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Barry and Mollie Gooders have lived in Dene Vale opposite Westdene Green since the early 60’s and tell us how the suburb grew and how life has changed since then. Born within a day of one another in January 1932, Barry and Mollie Gooders have lived in Westdene for 57 years, watching it grow from a scattering of houses dotted along farmland to the thriving suburb it is today. |
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Moving to Westdene in 1961 was an aspirational choice. With 15 month old son, Robin, the couple could enjoy the open Green in front and the wooded area behind their house in Dene Vale. The house was pricey, £3450!, and described in poetic language by the Estate Agent Wilfred Dillistone as “being in a sylvan setting”.
The Gooders still have uninterrupted views of the Green and woods behind. But Westdene has developed hugely.
When they arrived, the school was being built and Newman’s Barn (which stood on the site of the current building that houses “The Barn” and My First Friends Nursery) had just been demolished.
By then, building work was filling the slopes of the Dene with bungalows and houses as the post-war baby boom created huge demand for modern homes in suburban settings.
The school opened with an intake of about 30 children and gradually expanded. Parents raised money for a teaching swimming pool which was opened by Mr Pastry in 1967/68.
Their new home had two power points (one for a TV and one for the cooker). The Gooders rewired and had the two downstairs rooms made into one.
The Gooders’ phone was a shared ‘party line’. Barry said: “Sometimes children in the ‘party’ house would take the receiver off thus preventing the use of the phone. I used the excuse of having to discuss my pupils with parents to persuade the then GPO to give me a separate line.”
They had coal-fired central heating installed for £196 by Fellinghams, only one of two firms doing this sort of work at the time. Coal was delivered once a year in 60 1cwt sacks - a total of 3 tons. Mollie had the important job of counting them past the kitchen window! The wickedly bitter winter of 1963 seemed comfortable and friends envied their heating.
That winter was memorable for the ice-cold conditions, but also for the birth of their second son, Keith, who was delivered at home by a local midwife Nurse Dean. During the pregnancy Mollie had to brave the ice and snow to walk to a medically staffed ‘caravan’ in the Stadium car park.
Barry talked about everyday life in the 1960s: “We were fortunate to own a car and used to shop at Sainsbury’s in Churchill Square, but also used the local parade of shops. These included Ogden’s bakery, a butcher, greengrocer, post office, chemist, hardware shop and The Coop.”
He said that the post office, newsagents and paper deliveries were most efficiently run by Mr Dwelly, who, in his retirement could be seen collecting door to door locally for Poppy Day Appeal. He finally ‘retired’ from this in his late 90’s.
Molly remembers: “for entertainment we had a TV and we played board games. Children’s parties would involve traditional games such as musical chairs and blind man’s buff. The two boys played with their friends in the woods.” They and their friends made ‘go carts’ in the garage and raced them. The all-important large pram wheels were sourced from the Wilson Avenue tip.
Both boys were active in the Scouts run by the Pennifold family at the hut in the Redhill Drive field. The scouts provided many and varied activities include gliding, dinghy sailing and kayaking which gave son Robin his lifelong love of sailing
Annual holidays began with renting a bungalow in Polruan in Cornwall at the Easter break for a number of years. The family travelled through the night with the back of the car arranged as a bed for the two boys. No seat belts in those days! Mollie saved some money and they bought a tent and tried camping in England but soon discovered the attractions of camping in France. Their first package holiday was to Austria with Clarkson’s. It was in Austria that the Gooders first experienced duvets on their beds. In those pre EU days they needed to show passports to cross national borders and took several bags of different coinage for each of the countries.
Barry continues to be a season ticket holder at The Amex and remembers his first match at the Goldstone Ground in 1955/6 when Brighton Boys reached the final of the English Schools Shield playing Liverpool Boys. A cricket enthusiast, he remembers seeing Dennis Compton make a century at Hove County Ground the year he made 17 centuries in a season in the late 40’s. He also remembers seeing Don Bradman at the same ground in 1948.
Mollie attended Balfour Infants School, but at the outbreak of war the school was used as a military hospital so she was moved to Ditchling Road School (now Downs Primary). After leaving Varndean Girl’s Grammar School she trained as a teacher and taught at Downs Junior School from 1952/59. She returned to part time teaching at Downs Junior and later Carden Junior as her sons grew older. Her parents having moved nearby were able to baby sit. After retirement Mollie joined two City & Guild classes in Embroidery and Patchwork & Quilting and helped to start the local Embroiderer’s Guild. She helps to run the Westdene W I, which created the special tapestry at the Millennium of local landmarks now hanging in Westdene Primary School.
Barry was evacuated from Croydon to Brighton in 1939 at the age of 7 with a 5 year old brother, where he met Mollie at their respective Grammar schools in their 6th forms. They were married in July 1956.
Barry did national service in the RAF and worked as a Pilot Officer in Fighter Control radar units. He remained in the (part time) RAF for a further 5 years where he reached the rank of acting Flt Lt. He taught science in two secondary schools from 1955 before switching to primary schools. In his time he had three headships before becoming the Primary Schools’ Advisor for Brighton Schools and finished in a larger role in East Sussex primary Schools. He was chairman of the Brighton Child Protection Committee for three years and also chaired Brighton School Appeal Panels for a number of years.
Both Mollie and Barry have been involved in local history activities and in the ‘Take Shelter’ project at Downs Junior School.
Click here for more Westdene Originals
The Gooders still have uninterrupted views of the Green and woods behind. But Westdene has developed hugely.
When they arrived, the school was being built and Newman’s Barn (which stood on the site of the current building that houses “The Barn” and My First Friends Nursery) had just been demolished.
By then, building work was filling the slopes of the Dene with bungalows and houses as the post-war baby boom created huge demand for modern homes in suburban settings.
The school opened with an intake of about 30 children and gradually expanded. Parents raised money for a teaching swimming pool which was opened by Mr Pastry in 1967/68.
Their new home had two power points (one for a TV and one for the cooker). The Gooders rewired and had the two downstairs rooms made into one.
The Gooders’ phone was a shared ‘party line’. Barry said: “Sometimes children in the ‘party’ house would take the receiver off thus preventing the use of the phone. I used the excuse of having to discuss my pupils with parents to persuade the then GPO to give me a separate line.”
They had coal-fired central heating installed for £196 by Fellinghams, only one of two firms doing this sort of work at the time. Coal was delivered once a year in 60 1cwt sacks - a total of 3 tons. Mollie had the important job of counting them past the kitchen window! The wickedly bitter winter of 1963 seemed comfortable and friends envied their heating.
That winter was memorable for the ice-cold conditions, but also for the birth of their second son, Keith, who was delivered at home by a local midwife Nurse Dean. During the pregnancy Mollie had to brave the ice and snow to walk to a medically staffed ‘caravan’ in the Stadium car park.
Barry talked about everyday life in the 1960s: “We were fortunate to own a car and used to shop at Sainsbury’s in Churchill Square, but also used the local parade of shops. These included Ogden’s bakery, a butcher, greengrocer, post office, chemist, hardware shop and The Coop.”
He said that the post office, newsagents and paper deliveries were most efficiently run by Mr Dwelly, who, in his retirement could be seen collecting door to door locally for Poppy Day Appeal. He finally ‘retired’ from this in his late 90’s.
Molly remembers: “for entertainment we had a TV and we played board games. Children’s parties would involve traditional games such as musical chairs and blind man’s buff. The two boys played with their friends in the woods.” They and their friends made ‘go carts’ in the garage and raced them. The all-important large pram wheels were sourced from the Wilson Avenue tip.
Both boys were active in the Scouts run by the Pennifold family at the hut in the Redhill Drive field. The scouts provided many and varied activities include gliding, dinghy sailing and kayaking which gave son Robin his lifelong love of sailing
Annual holidays began with renting a bungalow in Polruan in Cornwall at the Easter break for a number of years. The family travelled through the night with the back of the car arranged as a bed for the two boys. No seat belts in those days! Mollie saved some money and they bought a tent and tried camping in England but soon discovered the attractions of camping in France. Their first package holiday was to Austria with Clarkson’s. It was in Austria that the Gooders first experienced duvets on their beds. In those pre EU days they needed to show passports to cross national borders and took several bags of different coinage for each of the countries.
Barry continues to be a season ticket holder at The Amex and remembers his first match at the Goldstone Ground in 1955/6 when Brighton Boys reached the final of the English Schools Shield playing Liverpool Boys. A cricket enthusiast, he remembers seeing Dennis Compton make a century at Hove County Ground the year he made 17 centuries in a season in the late 40’s. He also remembers seeing Don Bradman at the same ground in 1948.
Mollie attended Balfour Infants School, but at the outbreak of war the school was used as a military hospital so she was moved to Ditchling Road School (now Downs Primary). After leaving Varndean Girl’s Grammar School she trained as a teacher and taught at Downs Junior School from 1952/59. She returned to part time teaching at Downs Junior and later Carden Junior as her sons grew older. Her parents having moved nearby were able to baby sit. After retirement Mollie joined two City & Guild classes in Embroidery and Patchwork & Quilting and helped to start the local Embroiderer’s Guild. She helps to run the Westdene W I, which created the special tapestry at the Millennium of local landmarks now hanging in Westdene Primary School.
Barry was evacuated from Croydon to Brighton in 1939 at the age of 7 with a 5 year old brother, where he met Mollie at their respective Grammar schools in their 6th forms. They were married in July 1956.
Barry did national service in the RAF and worked as a Pilot Officer in Fighter Control radar units. He remained in the (part time) RAF for a further 5 years where he reached the rank of acting Flt Lt. He taught science in two secondary schools from 1955 before switching to primary schools. In his time he had three headships before becoming the Primary Schools’ Advisor for Brighton Schools and finished in a larger role in East Sussex primary Schools. He was chairman of the Brighton Child Protection Committee for three years and also chaired Brighton School Appeal Panels for a number of years.
Both Mollie and Barry have been involved in local history activities and in the ‘Take Shelter’ project at Downs Junior School.
Click here for more Westdene Originals