People Fairfield Avenue TN2 3SD
Information about children who lived in Fairfield Avenue between when it was built and the 1960s
If you lived in Fairfield 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).
3 Fairfield Avenue – Carol, Lynne, Nikki and Tracy SMITH
See 78 Ravenswood Avenue
4 Fairfield Avenue – Brian MEERES
Street directories show the MEERES family lived at 4 Fairfield Avenue from 1938 until between 1948 and 1950. The 1939 Register shows Charles J MEERES, born 29 July 1910, a police sergeant, and Marjorie J MEERES, born 5 September 1908. There is one closed entry. The GRO has a birth at Tonbridge in 1938/1 for Brian MEERES, mother OGLE.
Clive STACE (104 Ravenswood Avenue): “Brian was about my age or slightly younger, his father was a policeman.”
In October 2023, Christine SKEWIS’ husband Alan Harrison, told me, ‘Brian Mears also passed away a few years ago, he had a major stroke.’
5 Fairfield Avenue – Vera and Rita SERMON
The GRO has births at Tonbridge in 1935/1 for Vera M SERMON and in 1938/2 for Rita D SERMON, mother LEGGE, and a marriage at Tonbridge in 1958/2 for Vera M SERMON and Alan WOODGATE.
The 11 July 1958 Courier reported, ‘A catering course diploma of the South-East London Technical College was gained by Miss Rita D Sermon of 5 Fairfield Avenue, Tunbridge Wells. Miss Sermon was formerly a pupil of St Barnabas Junior School and Tonbridge County Technical School for Girls. A student at Hotel Catering and Management, she took the examination at the end of the second year...’
Rita and Vera’s father was Frederick J SERMON, born 13 December 1906 and their mother was Ena K LEGGE, born 17 March 1907. The 1939 Register shows Fred worked as a ‘linotype operator, printing trade’ and was an Auxillary Fire Section leader during WW2. The GRO has a marriage at Uckfield, East Sussex in 1932/2 for Frederick J SERMON and Ena K LEGGE. The 27 May 1932 Courier reported, ‘The wedding took place at St Dunstan’s, Mayfield on Saturday of Miss Ena Legge, only daughter of Mr and Mrs F C Legge of “Necton”, Mayfield, and Mr Frederick James Sermon of Arundel...Mr and Mrs Sermon are making their future home in Tunbridge Wells.’
The 11 June 1987 Courier Deaths column reported, ‘Peacefully on 5 June 1987, Frederick James Sermon, aged 80 years of Southborough and formerly of Fairfield Avenue of Tunbridge Wells, the dear husband of Edna and beloved father of Vera and Rita, father-in-law of Alan and grandpa of Phillip and Nigel – Funeral in St Barnabas Church on Thursday 11th June at 11.30am...’ Ena died on 8 July 2001 at Tunbridge Wells.
The 20 June 1958 Courier reported, ‘Two members of the choir of St Barnabas Church, Tunbridge wells were married there on Saturday. They were Mr Alan Woodgate, son of Mr and Mrs E G Woodgate of 16 Woodbury Park Road, Tunbridge Wells and Miss Vera May Sermon, daughter of Mr and Mrs F J Sermon of 5 Fairfield Avenue, Tunbridge Wells...The reception at the Royal Mount Ephraim Hotel was attended by over 60 guests...’
The picture above is believed the reception at the Mount Ephraim Hotel following the marriage of Vera Sermon and Alan Woodgate at St Barnabas Church on 14 June 1958 – photo thanks Carol Campbell nee Smith. Carol can identify Clifford Smith sitting far right on the table nearest the camera and his wife Louisa (Doris) opposite him. Next but one to Clifford is Ronald Skewis and opposite him is his wife Joyce. Kathleen Ryder (later Smith) on the middle table second from right turning to face the camera, and believes Fred Sermon is sitting next but one to the groom. Can you identify anyone else in the picture, please?
In September 2023, Clive STACE (104 Ravenswood avenue) told me, ‘I’m pretty sure that on the nearest table, third from left are Mr and Mrs SKEWIS (Christine’s parents) sitting opposite one another. I last saw Christine at my father’s funeral in 1994. The man second from left next to Mrs SKEWIS is familiar to me but I cannot name him, unless his name was FOLKES which for some reason has lodged in my memory.’ Clive later added, ‘Yes, it must be Charlie FOWKES (7 Fairfield Avenue). After I wrote, the name Charlie came to mind and his familiar face and name would have been because he was a copper. I suppose his wife was sitting opposite.
‘Tony JENNER (still alive and living in Bournemouth [September 2023) from Dorking Road, was the boyfriend of Rita SERMON first, and later of Christine. All our initials were carved into a fine beech tree in Roundabout Woods, but it was blown down in the great storm [1987].’
6 Fairfield Avenue – Christine SKEWIS
The GRO has a birth at Tonbridge in 1938/2 for Christine SKEWIS, mother GILBERT. After she left Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls, Christine worked in the Drawing Office of the Tunbridge Wells Telephone Exchange and became a prominent netball player. The 24 February 1961 Courier published her picture and reported she had been picked as a ‘shooter’ for the Civil Service national team in an international match against Jamaica on 2 March.
The GRO has a marriage at Tonbridge in 1962/2 for Christine J SKEWIS and Alan J HARRISON and the4 The 6 May 1960 Courier published, ‘Mr and Mrs E R Skewis of Fairfield Avenue, Tunbridge Wells have pleasure in announcing the engagement of Christine to Alan, youngest son of Mr and Mrs A Harrison of Harold Road, Hastings.’
In October 2015, Christine, who is now Christine HARRISON, told me, “I lived at 6 Fairfield Avenue from 1938-1962 and at 94 Ravenswood Avenue from 1962 -1980 after I got married. I still live in Tunbridge Wells and can remember a lot of the people who lived on the Estate. When I got married we moved to 94 Ravenswood Avenue and lived near to Clive STACE’s parents for 18 years. I remember your parents and sister and the Watsons.”
By coincidence, Christine is a second cousin of Edward James GILBERT (1950-2022) of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada who, until his recent death, ran the All About Tunbridge Wells website described at the top of the ‘Soapboxes’ page. Christine’s grandfather was the younger brother of Edward’s grandfather.
Christine’s father was Ernest Ronald SKEWIS, born 8 May 1900 who the 1939 Register shows worked as a ‘radio sales engineer’. Her mother was Joyce Elizabeth GILBERT, born 16 February 1909. Ernest died in January 1992 and Joyce in 2007.
Patricia SKITTRALL nee TAYLOR (20 Hilbert road): “I have just spent a few days wallowing in nostalgia! My best friends were Pauline SKINNER and Carole BLAKER (Hilbert Road) and Susan AVARD (Ravenswood Avenue). I also knew Rita SERMON, Christine SKEWIS and Brian MEARS (Fairfield Avenue) and Marion OAKLEY.”
Carol CAMPBELL nee SMITH (78 Ravenswood Avenue): “I remember the SKEWIS family, my grandfather, Clifford and his second wife Kathleen were very good friends of theirs. I think I might have some slides of days out that had to together and coach trips to the west country etc. My grandparents moved to Tiverton in Devon and I know they kept in touch with Mr and Mrs SKEWIS and visited after they moved away.”
Clive STACE (104 Ravenswood Avenue): “Christine was my age and last I heard still lives locally with her husband. They had the first TV set on the estate. We were good friends at one time (during St Barnabas years and for some years later). Another friend from the same year, Tony JENNER (still alive and living in Bournemouth [September 2023]) from Dorking Road, was the boyfriend of Rita SERMON first, and later of Christine. All our initials were carved into a fine beech tree in Roundabout Woods, but it was blown down in the great storm [1987].”
In October 2023, Christine’s husband Alan Harrison, told me, ‘Christine passed away on 1 April this year. She had been suffering from Parkinson’s and dementia for a number of years and she passed away peacefully in Rusthall Lodge care home where she had been for the last 15 months.’
12 Fairfield Avenue – Carol, Lynne, Nikki and Tracy SMITH
See 78 Ravenswood Avenue.
Rita Sermon, 5 Fairfield Avenue, in the top class, St Barnabas Primary School in 1949 – photo thanks Clive Stace.
1980 in Fairfield Avenue (l to r) John Smith, Fred Sermon, Tracy Smith, Ena Sermon – photo thanks Carol Campbell nee Smith.
The marriage of Frederick James SERMON and Ena Knight LEGGE, the parents of Vera and Rita Sermon, 5 Fairfield Avenue – photo Courier.
The marriage of Vera Sermon, 5 Fairfield Avenue, and Alan Woodgate – photo thanks Courier.
Christine Skewis, 6 Fairfield Avenue, in the top class at St Barnabas Primary School in 1949 – photo thanks Clive Stace.
Joyce Skewis (left), Ron Skewis, 6 Fairfield Avenue, and Kathleen Smith, formerly Ryder nee Venn, 3 and 10 Fairfield Avenue, in 1972 after Kathleen and Clifford Smith had moved away to Devon – photo thanks Carol Campbell nee Smith.
Christine Skewis, 6 Fairfield Avenue, in the 24 February 1961 Courier.