We moved to Lincoln in November 1963. I was 8. We bought a fab house in its own gardens with apple trees, a garage and a shed. (37, Nettleham Road Phone 22836.)
I went to Westgate Junior School which was all boys. I was put in the alphabetical seat next to Charly Lucas. Charly was younger than me (Sept 8th) and he was new to that school because he should have been in the first year, but his parents got him into the second year. We became firm friends. I was moderately clever. Never top of the class but not far from it. I enjoyed school. There was a heated swimming pool attached which later acquired a roof. I could already swim well, but none of my peers could, so I was a bit held back while some caught up. We had competitions and I won at breaststroke and backstroke and individual medley.
The walk to school was 1 1/4 miles each way and involved crossing the A15 which wasn’t very busy in those days. I was a latch key kid before they even thought of that, as mum taught in Gainsborough and got home about half an hour after us.
I was a cub and a scout and Patrol Leader of kestrel patrol. I went to camp in Chalfont St Peters Scout camp and in the Lake District. We also camped weekends in Nettleham. I suffered from home sickness.
My friendship with Charly also featured his brother Adrian, who was shy and didn’t say his name properly when my dad asked. My Dad replied What did you say? Egly? and it stuck. We played at each others houses weekends and holidays and after school but not Sundays. We watched the first Dr Who together and Saturday tea at ours with Heinz beans on toast and a Penguin biscuit was a regular habit. My Sunday friend was Simon Jackson who lived opposite in a very posh house and his dad has Jaguar. He took us to motor racing at Silvestone where we saw Jackie Stewart win. I don’t think it was a Grand Prix. Junior school ended with the 11+ exam. I didn’t know it was a ‘thing’ but we did do some fun quiz type thing in the hall twice (one must have been a practice) and mum and dad had to ring school to see if I had sat the test. I had and I passed. I passed quite well as I got to secondary school and was streamed into the A stream and was destined to take my ‘O’levels 4 years later not 5.