LAWS FAMILY REGISTER 6 Apr Number 477

Welcome to the Laws Family Register. 

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A Child of the Twenties

A suburban childhood of the Twenties 

seen from the Ninteen Nineties


by John Robert Laws 1921-2008

Part 14.

SPORT

The large playing field had room for several football and hockey pitches or for cricket in summer as well as grass tennis courts. Sport was encouraged and every Saturday morning there were a big turnout of teams to compete with other schools. I was no good at football and played in the fifth eleven which regularly lost by astronomical scores. Cricket was a little better and I reached the second eleven without any great success.

The one sport that interested me was swimming. Having learnt to swim at elementary school, I continued to enjoy it and as the years went by more and more public pools opened up. The first one I used was the old indoor pool at Wood Green. I do not know when this one was opened buy my mum & dad had used it before my time. I first used it before I could swim properly and I was so small that the water in the shallow end came up to my chin. Being an indoor pool it was heated. The only other indoor heated pool I came across was somewhere in Tottenham, where I went and swam in a inter school gala, the details of which escape me. The first of the ‘new’ open air pools was the Hornsey pool situated between Crouch end and ‘Ally Pally’. It was fine in the summer sunshine and Harry and I used it a few times before we moved away from Wightman Road. After that we cycled out at weekends to the new pool at Enfield which was more spacious, after swimming we cycled back more slowly with protesting muscles.

Having moved to Southgate, most of my swimming was done in the open air pool at Barrowell Green. This was an old pool and a little cramped but I spent many happy hours there (instead of doing my homework). The pool was supposed to get a bit of heat from the dust destructor furnace next door but this must have been minimal as the temperature in the early part of the season was often 60-61F, All our school swimming was at this pool and we could get cheap tickets at school (one old penny) for use out of school hours. Unless it was raining, when you could have the pool almost to yourself, there was always a crowd of school friends there, sunning, swimming, fooling and flirting. It was a sign of the changing times in the thirties that while this old pool had no car park, just a cramped bicycle area, the new pool at Enfield had a large car park. The latest pool completed in my schooldays was at New Southgate in Durnsford Road. This was the only one I knew with full height high diving boards. This kept the pool noticeably colder than the others and it did not become popular except in very hot weather.         

To be continued tomorrow

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Family Events from our database for today April 6

1783 - Christen: Charles LAWS-8146, Norwich NFK UK

1788 - Marriage: George LAWS-117075 and Thomasin WHEATLEY-117009, Newcastle                upon Tyne NBL UK

1842 - Birth: George LAWS- (Carman/Coachman Domestic) 4308, Burston, Diss NFK UK
1867 - Marriage: Thomas LAWS (Coal Miner) -4254 and Jane Ann WINTER-4255,                          Easington DUR UK (Reg Off)
1869 - Burial: James LAWS-115071, Southwark SRY UK

1874 - Marriage: John HALL (Gunner in Royal Marines Artillery) -8624 and Harriett Augusta LAWS (Servant) -51691, Portsea HAM UK

1874 - Marriage: William REVILL (Carpenter) -50722 and Elizabeth LAWS-50723, Bungay              SFK UK

1879 - Marriage: Henry DOWLES (Widower) -57769 and Harriet LAWS-57770, Finchley                  MDX UK
1882 - Death: Ethel Maud LAWES-47859, Goulburn NSW AUSTRALIA
1885 - Marriage: William J LAWS-48503 and Louisa HERTZEL-48504, Crown Point, 
           Lake Co IN USA
1885 - Birth: William Reuben LAWS-49146, 
1888 - Burial: Dorethy Ann LAWS-118338, Wingate DUR UK
1892 - Burial: Elsie Barbara LAWS-42845, Shillingstone DOR UK
1897 - Marriage: Mansfield Gibson LAWS (Farmers Son) -6195 and Edna PECK-31788,                  Ladner, New Westminster BC CANADA
1898 - Birth: Charles Henry LAWS (Jnr) -48468, 
1902 - Birth: Reginald Garrard LAWS (Australian Army) -32361, Blackheath  NSW                          AUSTRALIA
1905 - Birth: Fannye LAWS-42443, 
1910 - Birth: Nelda LAWS-53190, Colonia Diaz, Chihuahua, Mexico
1913 - Birth: Gertrude Jean LAWS-31834, NZ
1920 - Marriage: James STENNING (Electrician) -44043 and Mary Jane LAWS -5894,                    Reigate SRY UK
1920 - Birth: Roy Bunnett LAWS-37533, Sheffield WRY UK
1921 - Residence: Kathleen LAWS-36885, Kenley SRY UK
1921 - Marriage: William BAKER (Motor Driver) -122940 and Kathleen LAWS-36885,                      Kenley SRY UK
1921 - Admon: Charles Thomas LAWS-5475, 
1927 - Death: Demetrius Ypsilanti LAWS-48451, Syracuse NY USA
1932 - Death: Emma Jane LAWS-45313, Los Angeles CA USA
1940 - Marriage: Ernest Lindsey LAWS (Tobacco Grower) -3494 and Ivy May WRIGHT-
1940 - Birth: Brian LAWS-121263, 
1940 - Miscellaneous: Leslie LAWS (Jam Manufacturer)-117393, 
1940 - Will Proved: George Stephenson LAWS (Grocer / Managing Director Fruit Preserve              Company) -4521, 
1943 - Birth: Barrie Charles LAWS-3447, 
1945 - Birth: William Arthur LAWS (Jnr) -40186, Brazos Co TX USA
1950 - Arrival: Sheila Beatrix LAWS-124709, Plymouth DEV UK
1950 - Arrival: Neville John E LAWS-119694, Plymouth DEV UK
1950 - Arrival: Sydney Gale LAWS-115562, Plymouth DEV UK
1950 - Arrival: Sydney Gibson LAWS Civil Servant & Radiographer) -116210, Plymouth                  DEV UK
1951 - Death: Oscar Columbus LAWS-9073, Emporia, Lyon KS USA
1954 - Death: Eliza Ann LAWS-8469, Whitehaven CUL UK
1969 - Birth: Wendy Ann LAWS-40513, TX USA
1975 - Birth: Christopher Dewyatt LAWS-40588, TX USA
1977 - Birth: Kathy June LAWS-40622, TX USA
1981 - Birth: Brandi Kaye LAWS-40680, Gregg TX USA
1983 - Birth: Tasha Mae LAWS-40709, TX USA

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