The Life and Times of Paul Chiddicks Part 1 – The School Years

Welcome to my story…………..

After endlessly encouraging my Family History friends to document their own stories—along with those of their ancestors—I figured it was finally time to take my own advice! It actually feels a bit strange, almost like writing my own obituary. But at least by doing it myself, I get to decide what goes in!

So here goes………..

I am the only child of Frank William George Chiddicks (Dad) and Winifred Alexandra Wootton (Mum). I was born on June 30, 1964, at St. Andrews Hospital in Billericay, Essex. Billericay wasn’t our usual hospital—Orsett Hospital was much closer—but due to complications, Mum needed an emergency caesarean and was rushed there, nearly losing her life during childbirth. At the time, we were living with my nan and grandad in Lenthall Avenue in Grays, Essex. That house became a significant part of my life, with my family having lived there for an incredible 85 years.

I was Baptised at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Parish Church in Grays on 4th October 1964, my Godparents were my Aunt, Ann Chiddicks (Dad’s Sister) and Mum and Dad’s best friends, Pauline and Jack, but for the life of me I just cannot remember their last name any longer.

(All taken at my Christening)

At the time Dad was a Welder, and his younger Brother Dave, was also a Welder. I’m not sure exactly all the places that Dad worked, but I do know that he worked at Christiani and Nielsen’s yard, in Rectory Road, Grays.

 I’m going to take a brief detour here—after all, it’s my story, so I think I’m allowed to! Since I’ve mentioned Christiani and Nielsen’s Engineering Yard, I should take a moment to tell you about the infamous ‘Payroll Robbery’ that took place in the 1960s. Christie’s was one of the largest employers in the area, making their weekly payroll a prime target for a heist.

You might be wondering why I’m bringing this up and where I’m going with this story. No, my family wasn’t involved in the raid! However, at the time, my grandad worked for various newspapers and also as a freelance journalist. So, when the robbery happened, my dad immediately called him. Nicknamed ‘News Hack,’ Grandad was the first on the scene, capturing photos that you can see below which ended up in multiple newspapers. In fact, you can even spot my dad in one of the pictures, wearing white overalls (without the hat).

So, back to the story…

I was born into a football-loving family, and not long after my arrival, England made it to the 1966 World Cup Final. According to family legend, during the match, I was crying so loudly that my poor Nan had to pace up and down the garden with me just to keep the peace—allowing the rest of the family to watch the game undisturbed!

Tragically, just over one year later, in August 1967, Dad was killed on a Motorbike, he was just 30 and I was just 3, the impact was and still is, immeasurable. Life would never be the same again. At the time we had moved to Lisle Place in Grays, just off Lenthall Avenue.

By the age of 5, I was old enough to venture out into the big world and I started my schooling at Quarry Hill Primary School. The original Quarry Hill School was on Brooke Road in Grays, I was there for a full year before the school moved to the other side of town and became a modern Primary and Junior School combined. The old School was knocked down to make way for the new Grays Police Station.

(Prize if you can spot which one is me?)

One of my earliest memories from this time is having a birthday party at my Nan’s house, and playing pass the parcel. Somehow, my mum accidentally knocked out the front tooth of one of my friends, Paul McCarthy. I have no idea how it happened, but he never let me forget it.

Back then, we still had the charm of the ‘outside toilet,’ and just the thought of braving it on a freezing winter’s night still gives me chills. You can just see the door to the outside toilet on the right in the picture below. I can remember one particularly cold night when the toilet was frozen solid! Central heating was a luxury we didn’t have, so we’d wait for Grandad to get the fire going, which was the only heat source in the whole house. Winter nights often meant getting dressed up in a bobble hat, scarf, and gloves in bed to keep warm! It wasn’t unusual to wake up after a snowfall to find a layer of snow on the inside of the window! And then there was the ‘tin bath,’ which we would enjoy in front of the fire. My kids think I’m joking when I tell them I had a tin bath in front of a roaring coal fire as a child!

Talking about coal just brought back another memory—the “coal chute” was actually a cupboard right in the kitchen. When the coalman came to deliver, the whole room would vanish in a cloud of black coal dust! I can still hear Nan coughing and spluttering and after he had gone everywhere had a thick layer of black dust on it. Back then, everyone knew everyone—our coalman was Geoff, though I can’t recall his last name. And believe it or not, coal was still delivered by horse and cart, yes I really am that old!

An integral part of the Chiddicks family’s life was the annual holiday to Butlins Holiday Camp in Clacton. It became a family tradition, with multiple generations of the family coming together, including numerous cousins, aunts, and uncles. We had so many happy memories there. 

My Nan and Aunt would take me everywhere and shower me with love. I wanted for nothing.  We went on many trips to London to see the sights and spent countless days at the seaside in Southend with my cousin Lisa. Back then, we were inseparable—born only a few months apart—growing up more like siblings than cousins. For me, being an only child, it was a valuable experience that taught me important social skills I might have missed out on if we hadn’t spent so much time together.

Around this time, we had moved out of my Nan’s house and into a brand new “Council Flat” with a view of the Thames, near Grays Beach. The walk to school felt long, or at least it did for an 8 or 9-year-old. According to Google Maps, it was 0.9 miles, which is a decent distance. Every day, a group of us walked together, including my close friend Tracy Bridger. Our families had been lifelong friends, with our grandparents having been neighbours for over 50 years.

We’d always stop at Beasley’s sweet shop both on the way to school and on the way back. I can still remember the smell of the sweets, a sweet, almost sickly smell,  that smelt like heaven to a kid. Next door was Mumford’s Chippy, where Ron Mumford would greet the kids with a friendly smile every morning before heading off to Billingsgate market to get fresh fish.

Speaking of Fish and Chips, Thursday nights were always Cubs and Scouts nights. A group of us would walk there and back on our own— you could in those days! Just in case, we were each given 2p ‘Emergency Money’ to make a phone call if we ever needed to. At the time, it only cost 2p to use a phone box. I wonder if kids today even know what an old phone box looks like! So, what did we do with our 2p ‘Emergency Money’? Right after Cubs or Scouts, we headed straight to Mumford’s Chippy for a 2p pickled onion, which we’d suck the vinegar out of on the way home while crunching through it. We never really thought about what we’d do if an actual emergency came up!

Another big treat after school was a visit to the local library. It was such a special thing; we were always encouraged to read and make the most of the library from a young age. On a side note, bringing things up to date, I genuinely worry about the future of libraries in today’s world. With local authorities slashing budgets, those “softer” services are always at risk. So, please make sure to encourage your little ones to visit their local library (and that’s my speech over!). The trips to the library, with its quiet atmosphere and the musty smell of old books, have stayed with me. Perhaps that’s where my love for books and history began? Who knows? I can still clearly recall the sound of the books being stamped— that satisfying click. And heaven help you if you returned the books late and had to pay a fine!

I remember teachers like Mr. Bailey, Mr. Morris, and Miss Markham. As a kid, I enjoyed school, but sports, especially football, were my real passion. One of my proudest moments was when the school football team won the league, and I was one of just two players chosen to represent the league in a match at our local amateur team, Grays Athletic’s ground. Many years later, I had the honour of playing for them myself.

(The Champions of 1974-1975)

Our Club Captain, in the centre with the ball, actually went on to represent the England ‘C’ Team at International level!

One of the things that I remember from living in the flat was the big open field across the road, that led to the beach. I can clearly remember pestering Mum to come out and play Football with me, Mum was always so generous with her love and time and she of course came out to play Football with me, but she managed to turn her ankle on the grass and we ended up in Accident and Emergency, with Mum in a wheelchair with a broken ankle and me feeling a little sheepish and guilty!

To earn extra pocket money, I had a ‘Milk Round’, helping our local Milkman doing his daily deliveries, which living in a block of flats was easy, or maybe not, in my case! I used to go up and down in the lift, stopping at each floor and jamming the milk crate in the lift door and running out and quickly making my deliveries on each floor as we went down, until this one day. I did the usual thing, jammed the door open, but I must have not quite got the crate in the right place, when I ran back to the lift, it was too late, the door had closed and the crate of milk went sailing up to the top floor! I spent the next half an hour chasing a milk crate up and down in a lift!

It was around this time that I caught the ‘Subbuteo’ bug! For those of you reading this from around the world, ‘Subbuteo’ was a very popular table football game that was in its prime in the 1970s, with sets and kits becoming collector’s items. I can remember having leagues set up with my friends and going around each other’s houses to play. It was the equivalent of “FIFA” that the current play station generation are hooked on today, it was that popular. I am going to drift off now, for a trip down the High Street in Grays, where I grew up, I remember the two Toy Shops even today, Gardeners and Lilliputs, my nose pressed hard against the glass, looking longingly at the latest collections of toys, well primarily either Lego or Subbuteo. Saturday’s would always revolve around walking into Town and staring in the shop windows, followed by a trip to ‘Woolies” (Woolworths) for some pick and mix. I distinctly remember the wooden parquet flooring and the noise it made when you walked up and down. The High Street was always ‘heaving’ on a Saturday and the big market was always packed full of people and the smell of fresh fruit, veg, meats and fish could be smelt all the way down the road.

We lived in the flat until I was around 11 or 12 and then we were lucky enough to get a transfer to a three-bedroom Council House. Would anyone like to guess where? Yes, of course, I was back in Lenthall Avenue! Within walking distance of our house were both sets of grandparents, my aunt, and three great-aunts and uncles, all within a quarter of a mile from home. Would that happen today, probably not?

Life was definitely simpler back then, with fewer expectations and pressures compared to today. Sure, there were challenges in their own way, but it feels like people had more time and seemed a lot happier. Or maybe I’m just picking out the “good times” from my memories?

I remember the ‘Clock’ shops, literally a few hundred yards from home, there was a Butchers, Greengrocers, a Co-op, Off-license, Newsagents and Post Office and my favourite shop, Taylor’s the Ironmongers. Visualise ‘open all hours’ and the smell of paraffin and that’s Taylor’s. It always looked like a bit of a mess inside, but no matter what you asked for, Mrs Taylor would just reach around open a drawer and find what you were looking for. That smell of paraffin I still love today, calling in with Grandad to fill his lamps up, was a little treat! Grandad biked everywhere, what still amazes me today is that he spent his entire working life living within a bike ride of the family home!

I had lots of friends from school, all my friends from the beach end of town and now all my new friends from the opposite end of town. Summer holidays were so much fun, we would be out at first light and not back until it was dark, so many adventures were had because we backed onto the old chalk pits and quarries, a legacy to the Cement Industry from the early part of the century. This area was later developed into a large housing estate called Chafford Hundred and The lakeside Shopping Centre.

To a group of young boys, the pits, quarries, and WW2 gun emplacements were like an Aladdin’s Cave, full of adventure and waiting to be explored. It was all excitement and fun. Looking back as a parent now, I can see just how dangerous those places were to play in, and how hard it must have been for parents to let their children play there. But it was a different time then, and perhaps we didn’t see the risks as clearly as we do today.

(WW2 Gun Emplacements)

We fished, we caught Adders, yes we actually intentionally trapped them, we caught newts and tadpoles, we built ‘dens’, we played games such as ‘Runouts’, ‘Kick the Can’, ‘Knock up Ginger’, amongst many many others, all innocent fun.

It was around this age that I first became obsessed with Lego, my Grandad even built me my own wooden storage box, which you see in the picture, which I still have today. Lego has been one of those constants that we all have in our lives, whatever our hobbies and interests are, some things stay with us throughout life. My own children grew up with the wonders of Lego and the next generation of Grandchildren will be encouraged to do the same.

I have always loved comics and annuals, and a massive part of Christmas for me was receiving ‘The Annual’, this was also carried on with my own children. It’s something that I don’t mention very often, but I have a growing collection of annuals at home and with those and the Lego and the Family History, I’m rapidly running out of space.

Some of my favourites were The Beano, Dennis The Menace and Dandy, but the absolute all-time favourite and one of my heroes was, ‘Roy of The Rovers’, an absolute legend, I spent hours and hours kicking a ball against the wall dreaming of playing for Melchester Rovers! I even had the opportunity to interview the legend that is Roy Race as an adult, what an absolute privilege that was. It’s not often you get the chance to meet your hero!

Do You Ever Get The Chance to Meet Your Hero

Next came “Big School,” and luckily for me, my local high school, Grays Comprehensive, was just around the corner. I don’t remember there being much fuss about my first day or the big transition to “Big School.” Maybe there was, and I just don’t recall it, or perhaps it’s something we make a bigger deal out of these days. I wouldn’t say I hated school, but I wouldn’t say I loved it either—I just “went.” What really mattered to me was getting outside and playing with my friends. Football was and still is a huge part of my life.

I was never with the ‘cool kids’ at School, but I had lots of friends, both at school and where I lived and because we never had the trappings of living in the ‘console’ world of today, we had to make our own entertainment. We probably sailed close to the wind a few times and got into a few scrapes along the way, but it was innocent fun. You couldn’t risk getting caught by anyone because everyone knew where you lived! I will tell you one thing that we did get up to………….the off-license that I mentioned above, at the clock shops, gave you a 2p refund if you returned your glass fizzy drinks bottles, so what we would do, is climb over the wall, grab a few and take them back round to the front of the shop for the money! It was an early form of recycling! Perhaps not such innocent fun after all!

A few years ago we decided to downsize and move house. Whilst we were going through that process, the kids stumbled across my old school reports in a box, which they found hilarious. They all had a common theme running through them “Could achieve so much more if he could just be quiet and concentrate”. I was never going to be a scholar and despite my love of Football, I was never destined to make the grade as a Footballer either. 

We always had pets at home, cats and dogs, the bonds you form as children with animals also stay with you throughout life and they teach you the importance of caring and looking after others, which is why we still always have a house full of animals! I remember the dogs called Kipper Tommy, Robbie and Sham, the cats called Candy, Sue, Pepsi, Harry, Alfie, Betty and Beaky, plus Rabbits, Hamsters and Fish!

I don’t remember there being as much emphasis on a ‘Career’ during my schooling, you either went to work when you left school or you went to college. I was never ‘driven’ enough, or pushed enough to achieve an awful lot at school.

I will end Part 1 of my own story here as I approach the end of school, which is a good point to stop and will continue next time, with my early work years.

I hope that you enjoyed my ramblings, I know that many of the places and names will mean absolutely nothing to most of you, but at least my children and grandchildren will have some idea of what my early years were like. More importantly, have I inspired you to write your own story, if so I would love to hear from you!

Stay tuned for Part 2!

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