Mike Leader© 2019 All Rights Reserved

A history of the Greenwich Blue Coat Schools

Since the Bluecoat History Web Site was launched in September 2009 we have been contacted by a number of ex pupils who have shared their memories of the time they spent at the school.

The Street Family

Information from Albert Street (who sadly passed away in 2009) and Alice Wood née Street who visited the school in April 2010. For details of her visit Click here . . .

The Street family lived in Lyveden Road. Mr Ernest Street was the groundsman for the Rectory Field and Mrs Street (Alice Daisy Baker) had attended the St John’s National Church of England School (Infants) in Russell Place in 1894. Their children attended Blackheath & Kidbrook School: Daisy Street (1916 - 1925), Albert (Bert) Street (1925 - 1934) and Alice Street (1929 - 1938)

Their house in Lyveden Road had a garden gate into the Rectory Field and the children went through this to another gate into the School playground. Bert contacted the school in 2006 with information for the school archive. He sent a diagram of a small four-wheeled cart, described him as a “luxury carriage”, that he made when he was 11 or 12 in 1932, which was wallpapered inside, with electric light and cushions. They named it the “Amy Johnson” and Bert and Alice used it to get to school, alternating with one pushing and one riding. They parked it outside a small gate in the Infant’s playground at the North East corner of the school.

Bert was a keen cricketer and he won a “Jack Hobbs” autographed bat and Certificate for the best batting performance during the week ended 23 June 1934 in the schene organised by “The Star” newspaper.

Alice Wood (née Street) attended the school in 1929 and remembers the hall in what is now the Wolfe Block being split into two by a sliding dividing panel, with a door in it. The east side was for the girls and the headmistress, Miss Richards sat on a raised dais at the south end.

Alice’s two daughters and Daisy’s three daughters all attended the school in the 1950s

The west side was for the boys and the headmaster, Mr Hartridge, sat on a dais at the north end. The far north end of the school was the infants department.