Recollections of the Westborough class of 1950

Robert Keyworth writes from Australia with an appeal to his old classmates.

Born at the Howard House Nursing Home in Maidstone, as a child, Mr Keyworth lived in Heath Grove in Barming Heath and went to Westborough County Primary School.

He recently unearthed a photograph of classmates from 1950.

He said: “It was a long time ago and I’m struggling to recall their names although Phillip Wratten, Anne Smith and Lynne Vie come to mind.

“The headmistress when I started was a Mrs Hoare.”

Mr Keyworth, now 76, said: “I enjoyed school as much as most eight-year-olds might. The year of the photo was possibly my last year at Westborough.

“My father was William Keyworth - though he was always known as Graham. He worked at the East Malling Research station on hop problems.

“He had an exchange arrangement with a research station in Connecticut, in the USA, and in 1951 we went overseas for a whole year.

“We then moved to Leamington Spa where I did my secondary schooling when Dad got a transfer to Wellesbourne Research Station in 1953.”

His mother, Doris, was a secretary and came originally from Wimbledon Park.

After studying at Leamington College Mr Keyworth got an engineering apprenticeship with Herbert Morris Ltd (Mechanical Handling Engineers) in Loughborough.

This was where he met Colette his future wife.

After they married in 1967 they emigrated to Australia arriving in April 1968.

They now live in Camden, which is about 50km south west of Sydney.

He is hoping some former classmates will get in touch and memories can be shared. He can be reached on email at randck@ bigpond.com Trevor Sidley would like to know if anyone can cast light on this photograph.

It was discovered by a friend of his in Teston when clearing out the house of his sister, who had passed away. It shows a Fremlins steam lorry delivering to the Teston Club, believed to be a “Sentinel” manufactured in Bedford. Mr Sidley, of Tonbridge Road, Teston, is a former secretary of the Teston Club and has researched the history of the club’s first 100 years. He says there is nothing about the lorry in the club’s archives.

Email Alan Smith on ajsmith@ thekmgroup.co.uk or call 01622 695666.