Cliff Richard

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.