundreths of a second for Barcelona in 1992. I believe that was the closest she got sadly. They [Malcom and Gaynor’s parents] did live in Westbrook Terrace, it was, a police home I believe. They moved to Oakwood Rise and Fred and Ann lived there until they died (Fred died in a nursing home). Dad [Malcolm Foy] played for Tonbridge Angels and I think other clubs of a similar level but majority for Hawkenbury FC. Sadly, Gaynor got alzheimers. Ian lives in London and is a radiographer in one of the major hospitals. Erin and Jemma are both married living in Brisbane. Corlis was the second husband’s surname.’

An Ancestry tree shows Gaynor died on 9 August 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. The tree shows Gaynor and Malcolm are descended from Alfred FOY (1850-1880 at Twickenham).

John HEASMAN (42 Ravenswood Avenue): “When my Nan and Grandad moved to Ferndale, my links with Ravenswood were very much to do with the St Barnabas scouts and those of us who went St Barnabas and Church of Christ youth clubs. Scouts was brilliant, with Malc FOY, Keith G, Bill MAYLING, John DAVIES, good old Roger CASTLE, and of course, Eric HANSON [21 St James Road] our Scoutmaster.

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “Mr and Mrs FOY had a son Malcolm and daughter Gaynor. Mr FOY was a car based policeman and Mrs FOY was a coach for Tunbridge Wells swimming club. Their daughter Gaynor became a swimming athlete of some note and I believe she eventually moved to Australia.”

46 Ravenswood Avenue – Marion OAKLEY

Marion was older than me and I remember her very well. She never married and still lives at 46 Ravenswood Avenue. Marion started work soon after I started school and I remember her walking past our house every day to and from the bus stop on her way to and from work. The GRO has a birth recorded at Tonbridge in 1935/2 for Marion Y OAKLEY, mother DENTON.

The GRO has births for Marion’s parents at Tonbridge, in 1906/4 for Albert Arthur OAKLEY, mother WATERMAN, and in 1907/1 for Violet Frances Irene DENTON, mother STANDING, and a marriage at Tonbridge in 1926/3 for Albert A OAKLEY and Violet F I DENTON. The 1939 Register shows Marion’s parents, Albert A OAKLEY born 14 November 1906 working as ‘house decorator and general repairs’, and Violet F I OAKLEY born 4 January 1907, living at Flat 4, 80 Dorking Road, Tunbridge Wells. The 1921 Census shows Arthur aged 15 living at 52 Woodland Road, Tunbridge Wells with his family and working as a chauffer for Doctor BAYFIELD of Southborough.

The GRO has deaths at Tonbridge in 1972/4 for Albert Arthur OAKLEY, born 14 November 1906, and at Tunbridge Wells in October 1990 for Violet Frances I OAKLEY born 4 January 1907.

Marion worked at Barclays Bank in Mount Ephraim and the 15 March 1968 Courier published a story and picture (right) about a small team she organised at the bank to knit blankets for Oxfam. Each blanket comprised 144 six-inch squares which were sewn together and sent to the local Oxfam collector. The report said they had finished six blankets and were working on their seventh.

In November 2016, I spoke to Marion on the telephone and she said, “I went to school at Blessed Sacred Convent (not there now – flats) in the road running ffrom Bayhall Road and Pembury Road until I was eight, and then went to Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar. One of the teachers at the Convent was Miss Robson who was related to the actress Flora Robson, and died young. I left school in 1952 and wanted to be a pharmicist but was unable to get an apprenticeship (preferring boys!). I believe Dad had some connection with Wannock Gardens, Polegate, possibly he worked there once. I remember Brian and Mary DELVES living next door, and Mary DELVES died recently.”

Carole STONER-LEWIS (39 Ravenswood Avenue): “I remember Marion’s mum, my son used to play football in the street and she always kept the ball when it went into her garden, and would never give it back. I remember when she died, I was told there was a big bag of balls in the house. Her and I used to have words because of her shouting at the children”.

47 Ravenswood Avenue – Susan and Howard DODSWORTH

I remember the DODSWORTHs moving in next door to the FOYs by 1953 but they didn’t stay very long, moving away between 1955 and 1957. The GRO has Dartford births in 1941/3 for Howard W DODSWORTH and 1943/1 for Susan E DODSWORTH, mother FARROW. The GRO has a birth at Sheffield in 1907/2 for their father Walter BARNES DODSWORTH and at Dartford in 1911/4 for their mother Ruby Maud FARROW, and a marriage for them at Dartford in 1939/4.

The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1966/4 for Susan E DODSWORTH and Heinz J H NORTHHAFT, but I haven’t been able to find anything about them since then. I haven’t been able to find a marriage for Howard, but electoral registers for 2002 show Howard W DODSWORTH living at 15 Mereworth Road, Tunbridge Wells and 2003-2010 at 169 Southwood Road, Tunbridge Wells. An Ancestry family tree doesn’t show any more information about Susan or Howard, but shows their father died 1977/3 at Tunbridge Wells and their mother in August 2000.

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “Mr and Mrs Dodsworth had a son Howard and daughter Susan. Mr Dodsworth was a foot policeman and his wife was a teacher at St Marks C of E Primary School.”

48 Ravenswood Avenue – Christine SAVAGE

The 12 September 1952 Courier reported, ‘Daughter of Mr and Mrs G E Savage of 48 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells, Miss Christine Savage was married at St Jamess Church on Saturday to Mr Douglas George Buchanan, son of Mr and Mrs G Buchanana of Smarden, Kent...The bride...was attended by Miss J Savage...’

49 Ravenswood Avenue, Little Bounds – Douglas, Doris and Albert BALCOMBE

The 1939 Register shows Douglas W H BALCOMBE was born on 1 January 1929 and the GRO has births at Ticehurst, Sussex in 1929/3 for Douglas William Harold BALCOMBE, and in 1931/3 for Doris Emily BALCOMBE, and at Tonbridge in 1936/2 for Albert T BALCOMBE, mother KEMP. The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1961/1 for Albert T BALCOMBE and Patricia J BROUGH but I haven’t found a marriage for Douglas or Doris.

The GRO has a death at Eastbourne in November 1997 for Douglas William H BALCOMBE born 1 January 1929, in Kent in 2003/4 for Albert Thomas BALCOMBE born 2 April 1936 and at Tunbridge Wells in 1997/1 for Doris Emily BALCOMBE, born 26 December 1930.

The 1939 Register also shows his father was Harold G C BALCOMBE born 3 October 1901 and his mother was Laura M B BALCOMBE born 27 June 1898. The GRO has a marriage at Ticehurst in 1925/3 for Harold G C BALCOMBE and Laura M B KEMP. Street directories show they moved away for 1953 and 1955 and the 9 January 1953 Sussex Agricultural Express published a notice of auction for the house, described as ‘“Little Bound” 49 Ravenswood Avenue’ on 30 January 1953.

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “Mr and Mrs Balcombe had a son and I believe they were in business in Heathfield. Sometime, probably in the early 1950s, a pair of semi-detached houses were built on open ground adjacent to number. These were police houses, and at the same time a pair of semis were built on ex-allotment land in Hilbert Rd. The new houses in Ravenswood became 47 and 45.”

51 Ravenswood Avenue, Ubique – Molly, Barbara and John YATES

I remember Barbara YATES very well. She was the same age as me and we were in the same class at St Barnabas Junior School. In our first year, one afternoon a week, our class (3 orange) went to St Barnabas Hall (where I later went to scouts) for country dancing and because Barbara was the tallest girl in the class and I was the tallest boy, we were always paired to dance together. Poor Barbara! My school report for that year (summer 1953) +from Miss Cowell said, ‘Christopher lacks all sense of rhythm in dancing and music in general.’! I remember Barbara’s older brother John, who joined the Sea Cadets, and her older sister Molly.

The GRO has YATES births at Tonbridge in 1936/2 for John F, in 1939/3 for Molly R and 1944/3 for Barbara A YATES, mother RENDELL. The 1939 Register shows John was born on 17 April 1936, their father Harold Arthur YATES, known as Bill, on 26 November 1908 and their mother Mabel G R YATES on 24 September 1911, both of who I also remember well. Bill, like my dad, was a police constable at Tunbridge Wells. The GRO has a marriage at Medway in 1935/2 for Harold A YATES and Mabel G R RENDELL.

Bill himself was the son of a policeman. The 1911 Census shows Bill living with his parents at Seabrook Police Station, near Hythe, Kent where his father John William YATES, born 1876 at Hornsey, Middlesex was a police constable. The 1921 Census shows Bill aged 12 living with his family at The Broadway, Lamberhurst and his father still a police constable.

The 14 June 1963 Courier reported ‘Police Constable Harold Arthur (Bill) Yates, one of the best-known policeman in Tunbridge wells, retired on June 23 after 32 years in the force. He has spent all his police service in the town and is virtually the “Dixon” of Tunbridge Wells. Born at Seabrook Police Station near Hythe, PC Yates comes from a family with a long history of police service. His son, Mr John Frederick Yates, works for Securicor in Edinburgh...And but for seven years, when he was on motor patrol, he was on the beat the whole time...In addition to his son, PC Yates has two daughters and lives at 51 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells.’

The 19 June 1953 Courier reported three Sea Cadets from Tunbridge Wells were among the 100 from the UK who attended the Spithead review. One of the three was Leading-Seaman J F YATES of 51 Ravenswood Avenue aboard the cruiser HMS Sheffield. The paper said, ‘For two days before the review they helped with the ships’ final “spit and polish” and on Sunday Jones and Yates were taken on a motor fishing vessel round the mighty assembly of ships.’

The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1964/2 for John F YATES and Kathleen A ELLIOT but I don’t know anything about them after then. My brother Tim thinks John had a motor cycle accident and moved north and Clive STACE (104 Ravenswood Avenue) told me in 1916, “John lived in Scotland and died a few years back.” 2003-2010 electoral registers show a John F YATES living at Polmont, Falkirk, Stirlingshire that could be him

The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1965/2 for Molly R YATES and Robert S GILFILLAN and births at Uckfield in 1966/2 for Ruth and Sarah GILFILLAN (twins). The GRO has a birth at Croydon in 1935/3 for Robert S GILFILLAN, mother DUMMETT and the 1939 Register shows Robert S GILFILLAN, born 10 June 1935, living at Iron Gate, South Street, Ditchling. The GRO has a marriage at Tunbridge Wells in 1981/1 for Molly R GILFILLAN and Peter A TAVANI and 2002-22 electoral registers show Molly R and Peter TAVANI at Bargain Basement, Snow Hill, Crawley.

The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1973/4 for Barbara A YATES and Colin L DOORNE and births at Tonbridge in 1975/1 for Justine Ann DOORNE and 1977/1 for James Craig DOORNE, mother YATES.

The 30 November 1973 Courier, ‘The wedding took place on Saturday at St James Church of Miss Barbara Ann Yates, daughter of Mr and Mrs H A Yates of 51 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells and Mr Colin Leslie Doorne, son of Mr and Mrs L Doorne of East View, Pluckley...The bridesmaids were Ruth and Sarah Gilfillan, the bride’s twin nieces...Mr Robert Gilfillan was best man...’’

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “Mr and Mrs Bill YATES had a son John and daughters Molly and Barbara. Bill was a motorcycle policeman. His impressive official Triumph machine would often be parked outside of number 51. In the 1960s John worked for Post Office Telephones.

John HEASMAN (42 Ravenswood Avenue): “I joined the army from school, but was medically discharged. I then became a telephone engineer, first in Tunbridge Wells, then Hastings. During that time I worked with Keith GOODYEAR and John YATES”.

Clive STACE (104 Ravenswood Avenue) in 2015: “The other police family were the YATES, just along the road from you. John lived in Scotland and died a few years back, Molly I know nothing about, and Barbara still lives locally, I think she came to my father’s funeral.”

52 Ravenswood Avenue – Mr and Mrs PRING

The 29 October 1965 Courier published jack PRINGreported, ‘Mr Jack Pring of 52 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbrige Wells, retires on Monday after more than 47 years on the railway. He was born in Tunbridge Wells and started work on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway in January 1918. From 1925 to 1938 he was based at Bognor and was once fireman on the royal train taking Queen Mary from London to Bognor. He started driving in 1932 and was moved to Tunbridge Wells West Sation in 1936. Since 1961 Mr Pring has been driving diesel-electric locomotives, but like almost all railywaymen, he prefer steam...’

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “Mr PRING was an engine driver (steam) and based at Tunbridge Wells West Station. Also living with Mr and Mrs PRING were her parents.’’

54 Ravenswood Avenue, Fernshaw – Cedric, Noella and Gregory NOVIS

Cedric NOVIS, or ‘Novey’ as we called him, was one of my best friends on the estate from ever since I can remember, but I lost touch with him after his family moved to Hadlow about 1954, although I did visit him there once. Like me, Cedric had a love of nature, and when we were about eight years old, we saw an older boy with a large white net on the waste land at the bottom of the hill outside our house, where the present day 18-34 Pinewood Road houses now stand. The boy was Clive STACE from 104 Ravenswood Avenue whose dad, like mine, was a Police Constable at Tunbridge Wells, and he was trying to catch butterflies. He explained all about it to Cedric and me and from that moment, I have had a life-long interest in butterflies as, it turns out, Cedric had too. Clive took us home and showed us his good collection of butterflies that he had caught, mounted and displayed in a cabinet, which was the way things were done in the 1950s, but would be very much frowned upon today in view of the decline of many species of butterflies. These days, we make a butterfly ‘collection’ from digital images of butterflies we photograph. I tried to trace Cedric in 2015 when I started this website and sadly found he had died of a heart attack in 2011 aged 67.

Cedric had a younger sister Noella and younger brother Greg, and the GRO shows their births at Tonbridge: Cedric P in 1944/2, Irene N in 1945/4 and Gregory I in 1947/1, mother DAVIS. The GRO has a marriage at Lewisham in 1965/3 for Cedric P NOVIS and Jacqueline QUINN, and births at Lewisham in 1966.1 for David John NOVIS and at Kingston-upon-Thames in 1967/3 for Kevin Brian NOVIS, motherְs maiden name GRAVES.

The GRO has another marriage at Newham, London in 1974/2 for Cedric P NOVIS and Tessa L GRAVES, and births at Newham in 1976/4 for Kelly Ann NOVIS and 1979/2 for Terry James NOVIS, mother GRAVES.

In August 2016 I made contact with Cedric’s son Terry NOVIS, a chartered accountant, who lives in Essex. He told me, “Dad was born on 7 April 1944 and eventually moved to London and became a station officer in the London Fire Brigade for 30 years. He then moved to Essex after me and my sister were born and where me, my mum and sister all now live. Dad met my Mum where they initially lived in East Ham, eventually moving to South Woodham Ferrers, Essex (as it had better schools for me and my sister Kelly). Mum was born in London so has no links with Tunbridge Wells. In terms of nature, Dad still had a love for this later in life, and would always say what a particular butterfly was.

“My Aunty Noella is now living in Australia and my Uncle Greg in Northampton. I know that if Dad was alive he would have loved to have caught up about old times with you.

“Dad’s grandad was named Charley, his dad was named Raymond and his Mum was Nelly. They moved away from Ravenswood Avenue when Charley died and left the house to Raymond’s brother in his will, and so it was no longer their home. They went to Hadlow and then to Granville Road [off Camden Road] when Raymond divorced Nelly and moved to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Nelly stayed in Kent. Dad also stayed in touch with his family in Belgium and had regular visits there.

Terry’s mention of Cedric’s grandad Charley NOVIS reminded me of a tragic memory I have that occurred on 6 August 1952, soon after the photograph of Charley below right was taken. I remember seeing a lot of police commotion, that included my Dad who was the Coroners’ Office at Tunbridge Wells Police, at Cedric’s house. I learnt later that Cedric’s grandad Charley had committed suicide, and was found in the bath after slashing his throat and wrists.

The inquest into Charley’s death was reported in the Courier, ‘Neighbours who saw blood stained water running from an overflow pipe brought police hurrying to 54 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday last week. One of the officers, Det-Sgt R E Curling, climbed a ladder up to a bedroom window and made his way to the bathroom. There, lying almost submerged in a bath full of water stained dark red with blood, was the body of 63-year-old Charley Novis. And scrawled on the bathroom mirror with a piece of soap was the cryptic message: “Two and a half years, and a day. Sorry sweetheart.”.’

The report said Charley had lost his wife on 5 February 1950 and Raymond NOVIS told the inquest his father had been depressed since his wife’s death. The report continued, “A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Novis, a five-times wounded veteran of World War I, had a bullet lodged in his brain. It had obviously been there for some considerable time – probably since the First War – but there was no sign that it had caused him any inconvenience. It had certainly played no part in his death, which was due to heart failure from the loss of blood. Recording a verdict of suicide while the balance of mind was disturbed, the Coroner said Mr Novis had clearly never got over the death of his wife.’

Terry NOVIS continued, “Our connection with Belgium is my great-grandfather settled in Belgium after WW1. He married someone in Belgium and after the war tended the war graves in, I think, Ypres whilst living in a town called Poperinghe. When World War 2 broke out, Nan and Aunty Georgette had to flee with my great-grandad and grandma to England. They were one of the last to leave and got out just before or during the Dunkirk evacuations with the help of nuns hiding them. Nan also helped with a TV program called ‘The Children that fought Hitler’. So Dad was visiting the Belgium family on my great-grandma’s side, who we occasionally see when visiting.”

Terry’s great-grandfather was Percy Harry DAVIS and he lived at 11 Granville Road, where Cedric’s mother Nelly lived after she and his father separated. Percy died in 1966 and his Obituary was published in the 17 January Courier, The death occurred on Sunday of Mr Percy Harry Davis of 11 Granville Road, Tunbridge Wells. He was 71. A Londoner by birth, Mr Davis spent the early part of his life in Wadhurst. After serving in the army through-out the First World War, he married a Belgian girl in 1919, and worked for the Imperial War Graves Commission from then until 1940. In that year he and his family returned to Britain, and made their home in Tunbridge Wells. Mr Davis worked for the Gas Company locally until 1945 when he returned to his original job in Belgium for ten years until retirement. He was one of the first members of Toc H at Talbot House, Poperinghe, where the movement was founded, and also belonged to the British Legion. Mr Davis leaves a wife and two daughters. The funeral on Wednesday was followed by internment at Tunbridge Wells Cemetery.’

This explains why I haven’t been able to find a birth record for Cedric’s mother Nelly and her sister Georgette at the GRO – they were both born in Belgium!

A family tree on Ancestry shows Cedric’s NOVIS family are descended from David NOVICE, born in 1575 at Lewes, Sussex and who died there in 1637. His son, Thomas NOVIS (1606-1678) also from Lewes was the first to use the NOVIS surname. The tree has a wonderful picture of Cedric’s 2 x great-grandfather Trayton NOVIS, born in 1825 at Framfield, Sussex and died on 25 February 1914 in Strood, Kent Union Workhouse.

In December 2016, I made contact with Gregory NOVIS and he told me, “I remember you, Tim and Gillian and your Mum who used to cook lovely cookies. Sad to say Nov passed away about six years ago. I know he would have enjoyed catching up with you. He changed his name to Paul as he didn’t like Cedric.

“When we moved from the Avenue, we went to Hadlow. We weren’t there very long before my parents separated. My dad went to Rhodesia and me and my sister went to live in London with my mum. Nov was a bit older and more mature and he went to live basically with his girlfriend and her family. It wasn’t a very good time for me and my sister in London as we lived in the slums, Brick Lane being one place we lived. Nov had a number of jobs before joining the Fire Brigade and he worked his way up to fire officer in charge of a station. My sister Noella married quite early and had two children both doing well, one is a teacher and used to be a scientist and Julie joined the police force. She migrated to Australia about three years ago and is now working as a child protection officer. Noella didn’t like her name either so changed it to Sharon, and she is also living in Australia with her daughter.

“As for me I’ve never really settled. I’ve had more jobs than I can remember. I moved to Australia in 1970, where I got married for ten years, came back to the UK about ten years ago. I did go back to Australia about six months ago thinking I would live with Julie and Noella, but for some reason I prefer the UK now. I am living near Liverpool but hope to move to Southborough soon.”

More recently Gregory has confirmed what I have written about his grandad Percy and Belgium and added, “My grandmother had three children, one died at a young age, my mother Nelly and her sister Georgette. They and my were on the last passenger boat leaving from Dunkirk. He remained a gardener in Tunbridge Wells and had a house in Granville Road quite near Ravenswood Avenue.

Regarding Noella, the GRO has a marriage at Bexley in 1990 for Irene N NOVIS and John H EVEREST, and births at Lewisham in 1967/2 for Steven John EVEREST and 1970/4 for Julie Karen EVEREST, mother NOVIS. Terry NOVIS said, “Noella now goes under the name Sharon Everest, but she did not emigrate to Perth, Australia until 1994, and it was only recently when her daughter Julie Everest (also in the police) went out there to live.”

By coincidence, the licensee of the pub for 12 October 1903 and when he died on 21 March 1922, was Cedric, Noella and Gregory’s grandfather Harry NETLEY, born in 1853 at Patching, West Sussex. In 1874/2 at Chichester, he married Ann (Annie) CLARKE and their daughter Florence Muriel NETLEY, born in 1899/1 at Newton Abbott, Devon married Oliver James NOVIS, born 1891/12 at Tonbridge, in 1919/4 at Lewisham, London. Oliver

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “I believe Mr NOVIS was a dental technician. Many of the ‘lower’ Ravenswood children used to gravitate to the NOVIS’, or at least to their children, Cedric, Noella and Greg. Also living with the NOVIS’ was a sister of Mrs NOVIS. The sisters both had Belgian origins evidenced by their accents.”

Clive STACE (104 Ravenswood Avenue): “I know at least one of Cedric NOVIS’s parents was Belgian. They went on at least one holiday there, and much to our envy brought back a Pale Clouded Yellow [butterfly] that he had caught there.”

55 Ravenswood Avenue – Gordon WENHAM

The 7 April 1961 Courier reported, ‘Miss Beryl Cockett of 73 Erskine Park Road, Rusthall, daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Cockett, married Mr Gordon Wenham at St Paul’s Church, Rusthall, on Saturday...The bride-groom is the son of Mr A Wenham, 55 Ravenswood Avenue, Tunbridge Wells and the late Mrs Wenham.’

Alan DANE (70 Ravenswood Avenue): “Mr and Mrs WENHAM had son. Logic dictates that the residents of 55 and 57 were related, though I have no evidence for this assumption. Their son, whose name escapes me, worked on the counters of the town’s main Vale Road and Grosvenor Road Post Offices. I believe he continued to live in number 55 after his parents passed away.”

The 2 September 1966 Courier published this picture of John Heasman, 42 Ravenswood Avenue, holding a 2/6d half crown (12½p) coin under the heading ‘And from the fish came forth 2/6d’, see story in text left – photo thanks Courier.

Brian Delves, 44 Ravenswood Avenue, and Mary Kay wedding – photo thanks Courier.

Stanley DELVES, 44 Ravenswood Avenue, (right) with Albert OAKLEY, 46 Ravenswood Avenue, sitting in the back of Albert’s car – photo thanks Marion Oakley.

Mary Delves, 44 Ravenswood Avenue, (left) in the middle class at St Barnabas Primary School in 1949, and in the top class in 1950 – photos thanks Clive Stace.

In December 2016 the above picture of Hilbert Athletic in 1960 was published on Facebook OTWPS. Malcolm Foy is second from the right in the back row (click on image to enlarge it), and right an enlargement of him. I believe the coach standing left is Tom Pearch who lived at 79 Ravenswood Avenue, and is that Gerald Larkin (29 Ravenswood Avenue) front row left? Can you name anyone else, please? – photo thanks Anne Pearch.

The 24 April 1970 Courier reported Ramslye FC’s annual dinner, ‘Mr Joe Carolan, player-manager of Tonbridge FC, presented the trophy to the Sportsman Footballer of the Year, Malcolm Foy. This honour goes to a player, not only for his work on the field of play, but also for his active service with the club in other directions. Malcolm is the present club secretary.’ – photo thanks Courier.

The Facebook photo of Scott Foy, son of Malcolm Foy, 45 Ravenswood Avenue, with his wife Katy Hathaway – photos thanks Facebook.

Picturs of Gaynor Foy, 45 Ravenswood Avenue from the 8 September 1961 (left) and ll May 1962 Courier, see text left below for stories – photos thanks Courier.

Gaynor Foy, 45 Ravenswood Avenue, pictured in the 11 May 1962 Courier with her mum and dad – photo thanks Courier.

Gaynor Foy, 45 Ravenswood Avenue, pictured in the 29 September 1980 Australian Canberra Times – photo thanks Canberra Times.

Albert and Violet Oakley, 46 Ravenswood Avenue – photo thanks Marion Oakley.

The Barclays Bank Oxfam blanket team (l to r) Marion Oakley, 46 Ravenswood Avenue, Carol Bourne, Susan Bowyer and Mrs Jean Fuller. See text left for story – photo thanks Courier.

John Yates at the Tunbridge Wells Police Christmas children’s party in 1948 or 1949 – photo thanks Clive Stace.

Molly Yates, 51 Ravenswood Avenue, (left) in the top class at St Barnabas Primary School in 1950, and at the Tunbridge Wells Police Christmas children’s party in 1948 or 1949 – photos thanks Clive Stace.

Bill Yates, 51 Ravenswood Avenue, (right) pictured in the 14 June 1963 Courier on his retirement from the police, see text for story – photo thanks Courier.

Barbara Yates, 51 Ravenswood Avenue, and Colin Doorne wedding – photo thanks Courier.

Jack Pring, 52 Ravenswood Avenue, pictured in the 29 October 1965 Courier on his retirement from the railway, see text – photo thanks Courier.

An advertisement from the 24 January 1947 Courier showing tickets for the Southern Counties Youth Amateur Boxing Championships avaialable from H A Yates, 51 Ravenswood Avenue – photo thanks Courier.

Cedric (centre), Noella and Gregory Novis, as I remember them, pictured in their back garden at 54 Ravenswood Avenue shortly before they moved to Hadlow – photo thanks Terry Novis.

Some of the Novis family pictured by the side of their house at 54 Ravenswood Avenue (l to r front) Gregory, Tom (Margaret’s son) and Noella (behind) Margaret (Nelly’s sister, Nelly and Raymond – photo thanks Terry Novis. This photograph is interesting because in the background is shown the construction of 47 Ravenswood Avenue half-built, one of the two police houses built about 1952 and occupied by the DODSWORTH family – photo thanks Terry Novis.

Cedric Novis, 54 Ravenswood Avenue, (left) being presented with the Fire Brigade Long Service Award – photo thanks Terry Novis.

Trayton Novis, the 2 x great-grandfather of Cedric Novis, 54 Ravenswood Avenue, pictured about 1911 when he was 86 years old – photo thanks Ancestry provis77.

At the front door of 54 Ravenswood Avenue about 1952 (front l to r) Cedric Novis, Noella, Tom (Margaret’s son) and Gregory; (behind left) Margaret (Nelly’s sister) and Nelly with Grandad Charley Novis behind – photo thanks Terry Novis.

Most of us who lived on the Ferndale Park Estate in the 1950s and 1960s will remember the fish and chip shop in Quarry Road on the corner of Stanley Road opposite St James School, and I am pleased to find it is still there (above left). On the opposite corner, at the bottom end of Camden Road, was the Black Horse public house where Cedric Novis’ grandfather, Harry Netley, was the licencee between 1903 and 1922. I am also pleased to see is still there, although many of us will remember it looking more like the black and white photograph – photo thanks Google Earth and Facebook OTWPS.

Gordon Wenham, 55 Ravenswood Avenue, and Beryl Cockett wedding – photo thanks Courier.