Around 1909, the back gardens between Stonefield Street and Cloudesley Road were redeveloped into Dowrey Street and a new school was built there - Cloudesley Physically Handicapped (PH) School. You can see the school buildings marked on an OS map of the time, below.
It has proved curiously difficult to find any records about this school. The only photos we have are these rather blurred aerial RAF images which Florence has hunted down (use the church to orient yourself).
We are fortunate, however, to have been contacted by Peter Lambert, who attended the school during the 1940s and he has kindly shared his memories of this time in this charming account:
Download: "Memories of Cloudesley PH School", by Peter Lambert
You will learn here about the authoritarian Mr Gush, evacuation during the blitz, christmas parties in Caledonian Road, trips to the theatre and to the seaside in Kent, and many other anecdotes from this distant period during and immediately after the Second World War. Despite the hardships, Peter ends his memories with this:
"I hope these notes will assist you in building a record of the history of the Cloudesley school - a school which I know helped many young handicapped people overcome their disabilities and set them up for life.
I for one feel blessed for having spent those important years in the company of such dedicated staff and of course my fellow students."
Here are before and after pictures of Peter, aged about 13, and as he is today. Also a picture of a Dennis Bus of the type which he refers to in his account.
Does anyone else have information about Cloudesley PH School? Peter would love to hear from you and so would we all.
