DENTON ROVERS FOOTBALL

The man standing on the far left hand side could be my grandfather Ernest James Howard. He is standing on the same side in other photo's on Our Newhaven with Newhaven and Piddinghoe football clubs. I wonder if the reason my parents moved to Denton in 1956 was because he had links there. I guess it will remain a mystery.

The left hand side of the semi detached house in the background in Denton Rise was lived in by the Walser family. The father Oscar had a plumbing business in partnership with a Mr Turner, the firm being called Walser and Turner, they had premises behind the Bridge Hotel. Their son Steven and I were friends for years, both ending up as apprentice carpenters at Bannisters Builders in Newhaven.

The man in the middle row 2nd from right looks like it may have been the old Newhaven school teacher, Jabby Burt. He not only taught me, but also taught my father. Terry, when you started your apprenticeship, I was a year into mine as a plumber with Oxley & Bennett and remember Walser & Turner very well. At that time in the early 60s, there was some very unruly electricians about who would think nothing of giving you a electric shock with an old wind up megger!!!. All my apprentice papers and C & G certificates are with the Newhaven Museum along with all my lead working tools.

Still have dad's old Megger Colin, not sure if it still works ..perhaps when you are this way we could test it.

John -- Editor

That's right Colin. they were always coming into the joiners shop for back boards for meters. I remember one of them throwing themselves out of a loft hatch when they couldn't let go of a live wire. Also presenting me with one half of a door lining I had fixed to a stud wall that their cable had been run behind. Must have been before safe zones were thought of. Plumbers were the same always putting pipework where I needed to put a nail.

I am pretty sure JAB Burt was still at Hillcrest school when I was there. Or perhaps he was at the old school in Dacre Road. My grandson had to go to the new building being constructed on the old school site, he said he thought it was a new Co-Op is that right? Will have to come over for a look sometime. Is the Museum open yet?

Terry, plumbers wouldn't do that to you, would they?. Especialy the likes of Terry Hollands and Spaz Purcel, not forgetting the gentleman plumber, Bernie Rugg.                                                                       John, I find your words "quite shocking". I'll stick to Mary's fruit cake.    If I have made anymore spelling mistakes, it is because that old megger scrambled my brain. Regards to you all.

A piece of Mary's fruit cake is still available and waiting for you Colin !

I have said before Terry Hollands ( Olly ) got me into so much trouble when I was an apprentice. Crashing his van when I should not have been driving it was one time. He was a dead shot with a putty gun, you will know what I mean. Bernard Rugg was a close friend of my dad and was putting central heating into our house in Denton when the news came out that JFK had been shot in 1963. They were great times though every work day was an adventure.