Diss Family History Group

I was born in a cottage in Tavern Lane, off Victoria Road. My mother and father were Mabel Doris Garland and Charles William Thorndyke who married in 1934 at Oakley Church and went to live with grandfather John Thorndyke. I was the firstborn grandchild so was spoilt from the start.

When I was one year old we moved to 93 Victoria Road, a large house with lounge, dining room, three bedrooms, box room, kitchen with a copper and a range for cooking. At first there was gas lighting and mother had a gas cooker fitted. We had a flush toilet in the yard and also a shed. Life was not bad. Before WW2 we had some electric lights and 15 amp plugs in the downstairs rooms and kitchen; this was better all round.

[1939 National Registration: 93 Victoria Road, Diss. Residents: Charles W Thorndyke (b. 16 Oct 1908, baker and confectioner), Mabel D Thorndyke (b. ?? Sept ????, unpaid domestic duties), officially closed record (presumably Bernard), John A Thorndyke (b. 11 May 1939, under school age), John Thorndyke (22 Nov 1866, widower, farm labourer).]

In 1939 my brother John was born. It was nice to have a brother but later we used to fight and argue as we grew up into our teens. Before the war I had an Aunt Lily, who used to come and stay with us and bring me toys; clockwork train, clockwork aeroplane with folding wings, and many others.

During the war my mother, brother and I went by train to Dovercourt near Harwich to stay with Aunt Lily for a week. Being wartime there were barrage balloons and guns everywhere and the sirens used to sound. I can’t remember what we used to do or go into the shelters. The river was full of ships and there was a seaplane base at Felixstowe, the other side of the river. I had another aunt who lived there but that is another story.

I started my schooldays during the war years, in September 1941, aged five years old. My mother took me to school for the first two weeks and then I was walking to school by myself. There was not much traffic on the roads as the Yanks had not arrived. There were still horse and carts and some army lorries, but few cars. In those days we played ball in the road. Victoria Road was smooth and fleet with wide paths each side with telegraph and electric poles on south side. All the lanes were there in those days, Vinces, Station Road, Tavern Lane, Maltings Lane, Waveney Lane, Rose Lane, and Mission Road. Many of the houses there today not built then. There were two farms on the road, Champneys and the Court. Several industries, foundry, farm machinery works, clothing factory, maltings and several shops were at the top end. There were four pubs in length of road.

I cannot remember much about when I was in the infant class but one of my teachers was Miss Ling, who lived to a very old age after retiring. This was war time and there were not many men teachers, only ones who were too old to serve in the forces.

At school I got on well with the work and had a good schooling which was at the Diss Council School in the causeway between Victoria Road and Chapel Street. Infants first then junior, finishing top classes where my teachers were Mr Mason and headmaster Mr Mowle. Sometimes a retired master Mr Cushing would come to teach us art and crafts plus local history.

In the top classes I did well, passed exams to go to grammar school but did not go but went there for woodwork and later to work in gym and PT with Mr Right. I did well each year, exams in middle of year, at Xmas I always got a prize for good progress which was a book. I was not much good at sport but I liked cross country running at which I did well. We ran from grammar school to north of Diss Heywood and Burston road and fields. In class I sometimes finished my work early and the teacher asked me to help others who were a bit slow to learn.

When I was about 15 I changed schools and went to a school where we joined girls in class. It was in huts on Rectory Meadow. There were three of them, A, B and C. I was in A with Mr Denny where I did well again, passed exams to go to Wymondham College and Norwich Tech but did not go as my parents could not pay the costs, but this did not stop me in life. I left school with Grade 6 Grammar School ratings.

When I was growing up I enjoyed life. Although there was a war on I was free to do many things children cannot do today. I went where I wished without any harm, climbing trees, making a bow and arrows, having a catapult and generally doing as I wished. I had a good home, bed, three meals a day and clothing – what more could I want.