Updated 16 Aug 2015
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Robert Palmer's autobiography - 01
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Robert Palmer's autobiography 1944-1955
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Chapter 1 |
1944 to 1947 |
age 0-3 |
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17
11 months old at Sheffield.
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12
Taken 1947
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20
Summer 1946 Twickenham
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I was born on 29th July 1944 at five minutes past four
(?am or pm) at St Andrews (according to Aunt Lu) or Argyll
(more likely to be correct) nursing home, Nether Edge
(Sharrow), Sheffield. I weighed 8¼ lbs (the same as
John) and was a vaginal delivery (I am not sure how long
Mum was in labour with me but clearly it was an easier
delivery than for John, for whom the sun set twice on
Mum’s labour which was at 37, Court Way, Twickenham by Dr
O’Sullivan, and clearly should have been a Caesarean
Section). My delivery was by Dr J B Fisher. Aunt Lu says
she visited Mum every day and the sheets at the nursing
home weren’t very clean. By coincidence John was also born
at five minutes past four, but his was definitely in the
afternoon. I was presumably conceived in October 1943 at
37, Court Way, which was before Dad went to Italy (he went
to Naples with Cable and Wireless on the “blue train”,
which was not a train but communication vehicles, on 13th
May 1944).
Probably not long after this Mum moved up to 107 Banner
Cross Road, Ecclesall, Sheffield with John who would have
been four years old. John has memories of the year or so
he lived there. Granny was 67 at the time and somewhat
short tempered, especially when she was cooking. She also
worried about money. Uncle Billy lived in the attic
bedroom and John enjoyed being taken into the basement
where Uncle Billy made his transformers. Aunt Lucy (who
was a hospital Consultants secretary, and her husband
Norman Brealey who John liked used to come round, also
Aunt Dorothy who was a teacher and was married to “Pop”
Bowen who was quite a bit older than her (and the
relationship and marriage had been frowned on by her
parents, and may have shortened the life of her father who
died age 68 in 1933). Pop meddled with cars. Uncle Billy
also had an old car and when he could get petrol drove
everybody to the toad’s mouth and the surprise. They had a
terrier dog called Chummy who was somewhat bad tempered.
John had no one to play with and used to go to the garages
at the top of the road and talk to the “magic man” an
imaginary person.
Mum says in her memories “after marriage in 1931 we
lived care free for 9 years as we could not afford a baby.
Then war began in 1939 and I had visions of being alone
(she assumed Dad would be sent abroad and she remembered
from the first world war that few came back) so I had John
(1940). Then carried away with motherhood I had Rob
(1944). Best thing I did was give birth to my children.
Bern went off with his job to Italy in 1944 and came back
a dying man (on a hospital ship to Southampton) in 1946.
Dad was not so keen on having children and there is a
suggestion Mum “pulled the wool over his eyes” when John
was conceived in August 1939 and possibly again with me. I
was called Mary before I was born because Dad wanted a
daughter. I was about 2 before Dad first saw me in 1946
(he returned to Southampton from Vienna on a hospital ship
on 13th April 1946). By this time we had moved back to
Twickenham (we probably moved back from Sheffield in the
summer of 1945). John went to Brook House school probably
in September 1945 and was there until 1946, but probably
for less than a year. He did not enjoy it there and his
school reports were not good. Aunt Yvonne, Uncle George
(Stewart) and Jean and Shirley Jane lived with us for a
few months in 1946 at 37 as their house (47 Court Way) had
a sitting tenant. This may have coincided with the time
John was sent to Worksop to live with Aunt Win and Uncle
Frank who were childless. The reasons for him going there
were unclear, but it may have been a strain on Dad who was
quite unwell. He stayed there until he was 18 just coming
to Court Way for holidays, eagerly awaited for by me. Dad
had contracted acute rheumatic fever in Vienna and nearly
died and was a cardiac cripple for the rest of his life
with mitral stenosis.
My godmother was Aunt Win (Dougill), and my godfathers
Uncle Ernest (Doxey), and W E (Ernest) Burnand, Aunt Lu’s
father. I was christened at All Saints Church, Ecclesall
(which is where I believe Uncle Wilf, Dad’s elder brother,
preached to full houses some years before, and who
incidentally was killed in Plymouth, supposedly while
demonstrating a grenade which accidentally detonated, 2
days after I was born). I weighed 10lbs at one month,
113/4lbs at two months, and 25lbs at fourteen months. My
first tooth was in March 1945, and my first steps on 19th
October 1945. My first word was “this”. I was breast fed
for 8 months. I probably lived at 107 Banner Cross Road,
Ecclesall, Sheffield until late 1945 or early 1946, when
we moved back Twickenham.
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Chapter 2 |
1947 to 1949 |
age 3-5 |
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03
Taken Twickenham summer 1946
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15
Taken 1948
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24
Taken with Dad Swanage 1949
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My earliest memories are of 37 Court Way Twickenham when I
was 3 in 1947. I remember going with Mum when she filled
up the coal scuttle from the side of the house, which was
semi detached. The other part of 37 was occupied by Tommy
Farmer and his wife. Tommy Farmer only had one arm, having
lost the other one in the first world war. They were
perplexed why Mum had children during the war. I believe
Mum had a miscarriage on the toilet at 37 between 1941 and
1943. I also remember the motorbikes roaring up Court Way
to the technical college at the top of the road (on
Egerton Road). An early memory is Mum, Dad and I on
holiday in a riverboat on the Thames at Reading. Dad was
still well enough to come on holiday with us, and I
estimate it was about 1947 or 1948. I also remember the
Olympic Games in London in 1948. Dad took John to
Battersea fun fair which opened alongside the Games. I
knew something was going on but was not told at the time
but found out for sure later, and harboured a sense of
injustice. John used to come to Twickenham for the school
holidays, something I eagerly looked forward to. If he was
rough with me Dad got very cross, but never spanked him or
me, he left that to Mum. I used to whine a lot, dribble
and pick my nose. John started to have his “dreams” which
were petit mals, and Dad had difficulty coping with it,
which I suspect was one of the reasons he went to Worksop,
although the official reason was that he had asthma and
the air was cleaner in Worksop. I also remember going on
holiday to Swanage, which may have been in 1949 or 1950.
Again Dad came, but got mad with me because I whined a lot
of the time. On one occasion in the dining room I had a
spoon of food in my hand when the door opened and I swung
round and deposited the food all over Dad. He got furious.
He did have a short temper, probably because he felt ill
all the time with his mitral stenosis. We also went to
Sheffield, 107 Banner Cross Road, occasionally where
granny would show me her jewellery and Uncle Billy would
take me down the cellar, and on trips in his car to the
Toad’s Mouth, The Surprise and Hathersage. Once we went to
Hollycourt House and I played in the garden and somehow
got out and got lost. I was wandering around when a man
came by and I told him I was lost. I didn’t know the
address of Hollycourt House but I did know how to get
there from where the trams turned around so the man took
me there and I found my own way back (or may have gone to
107, I am not sure). The next episode is going to school.
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Chapter 3 |
1949 to 1952 |
age 5-8 |
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13
With Dad Hampton Court 1951
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33
Taken at Twickenham 1952
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34
With Mum and Jip Worksop 1951
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I went to St Mary’s primary school in September 1949. I
remember walking to school with mum and being somewhat
apprehensive. It was about a mile and a half walk up Court
Way, right on to Whitton Road, right at Kneller Hall with
the corner shops (including Mrs Houchin’s and the Grangers
sweet shop on the left), and almost immediately over the
river Crane and again almost immediately left over the
zebra crossing (with Michaels council works and the
entrance to the old Twickenham station on the right). Then
over the railway and left at the Regal cinema along
Amyand Park Road to the school. As I remember it wasn’t
long before I was walking by myself which would be unheard
of today, though I think mum used to come with me and pick
me up, maybe on her bike. There were 19 girls in our class
(although that was maybe later on), and only 5 boys
(myself, Michael Sacree, David Brown, Richard Hammond and
Ian Carey). In the early days there was another boy whose
name I forget, but I seem to remember he lived in a
houseboat on the Thames because I went to a party there
once. One day when we came to school there were teeth all
over the road outside the infants playground because I
recall a boy picking them up. He had been run over and I
never saw him again.
I remember Empire Day with the Union Jacks out at the
infants class.
When I played in the infants playground I used to be
bullied. I was called Dumbo because of my protruding ears.
Michael was in a difficult position and joined in in a
half hearted way. David Trelease was one of the
participants as was David Brown. Mum said I had to get
David Trelease one on one and punch him. To make sure we
followed him back from school, mum pushing her bike and me
walking. When we were walking down Court Way a short
distance behind David, she got on her bike and with a word
of encouragement cycled off. I walked up directly behind
David, went round the side of him, and punched him in the
face as hard as I could. He went home to Craneford Way
bawling and you could hear him in Court Way. I went home
and soon after his mother Agnes came round to
37 with David. Mum sent me upstairs and held her own in a
stand up row with Mrs Trelease. It worked though and they
didn’t bully me any more.
However there was another boy Colin Ross (Dad called him
Colin Ox) who was about 10 months older than me and lived
at the top of Court Way. He used to get home before me and
waited for me and came out and beat me up. I was terrified
of him. One day John broke up from his school in Worksop
earlier than me and was down in Twickenham. He walked a
discreet distance behind me and when Colin Ross came to
beat me up, he was beaten up and dragged through a puddle
by John instead. He never beat me up again.
Michael was my best friend and I used to play with him in
the council yard near the old Twickenham station. We would
also go to Marble Hill and the open air swimming pool in
Twickenham. Michael had four older sisters and his father
worked for Twickenham Council. Later they moved to the top
of Egerton Road near where The Stoop Harlequins rugby
football ground is now. We played cricket behind the sheds
there. Dad once said to me why couldn’t I have a friend of
my own class which upset me more than a bit.
After infants school I remember sitting in class and the
girl behind me kicked me all the time, and when I finally
retaliated it was me that got into trouble and was moved
to the bottom of the class. I had a great sense of
injustice.
At school David Brown was the star. He was the best
sportsman and came top of the boys in the exams. He was
not particularly nice, partly I suspect because his
parents divorced (his mother was very nice and worked at
the school). I remember them wanting us to name our
favourite song and I named the same one David named, and
he shouted at me. David Brown and Richard Hammond sat next
to each other in class, then behind them Michael sat by
himself (he wouldn’t let me sit next to him, I am not sure
why), and I had to sit next to Ian Carey. We were friendly
with the Carey family. Ian’s mother Betty was German and I
didn’t like her. His father worked for Prudential
Insurance and he had a sister Ingrid who was quite a loose
cannon and the opposite of Ian who was very careful but
not especially bright. Ian’s father Wally had a car and
they used to take Mum and I for drives often. I can’t
remember Dad ever coming.
Dad bought me a Hercules wartime bike, model # NY2258 in
1951 or 1952, and there is a photo of me with the bike.
Also a photograph in Dads handwriting of details of the
bike is shown, and it is a wartime Hercules model #
NY2258. Apparently when Dad first joined the Eastern Cable
Company he was told to do something about his handwriting
and he developed his “italic script” which he spent a lot
of time perfecting.
I was woken up one evening after dark (maybe 1948 or 1949)
and pushed down to Whitton Road in a stroller to watch a
procession. I was none too pleased.
Mum and Dad had a big row and woke me up. I got up and sat
on the stairs listening for some time before I was
spotted. The argument stopped. Dad went out for a walk to
the top of Court Way and back to calm himself down as was
his wont after arguments.
Mum used to say to Dad “can’t you do it” on occasions when
he was trying to do something which always made him mad.
I was in the garden when a radio request which Dad had
made on my behalf for “little red monkey” was played. He
was too unwell to get me in time and I missed it. I was
very disappointed.
We used to go to Richmond on occasion. Dad and Mum bought
me a cap pistol in a toy shop in a pedestrian only
connecting street, whereupon I ran outside with it,
pointed it at a man, and said “bang you are dead”. He was
not pleased and I think details of the incident appeared
in the “Richmond and Twickenham Times”, the owners of
which were the Dimbleby family. This was maybe 1949.
Mum used to take me to Twickenham baths and put a harness
on me and walk along the side of the pool while I tried to
swim. Later she gave me swimming lessons there with a man.
Mum took me to Kings Cross and put me in a compartment on
a train to Retford. She then went into the next
compartment and asked an older couple to keep an eye on
me. After we started a soldier came into the compartment
(there was no one else in the compartment), and after
drawing the blinds molested me and got me to do
unprintable things on him. I was more interested in my I
spy book. I never told anyone until years later I told
Mum. She got terribly upset.
Dad and Mum were friendly with the McLachlans who lived
near the corner of Craneford Way on our side of the road.
They had a daughter Angela who used to take me out in my
pushchair. I didn’t enjoy the outings very much,
especially when she took me to a fair and put me on a ride
which shook me up. Angela had a younger brother Peter who
was about 18 months younger than me. I used to play with
him a bit, especially at OP (The Exiles Club). He went to
Dollar Academy where his father Uncle Mac had been head of
school. Sadly Uncle Mac died in his 50’s of lung cancer.
Everyone used to smoke back then. Angela also had an older
sister Marjorie who drowned when she went swimming in the
sea on the east coast of Scotland. This was before Peter
was conceived.
Mum once undressed as she thought probably correctly that
I had no idea what women looked like with no clothes on.
After she quickly dressed and refused my request to do it
again.
We were also friendly with the Horwood Barrets (Horwood
and Auntie Elaine) who lived in Craneford Way. They had
two children, David who was a few months younger than me
and who I played with a bit, and his older sister Suzanne
who sadly developed multiple sclerosis. Horwood died in
his 50’s of a heart attack, not unusual in those
days.There is a photo of me in the Thames at Datchet with
David, which was one of Mum’s favourite destinations.
David Trelease got his own back on me when he locked me in
his shed and I couldn’t get out. I yelled like anything
and eventually Mrs Trelease let me out, but I suspect was
deliberately slow about doing so. David had a sister
Sheila who got a congratulatory first at University but
who was not a good looker.
84
With Michael Sacree at Court Way
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35
My first bike, Twickenham, 1951.
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Chapter 4 |
1952 to 1955 |
age 8-11 |
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40z
1955: St Mary's primary school, Twickenham. Left to Right:
back:
Margaret Phillips, Angela Blythman, Susan Trickle, Jacqueline Woolard,
Frances Archer, RJP, Valerie Gray, Ian Carey,
Anne Butcher, Mrs Andrews
middle:
Michael Sacree, David Brown, Kay Harle, Judith Nicholson,
Pauline Watkinson, Caroline Bunn, Joan Ford, Richard Hammond, Jimmy Panormo
front:
Mariann Potter, Pamela Hitchinson, Margaret Beauthorpe, Sandra Croll,
Maureen Bowles, German girl, Anne Glazebrook
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41z
David Horwood-Barret (R), RJP at Datchet
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09
Before operation
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14
After operation
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I had quite severe bat ears. I think it was February 1954,
though it may have been February 1953, when Ian Carey (who
also had bat ears) and I were driven to Lord Mayor
Treolars Hospital in Alton by Ian’s father Wally Carey,
where we both had our ears pinned back under general
anaesthetic. I remember the dry mouth from the
premedication, and a number of attempts to find a vein.
The surgeon was Mr Reidy, a Consultant plastic surgeon at
The Westminster Hospital, and who I anaesthetised for many
years later in 1971 when I was an SHO at Westminster. It
was a very good result as the photographs before (photo 9)
and after (photo 14), show. I believe they now do it under
local anaesthetic, except in children who still have a
general anaesthetic.
When I was in the senior year at St Mary's primary school
(on the badge it reads "Conemur" which is Latin for "Let us
try"), my form mistress was Mrs Andrews who lived opposite
us in Court Way. My school reports invariably said "lacks
confidence", and I remember a school visit to Twickenham
Baths and the headmistress Miss Ashton being amazed when I
jumped off the top board several times. She later got me
in her office shortly after our mock 11 plus and asked me
who the top boy in our year was. "David Brown of course" I
said. "Well do you know that he only got 1 more mark than
you in the mocks", she replied.
The photo of class 1 at St Mary’s primary school in the
summer of 1955 shows back row right to left, Mrs Andrews,
Anne Butcher, Ian Carey, Valerie Gray, myself, Frances
Archer, Jacqueline Woolard, Susan Trickle, Angela
Blythman, Margaret Phillips, middle row right to left,
Jimmy Panormo, Richard Hammond, Joan Ford, Caroline Bunn,
Pauline Watkinson, Judith Nicholson, Kay Harle, David
Brown, Michael Sacree, and front row right to left Anne
Glazebrook, German girl, Maureen Bowles, Sandra Croll,
Margaret Beauthorpe, Pamela Hitchinson and Mariann Potter.
Another friend I had at St Mary,s was Christopher Harper,
who was at the school for maybe a year and a half in
probably 1954 and some of 1953 and or 1955. His mother ran
the greengrocers shop at the corner and his father a shop
in Balham.
At St Marys I wanted to become a doctor.
This is the dissertation I wrote verbatim:
"The major influencing
factor in my choice of medicine as a probable career is my
interest in the profession. I believe that without
interest one cannot progress adequately. Since my early
childhood the doctoring profession has attracted me and I
have always sought to further my knowledge in this sphere
pleasurably. My interest in the arts subjects has always
been limited and I regard them as detrimental to human
progress, however I do think that many scientific careers
nowadays are striving towards the manufacture of weapons
for destructive purposes, whereas medicine strives to make
good of destruction. Also I believe that good health is
the most important possession of an individual, without
which his happiness cannot be complete, therefore if I can
do my best to promote general health I will feel I have
succeeded".
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I think I wrote this in 1955 at the end of my
time at St Mary’s, although it is possible it was later.
I also wrote some reminisces of my years at St Marys in
1963. I talk of “the fun Michael and I had in the council
yard, the old blacksmith, Mr Allen, Mr Grumpy in the
field, the walk along the old path to the railway line
alongside the greenhouses, looking for matchbox labels,
running up the steps to the ghost room etc. I remember
David Brown who was always the leader and who I hated
because he always used to sneer at me. I remember not
being very good at sport in my early years. Dad helped me
a lot for my 11 plus. Miss Ashton always said I lacked
self confidence. I recall train spotting, trips to
Chessington zoo, The Exiles Club, and Twickenham swimming
baths. I much enjoyed going to Worksop and looked forwards
to John coming for the school holidays”.
Other little incidents I have written about “playing
doodles with Michael at St Marys, walking through Bushey
Park with Mum and Dad, conker hunting especially at Cole
Court when Michael and I were were caught and made to dump
all our conkers, holidays at Bognor Regis, the holiday in
Swanage when I was so bad tempered though I can’t remember
why, walking over Reigate Hill with Uncle Jim, Mum telling
me that granny had died, riding to the Toad’s mouth with
Uncle Billy in the Austin 7, getting lost at Uncle
Earnest’s old garden in Sheffield, being told by Stephen
Allsop that I was his best friend, the fights with Colin
Ross, playing cricket with Michael behind the garages, the
excitement before fireworks day and the thrill of sorting
through my fireworks over and over again, the apprehension
when I was competing at Twickenham rugby ground in the
crawling race, when I was locked in David Trelease’s shed,
the annual party at Meadowbank etc etc”.
Probably in early 1955 or maybe 1954 John and I went to visit
Old Oak Common railway sheds near Feltham. We found ourselves
on the wrong side of the railway tracks of which there were
about 5 as I remember. John insisted on crossing. Despite very
severe reservations I eventually acquiesced and waiting for a
clear moment and carefully stepping over the live rails we both
safely got across.
I remembered this after 60 years when Robert reminded me - John.
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100
Written by me on March 11th probably 1954,
though may have been 1955. It was marked by
our form master or mistress.
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10
Michael Sacree, RJP, John Palmer
Twickenham Baths, 1954 Dad gave us
10 shillings when we swam our first width
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42z Uncle Wilf dies 1944.
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44z Gold Award 1962
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45z "Bloody Squash" 1974
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15
Award of Purple from University ofLondon Union
return
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16
Selection for British Universities
return
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Conceived, written and copyright © 2014, Robert PALMER,
 All Rights Reserved.
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Compiled, formatted, hyperlinked, and hand-coded
2014 by John PALMER,
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