Growing up in Station Road Carshalton 1945-79

Growing up in Station Road, Carshalton 1945-75

Christopher Knell wrote.....

Local gathering 1953 Coronation celebrations in Station Road, I am just off the picture bottom right. There was quite a lot of enthusiasm from all youngsters, with high expectations that the Queen would arrive in a horse drawn carriage to join the Party. Whilst growing up spent many occasions with a number of friends in the photograph; roller skating; box carting; Pictures at Wallington Odeon & Granada Sutton and play in the local Grove Park; Carshalton Park and Beddington Park.

I moved from Beckenham, Kent in 1949 and grew up in Station Road Carshalton from 1949 to 1969.

I attended Carshalton West Secondary Modern Boys School 1958 – 1963 (CWSMB). The school building hosted two separate schools; with boys occupying the ground floor and girls occupying the top floor. Boys and Girls were kept entirely separate with; Boys play ground nearest to the Park; Girls play ground located behind the school adjacent to the school’s fields.

Sadly, the Boys school section closed in summer 1963 (my last school year) and moved to what is now known as Carshalton Boys Sport College, as part of the new Government comprehensive school transformation system. Afterwards, Carshalton West became an all-girls school known now as Carshalton Girls High School.

Whilst at Secondary School my sporting interest was in athletics, I became school athletics captain, one mile school and district champion four years in succession. Together with a group of fellow pupils, regular training occurred during Winter months within the adjoining recreational park. In summer months training was undertaken on the school athletics grass track. My mentor was Ernest Brewer (Geography and PE master) who trained me.

He was a former Discus Champion and competed in the 1948 Olympic Games. He introduced me to Mitcham Athletic Club when it was located at the News of World Sports Ground in 1959. In 1962 I was Surrey County Mile at Motspur Park and cross-country champion and competed at National standard.

1962 Winning Surrey County Mile

Ernest Brewer competing in 1948 Olympics

1963 Winter Snow & Ice - Southern Cross Country; Hampstead Heath London

14 year-old schoolboy Chris Knell coached by Carshalton West Secondary School teacher and former Olympic Discus Thrower Ernest (Jack) Brewer and Tom Mitchell (Mitcham Athletic) representing Carshalton District schools winning the 1962 Surrey Schools Junior mile Championships at Motspur Park.
Knell lead the race from start to finish and recorded a finishing time of 4mins 32.5secs. Knells’ previous best mile performance was achieved at the Inter County Club Championships also at Motspur Park where he recorded a time of 4mins 28.8sec.
Knell and runner-up John Rix represented Surrey in the All English Schools 1962 Championships at Chelmsford. Knell reached the finals, setting the pace he led the race from start to home straight, but was beaten into 4th during the run-up to the tape.
Winner Kenneth Bartlett won in a new record time of 4mins 25.5sec. Knells’ time was 4min 27.5 sec which also beat the former English Schoolboy junior mile record.

Carshalton & Wallington Advertiser c. July/August 1962 - Bill McGee, Sports Editor

After leaving school, during 1963 I enrolled in evening classes at Carshalton Technical College to study Electrical Engineering. After completing the course, I started at Wimbledon Technical college to complete my final Diploma. I met my lovely wife in August 1968 at the Purley Orchid, great times.

We married in 1970 at Sutton Registry Office, and a few of my wife’s work colleagues attended. At the time we were living at the Dean Hotel in Sutton, waiting for our new property to be completed.

We both worked in Sutton; my wife Paula was a PA Secretary at London Life Insurance and I worked for New Switchgear Construction Company in Cedar / Wellesley Road.

Finally, we moved into our newly constructed development, our first property in Sycamore Close Carshalton, we were very happy together
In 1975 we moved from Surrey to West Sussex and settled down and had six children.