Cliff Richard
Kings Road School
By Alan Fox
I was just wondering did you see a copy of the Cheshunt & Waltham Mercury, in the paper or the website http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/, about Cliff Richard. It was well known he went to Riversmead School in the 1950s. Bryan Hewitt, who was a senior gardener at Myddelton House, did say that Cliff Richard’s early education was at the largely forgetten Kings Road JMI School in Kings Road, Waltham Cross. It is on page 22 of the Mercury.
Cliff’s fan-base don’t even know about it, and Cliff had vague memories of it, saying it was in Essex.
Mr.Hewitt was later taught by one of Cliff’s tutors, Mrs. Tonks, later Mrs Mary Norrell, in 1965 & 1971. She was his tutor also. Mary and her husband Dick Norrell founded Lea Valley Talking Newspaper for the Blind.
The school was built in 1913, closed in 1975 and burned down in 1976. The Four Swannes Primary School was built on the playing field as its replacement, in King Edward Road.
Another famous student was Bill Treacher, Arthur Fowler in Eastenders. Bill lived in York Road and for a time worked as a porter at Waltham Cross Station.
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I went to Kings Rd school for a short while in1950/1951 then on to Cheshunt Secondary
I remember seeing Cliff Richard at the Astoria cinema in Ware when he first started out as a singer
For anyone wanting to know more about King’s Road School , please contact “The Friends of King’s Road School ” on Facebook Thanks .
Kings Road school was the first school I went to in July 1959 to December 1962 when my family moved to Australia. Mr. Broad was the Head Master then, Mrs Broad was my teacher for a while along with a Mrs Behovitz and a Mrs Philips. Anyone knowing more about the school would be most appreciated
I went to a dance school in Waltham abbey and we performed at the town hall with Cliff Richard in the late 1950’s
My nans best friend Grace lived next door to Harry in Cheshunt
I played badminton with Cliff Richard at Cheshunt Boys Club and still have the Newspaper cutting of a game between my brother and I against Cliff and his Dad.
Harry Webb (Cliff Richard) came to Kings Road school in 1950. We were in the same class for our final year there, after which he went to Cheshunt Secondary Modern.
I too went the Kings Road school and a i met Harry at the Cheshunt boys club, when he first started to warble.