JRGS John Carter Memories
JRGS Alumni Society

John Carter's Memories
John Ruskin Alumnus 1956-
63

JRGS Alumni Society

 

Since leaving John Ruskin in the early Sixties, I tried out a variety of jobs, starting with the meat market at Smithfield, and then moved on quickly to a building associates company, Hall & Co. in Croydon and then Battersea. Neither of these was really suitable; career guidance was not high on the aims of John Ruskin, unless you wanted to go into insurance, banking or the armed forces!
   Through college (Croydon Tech.) I heard of a job with Croydon Council in the Borough Engineer’s Department. I was lucky enough to be offered a job as trainee building inspector, where Cliff Cummins (also ex-John Ruskin) was already working. The council continued to support attendance at Croydon College for day release to study for the appropriate qualifications. This took several years of hard study, but I persevered and rose through the ranks.

   I am still working for Croydon Council. The job title has changed to Building Control Surveyor, and the legislation continues to grow and became more complex almost weekly. I now cover the south end of the borough – Purley, Woodcote and Coulsdon – where I have a mix of properties from the very smart multi-mullion pound mansions to suburban semis and some light-industrial properties.
   I have just completed 37 years; can’t believe I’ve been there so long! At the moment, I’m trying to retire early. I can go with a pension, but only with the agreement of the Assistant Director. At the moment I’m “too valuable” and cannot be released, since there is a shortage of qualified and experienced people. So it looks as if I may have to stagger on for another three year to 60!
   My wife, Jan, and I live in Limpsfield, a small village near Oxted, about 12 miles south of Croydon. I married Jan in 1964. She is a Home Economist and worked for British Gas for nearly 30 years until redundancy and a pension was offered. She now works as a seasonal employee for the National Trust at Chartwell, the home of Sir Winston Churchill near Westerham.
   We have no children, but enjoy lots of holidays and weekends away. My brother has a narrow boat and we enjoy canal holidays with a slow pace of life and frequent pubs, lots of interesting industrial archaeology and wildlife. I am also very interested in railways, especially steam trains; who knows – if I could get retirement I could drive for the Bluebell Railway.
   Cliff lives about two miles away, and I see him from time to time. He is now retired, also from Croydon Council. He has always been interested on old cars and now is the proud owner of an old Rolls Royce.
   John Ruskin was closed about nine years ago [1993], and we all gathered there for an evening of nostalgia … plus removing small souvenirs to remind us of the many years spent there. The site was sold for new housing, and the school demolished. In its place now are some very smart detached homes clustered around the old Windmill, retained due to a preservation order. The Windmill is managed by a trust and, once a month in the summer, is open to visitors. We visited a few years ago and went around all floors; I harked back to school days! Incidentally, the name John Ruskin has been transferred to a school in Selsdon, previously John Newnham, and it re-opened as a sixth-form college.

Croydon continues to change and evolve, with currently four major redevelopments either planned or underway. It has certainly changed since our days at John Ruskin in the Sixties!

John Carter; Limpsfield, Surrey, February 2002

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