The Beresford-Webbs and some friends re-united
Fr Charles Howarth, Fred ‘Moomin’ McAndrew and Fr Denis Green were all well-remembered by Hugh Beresford-Webb
One of the earliest names I encountered during my research into St Mary’s College was that of Beresford-Webb.
The Beresford-Webbs lived at 10 Hadlow Road, Sidcup from before the second world war until the mid-1960s.
There were seven children in this well-known family including two lads who went to St Mary’s College. John, who started in 1941, was a keen cricketer. He left St Mary’s just after the war and eventually followed his close friend Peter Don – another St Mary’s boy – to Rhodesia to manage tobacco farms.
Meanwhile, another Beresford-Webb boy, Christopher, started at St Mary’s in 1948. He was a keen sprinter who left the college in 1954.
The family were recalled by old boys Chris Harris (1948) and David Barker and Peter Wilkes (1951) who were among my very first interviewees in 2019 as research for the book began.
I also discovered a younger brother, Hugh, born in 1940 who would have gone to St Mary’s but for an administrative quirk which prevented it and he ended up at St Joseph’s Academy in Blackheath.
I contacted Hugh during my research and after purchasing ‘We Did Our Homework On The Bus,’ Hugh got back in touch to say:
“Over the last six months I have dipped into your book from time to time, always finding more things of interest. It deals with so many people I have known that I might have been there.
“For the last ten years at Hadlow Road, with five of my siblings having left home, my mother took in a number of lodgers. A photograph on page 31 of your book shows Fred McAndrew. I had forgotten about him but he was one of our lodgers and I knew him well.
“My father died in December 1947 and my mother, being a devout Catholic, had a huge amount of support from many of the priests. For a few years, Fr Denis Green and Fr Charles Howarth were regular visitors to our house.
“When Fr Green went to Downing College, Cambridge, my mother and I went to visit him. I loved Cambridge from that time but unfortunately did not do well enough to be offered a place.
“Fr Howarth became a regular visitor after Fr Green. We had a piano and he loved to play it whenever he had free time. He also arranged for me to have a week’s holiday at his mother’s home in Fleetwood, which enabled me to get to know Blackpool.
“As I mentioned before, I did not go to St Mary’s because of some strange bureaucracy. My class at St Joseph’s Convent School in Sidcup had boys all born in 1939, apart from me who was born in 1940. They would not let me take the eleven plus even though I was one of the brighter members of the class. I ended up at a new school, Shortlands House School, where I became their first boy to pass the 11 plus. This year missed did me no favours, not least because I became separated from all my friends at St Joseph’s Convent, most of whom went to St Marys
“One of those friends was ‘Big Gom’ ie Tony Gomez who I see from the book sadly died at 60yrs. I did not know his brother, Steve, but would like to meet him if he was interested.
“My connection with St Lawrence’s Church meant that I went to their youth club in Hatherley Road where I used to attend dances. Dick Moger appears on page 19 and I recall his love of ballroom dancing. It would be good to meet up with him also.
One close friend I had was Vincent Saunders, the son of an Irish couple. I was often at his home as we shared a love of football and cricket. I lost contact with him after going to St Joseph’s Academy. I did not see any mention of him in the book and wonder what happened to him.
There was only one thing for it. I had to put Hugh back in touch with his old mates. Watch this space.