Whitebridge Primary School
Loughton, Essex

4th year
Class of 1962

Paul Fischer

Born and raised in Sutton Close, just off Greensted Road, Whitebridge school was never out of sight for very long. I don't recall too much about it, perhaps the teachers: Miss Farrow, ???, Mr Evans, Miss Bromyard. I wouldn't say I was slow but I failed the eleven-plus and have no recollection of actually taking it. Whilst others got to West Hatch, Buckhurst Hill High School, even Bancrofts.... off I went to the Brook and wasted another four years as they tried to shoe-horn me into Ford's production line. Nope!

Paul Fischer

1955 and about to start infants school at Whitebridge. See how happy I was pre-school?

Paul Fischer

1958 (probably) and the education was swelling my brain to the point where I needed to extend my forehead to fit it all in. Here is the cause for my perennial immaturity... too much brain.

Paul Fischer

1962 and the pre-teen thuggery was becoming evident. I had to face right for this photo, all the other kids faced left but they didn't have a facial swelling from a playground punch-up ten mnutes earlier.

Having escaped the Brook without a criminal record (they couldn't catch me), I meandered into a number of McJobs until 1969 when I joined London Underground, retiring 38 years later in 2005 at the age of 54. I had a great time there, driving trains, teaching (really!!!), managing an operations area and ended up controlling the Central Line train service. Good money and a great pension.
I never really grew up, hence I'm on my third marriage, someone has to do it I guess. Now living in sunny Croatia and enjoying myself mostly. I survived kidney cancer (phew!) but a dodgy L4/L5 spine problem has slowed me down a great deal. I've been feeling a bit mortal lately, probably Covid related, so now I want to find all the kids I was at Whitebridge ... err ...with! It's OK, you can end sentences with a preposition these days.

Paul Fischer

Teenager, filled with testosterone and trying to look something between cool and 'ard. Spectacularly failing to achieve either. Plonker!

Paul Fischer

A lifetime playing in bands of all kinds, from 1973, ended in about 2014 with this final night at a blues festival in Croatia. Still got the trusty Telecaster.

Paul Fischer

These days, trying to keep the bones working. A park/forest behind the house, an energetic dog and long sunny summers helps. Winters not so much.

Paul Fischer

1962 cricket team, everyone looks happy to be part of it .... I was practising my Elvis Presley snarl! What was I thinking? The years of plonkerdom had already started aged eleven.