Another stroll down Memory Lane

Sent to me by Dave Saunders

Club Card circa 1937

This club card and the list of payments provided by Jackie Shinder should be familiar to all old C&BG boys.

Reunion 2007

Once again, thanks to the magnificent efforts of Maxie Lea, Monty Meth and the Committee, we met at the New Ambassador Hotel for our 83rd Anniversary of the founding of the club.
Guest Speaker was the celebrated Jewish author & playright Bernard Kops and the snap shows, from left to right, Tony Hiller, Monty Meth, Bernard Kops & Irving Hiller.
Amongst the other 100 odd guests were Simon Kester and he can be seen with Maxie & Monty. Also spotted was Dennis Frank, a spritely 90 years young and the oldest original manager present.
Finally, and only because I'm the Blog administrator, there's me (Ron Goldstein) with our Guest Speaker.

With deep regret: Arthur Allsuch

With deep regret I have to announce the passing of:
ARTHUR ALLSUCH affectionately known to most of us as Lolly.
The funeral will be taking place at Rainham Cemetery at 2pm on Tuesday the 7th of August.
Details of Shiva arrangements can be obtained by contacting me by e-mail.
The photo shows Arthur & Ron at the 2004 reunion

Club Memorabilia now in Bancroft Road Archives

Maxie informs me that if anyone wishes to see old information (such as Minutes Books, News-sheets etc.,) these can be seen at:
Bancroft Road Library, Archive Dept., 277 Bancroft Rd., E1 4DQ.
Please quote TH/8901 and TH/8411

Maxie Lea MBE ( This article can also be found in the BBC WW2 Archives)

The Cambridge and Bethnal Green Boys Club has featured in other stories on this (The BBC WW2 Archives) site.

As an East End Boy's Club whos heyday was the 1925 to 1939 period it might have been expected that it should number amongst its many ex-members people who have been honoured by Her Majesty the Queen for services to the club, the continuation of its traditions, and to Youth activities in general.

One such person is Max Lea MBE.

In 1940, as a young ten year old, Max and his late sister Sylvia was evacuated to Stoke Hammond.

This is the story of their experiences, written by his late sister Sylvia.

Max fully understands and is willing to abide by the rules and conditions of the site.

When Max and I were evacuated to Stoke Hammond in the war years, little did we know that in 1991 Max, now 61 years old, and me, nearly 59 years, would be trying to remember what happened. The one thing that we both agree on is that they are very happy memories and Mr and Mrs King and their famiy, with whom we were billeted, were all very good to us. We always told them how much we appreciated what they did for us.

I corresponded with Mrs King until she died. I now write to her daughter Phyllis who keeps me updated about the village.

One of the things that I remember is the cupboard in the kitchen with toys that belonged to Mrs King’s children. As William was in the navy and Bernard in the army, and Phyllis was grown up doing war work, we were allowed to play with these toys.

I went to chapel on Sundays (I am not sure whether Max went as often as me — I don’t think so!). We were in the Sunday school anniversary play. I was a nurse and Max read the sermon. He was paid six pence for this by Mr.Scott who was a member of the congregation.

Although we were Jewish my mother told Mrs King that she should bring us up as she did her own children as she was good enough to look after us. I went to chapel three times on Sundays.

When we arrived at Mrs King’s house I said to her you must be a nice lady because you have roses in your garden. To this day, roses are my favourite flower.

Mrs King took us to see the film ‘Old Mother Riley’. I am not sure whether the bus did not turn up or we missed it, but we had to walk to Bletchley for part of the way. I know at the time, as a small girl, it seemed a long way, but it was a lovely day.

Mr King was always working. He worked on the railway but Saturday was special as he finished at lunchtime and Mrs King always had his lunch ready.

Phyllis brought me a lovely straw hat with white satin ribbons on it. I was able to take this home to London with me. It had place of honour in my bedroom for many years.

I do not know who it was I used to play with but I remember the girls in the village were very friendly. I used to play with one of the girls in the long grass by the train track. We used to flatten the grass to make it into rooms for a house. This was something special for me, being brought up in London in the East End. We had no gardens only backyards. The only time we played on grass was in the public parks and sometimes, in the big parks, there would be a notice saying ‘keep off the grass’. I can remember the lovely smell of the grass by the railway line. I do not know if we should have been there. When I think about it now I would think that it was out of bounds.

At first, it was very strange to be sent away from home. This was the first time for Max and I to be separated from our parents. From what I can recall, we had tickets pinned to our coats with our names on. I was around 7 years old and Max was 10. We all had to meet at a school in Bethnal Green. My mother used to tell me that it was very difficult for her and my father to leave us but my parents thought that we would be safer in the country. When we parted, we all cried.

At that time, my parents had a small grocery shop at 265 Brick Lane, Bethnal Green, London. The front of the house was a small grocery shop and the house was at the back. It consisted of two rooms on the ground floor, two rooms upstairs and a toilet in the yard. The reason I am telling you this is because when we arrived at Mr and Mrs King’s house, which was very new with a garden, it really was delightful.

The reason our parents decided to send us out of London was because bombs were falling day and night. Most nights we slept in air raid shelters or in the tube stations. We had no cars in those days. We would walk with bundles of bedding under our arms ready to stay the night in a shelter. We used to try them all. Someone would tell mum that St Paul’s station was good so we would go there for a few nights and then move to another shelter for a while. It was a very frightening time. I am pleased that I was a child then and not an adult. Dad would stay at the shop trying to make sure we had a home to come back to. Thank god we all survived. My late sister, Venie, was in the land army and my other brother, Sam, was in the merchant navy.

Things got very bad in London. Mum came to Stoke Hammond to be with us. She stayed a few doors away but I cannot remember the lady’s name. Mum used to sit by her bedroom window looking towards London. One night the sky was very red. It was 7 September 1940 when the Germans blitzed London. The next day she returned home to be with my father.

Max and I both remember the small school in the lane. Max also remembers the friendships with other families — the Gadsens, the Robinsons and the Whites, and going swimming in the canal with the other children.

Our parents came to see us when possible. They used to come on a Saturday. This used to upset Max. He would say to them ‘Why do you come on a Saturday?’ This was a day that Max helped on the farm with Keith Gadsen. Max loved the farm.

The day my parents came to collect us to take us home, Max went missing. He did not want to go home to London as he loved the country. The reason we went home was not because the war was over. We still had another four years until then. It was because Max was nearly thirteen years old and in the Jewish religion he had to have his Barmitzvah (which is like being confirmed). Although there was a war on, certain traditions were still being observed.

When he got to our home in London, Max went into the backyard which was concrete and started to break it up. When he was asked ‘what are you doing?’ he said that he wanted a garden.

It must have been very difficult times for our parents trying to know what to do for the best.

I am now married. Max is still single but drives me potty — not really!

Max lives in London but comes to stay with us three to four times a year. I speak to him at least once a week on the telephone. We are very close and he is a good brother to me.

My husband Ben and I have been married for nearly thirty five years. We have two married daughters and two grandchildren. I just pray that we have no more wars, just peace all around the world.

Max and I often talk about the time we were evacuated (we will never forget) and how lucky we were to go to a good family.

Sylvia Felgate (nee Levy) 1991


In 2002, I revisited Stoke Hammond and met many of the families’ children, who still live there. We chatted about those days and I was made very welcome. My sister Sylvia and the Kings’ daughter Phyllis remained in touch for over 50 years. Phyllis did not have any children of her own and was particularly fond of Sylvia and me whom she called her ‘little evacuees’. By strange coincidence, Sylvia and Phyllis both died on the same day — 2 December 2001 - within half an hour of each other.

Max Lea MBE

To see the original article in the BBC WW2 Archives, copy and paste the link below into GOOGLE or other search engine

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/24/a5911724.shtml

The club goes abroad (from 1958 till 1973)

1958 Belgium (Middelkerke) See photo above taken at the Brussells Exhibition
1959 Paris & Dunkirk
1960 Holland (Scheveningen)
1961 Holland
1962 Italy (Rimini)
1963 Spain (San Sebastian)
1964 Belgium (Mariakirk)
1965 Belgium (Knokke)
1966 Spain (Llansa)
1967 Italy (Gabicci)
1968 Yugoslavia (Opatija)
1969 Italy (Lido de Jesolo)
1972 Majorka (Can Picafort)
1973 Spain (Salou)

Monty Meth MBE... a well deserved honour !

Spotted in the JC of 22/6/07, this is a well deserved honour for Monty who has always practised what he preached.

MAZELTOV !

IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE ?

Did you come to the 2004 re-union? (that's Sydney & Mo booking everyone in)
Did you enjoy yourself?
Did you take photos?

This is an open letter addressed to anyone who is:

A: Reasonably Computerate
B: Has access to a computer and a scanner
C: Was ever a member of the New Cambridge Boy’s Club and
D: Wishes to perpetuate the memory of the club

At the age of 83 I am all too conscious of the fact that after having started this Blog off, I need someone to take it over and guarantee it continuity.

My main interest, and any experience I have, is related to the club that started at Chance Street and later spent the wartime years at the old Webbe Club premises.

Maxie has got lots of the New Cambridge club photos and memorabilia and it needs someone of that era to post those and other similar photos on to this site, to make comment and to pass on the spirit of those times to the younger generation.

If you think you could be of any assistance, please send me an e-mail (see my profile)

Ron

Maxie's Album 009 Cecil Bright...The man who brought us together

This very accurate appreciation of Cecil's work for the club was written by Sidney Tabor for the club magazine in the 1950s.
My problem (as organiser of this Blog) is not to use too many superlatives when describing the boys/men who inhabited the C&BG over its many years but Cecil truly was a lovely man in every sense.

Maxie's Album 008 Michael (Morry) Ross

In 1987 Michael Ross presented a boxing portrait of himself to the club.
Morry & Dave Ross were two of my (Ron's) childhood heroes and were contemporaries of my brothers Mossy & Mick. The theme of "brothers", both attending and contributing to the club, runs throughout the history of the C&BG and was part of its strength.

Maxie's Album 007 Fed. Table Tennis Team 1944

H.Parnell, S.Freeman, R.Bernstein, M.Lea

Maxie's Album 005 & 006 Club visit to the House of Commons 1942

Sir Percy Harris, the local MP in the Trilby hat and a very young Maxie in front of him.
Compare this with the earlier photo taken in 1935 !

Maxie's Album 003 & 004

003 Junior Officers Vic Monger & Max (note the dangling fag !)
004 Max & "T", Hythe Camp 1952
To refresh some of your memories a list of Wartime & Post-war camps follow:
1943 Frome (Somerset)
1944 Banbury
1945 Canford (Dorset)
1946 Herne Bay (Dymchurch)
1947 Herne Bay
1948 Washington (Worthing)
1949 St. Mary's Bay (Dymchurch)
1950 Shackleford (Guildford)
1952 Saltwood Castle (Hythe)
1953 Weymouth
From 1954 to 1957 the club had it's own weekend campsite at Badger Hall, Thundersley in Essex which was also used for annual camps.
1954 Badger Hall
1955 Saltwood near Hythe
1956 Guestling near Hastings
1957 Pinhay, Lyme Regis
1970 Bishops Stortford

Maxie's Album 002

Left to right: ?, Charlie Klip,?, Maxie Lea, Basil Silverman,Harold Bromberg, Alf Segar, Sid Freeman, Peter Younger.
Reunion circa 1992

Maxie's Wonderful Album ! 001

On Tuesday the 29th of May 2007 Maxie Lea called round my to my house and left with me various albums relating to the C&BG Boy's Club.

There was Maxie's own album, a large file containing memorabilia and an album that had belonged to dear Cecil Bright. For the purpose of simplicity I will refer to all of these items as "Maxie's Album" and over the next few months I will endeavour to get as many of these photos and other items scanned and displayed on this site as soon as possible.

Keep watching, there are loads more to come, and if you can add any names please contact me (Ron) either by e-mail or by leaving a comment on this site

Dave Saunders famous certificate

Derek Merton: Obituary in the Jewish Chronicle, 9th March 2007

Final batch of Ron's "oldies"

That's Ron's lot of old club snaps, now it's up to YOU to find some more !
From the top:
1. Greatstones camp cookhouse duties, Ron and ?
2. A ramble with Bobby Lisky in the water, Dave Woolfe drying his feet & Ron with the walking stick
3. That's Ron with the top hat
4. Harry Moss's car with George, Harry Moss, Ronny Coffer, Dave Ross, Mick Goldstein, Syd Curtis and Ron almost completely squashed
5. Ron and his Brownie camera

Photos submitted by Dave Saunders: Batch 2

WHO's-WHO supplied by Dave:
BATCH 2.
1st.down.
Myself on left with the late Harry Solomons at the AJYAnnual Sports in 1942 held at Parliament Hill Fields. I won the 880 yds. and Harry the 100 yds.
They gave me a certificate which I still have, with a promise of a medal after the war.-I am still waiting.

2nd.down.
Group at Greatstones camp 1939.
Back row 4th from left Stanley Kitler next Jack Roodyn.
Next row bending down myself, (Dave Saunders)
Bottom row,from left Dave Grenhalgh then Monty Meth. Others I can't remember

3rd.down.
Greatstones camp. 1939. Myself on right. Others I can't remember.

4th.down.
Greatstones 1939. Camp concert. I am in the back row among many familiar faces but I cannot name.

5th down.
Greatstones. Mealtime.

6th.down.
Meeting with T, Date and names not known.
(Ron adds:Extreme left is Leslie Phillips, extreme right Sam Posner)
BATCH 1.
1st. down
Greatstones camp. 2nd.right, Don Carlton then Derek Merton.
(Note from Ron: Left of Derek is a rare photo of Nat Levison who ran the drama class,extreme left is Stanley Hale and then Stanley Kittler)

2nd. down
Club Sports Day. Victoria Park. maybe 1938,
From Left. Odiff Fugler, then Myself(Dave Saunders),third runner not known.

3rd.down.
Greatstones camp. Tuck shop, No names.

4th down
Chance Street. meeting. George and Roland Lotinga, T and various others.

5th down.
Greatstones. Cookhouse.

6th. down.
Greatstones camp.1939. My tent: Centre row,second from left Harold Steinfield then myself, Dave Saunders. Others I cannot remember.

7th down.
The Elms, 1942 or 1943. Our successful football team, (I think)
Top row, from left. Bobby Gray, Harry Solomons, Myself(Dave Saunders), Mo Isenberg, Harold Spiro, Stanley Kitler.
Bottom row, from left. Ralph Levene, Odiff Fugler, Sid Levy, (Brazier, I think), Giorgi.

The first of, we hope !, many photos: Batch 1, Submitted by Dave Saunders (Click on Comments)

1936 & The Four Harmonica Kids

The club used to foster whatever subject the members showed interest in and so, in the heydays of Larry Adler & Borra Minnowitz we had a harmonica class.
As a spin-off, some of the boys started a harmonica group aptly named the 4 Harmonica Kids and Benny Lampert and I (Ron Goldstein) were amongst its members.
The photos show my "official" photo, Benny and I meeting up at the AJEX parade of 2004 and a list of accounts that Benny has kept as a souvenir.

The club boys who went to war

A lot of the boys who were members of the club came from large families and it was inevitable that when WW2 started on the 3rd of September most of the menfolk were called to arms. My own family had five sons in the forces namely Lou, Jack, Mossy,Mick and Ron. Jack (z"l) was to be lost over Nurenberg and the family was never to be the same again.To see the full story on the BBC WW2 Archives click here:The Goldstein Boys
It is to be hoped that other club members who served in the Forces and came from similarly large families will leave a record on this site.

Sgt.Major Mick Goldstein

Its an old cliche that goes still waters run deep but a classic example was my brother Mick (z"l)
As with Donny Carlton and Jack Nissenthal I decided to place his story into the BBC WW2 Archives.
Click on this link Sgt.Major Mick to see the full story in its original setting.

Donny Carlton......Another C&BG wartime hero

In 2004 the BBC opened a WW2 Archives and invited contributions.
I was glad to record some of the club boys formerly untold stories and one of them was how Donny Carlton won his MM medal.
Click on this link Donny to see the story in its original setting in the BBC archives.
The picture shows him at our 2004 reunion with another hero, my dear brother Mick (z"l).

The Club Song

Taken directly from the Souvenir Brochure of 2000, copyright acknowledgements as before.
In the same brochure we were reminded of the club motto:
SERVUS CORPUS COLE MENTEM ANIMAM CURA which was translated as: Keep fit, cultivate your mind, think of your soul

1925-2000... The Souvenir Brochure

In 2000 the reunion committee and various generous donors did us proud and laid on a super brochure to commemorate 75 fantastic years.
This wonderful photo of the old premises is brilliantly evocative and I am still trying to locate myself !
Thanks & Copyright acknowledged to Batiste Publications Ltd,design by David Marley & Camden Town Typesetters

The Guest list.....Club Reunion November 12th 1987

Sorting through my C&BG files I came across this guest list for the 1987 reunion.
The table plan for the same evening shows the following guests on the top table:
Rt.Hon.Lord Diamond P.C., Charles Rubens, Harold Fry, Edward Wolfe,Dennis Frank, Norman Compton, Len Saunders, Bernard Spears, Julian Spear & Cecil Bright.
Other names,less visible at the top of the photo are: Maurice Abbey, Cyril Coburn, Myer Garet, Ben Lampert,Burnie Rose & Jack Tovy.
CLICK ON COMMENTS FOR THE FULL "SEARCHABLE" LIST