Brian Bernhardt
Here is my story as one of the graduates from Eastcote Lane School, as it was then and later known as Roxeth Manor in the last few years I was there.
Born in Hammersmith in 1939 a year before the war started, the forth Child in the Family, I had two Sisters and a Brother.
We were bought up by our Grandmother in Ivy Close, Eastcote Lane, South Harrow.
I started in the Infants in 1944 and left the Senior School in 1954.
My first employment was working for A.C.I. in Victoria Road, South Ruislip, as an Apprentice Tool Maker, which was to take five years, and my earnings were a grand sum of £3 per week for the whole of that time.
During this time I went to Southall Technical College for two years to earn my City and Guilds, from there I went on to Harrow School of Art.
Back in those days we had to buy our own books, so I rode many a mile on my bike round South Harrow and Southall areas.
My Friends and I formed a small Band playing our Guitars so that we could earn a little extra money playing gigs, as the £3 a week did not go very far.
The first car my Mate and I owned was a 1939 Austin Seven, held together with bits of string and coat hangers.
Both of us chipped in with five pounds each.
We had to park it in Ivy Close, as my friend’s Parents thought it was a bit below their standard to park in their driveway.But I can tell you we had some really good times in that old banger……
shooting of the President in Dallas I went out to join her and her Husband.My Sister married an American who was stationed in the Base in Victoria Road, South Ruislip, and went to live in the USA.
She had been out there for about a year, when I thought I would Emigrate, so in 1963 a couple of days before the
The first job I had over here was for a chap who owned his own business, and he was very impressed with my work.
It was only a small workshop but it was a start, he had his own aeroplane and wanted me to fly with him.
This was very exciting for a young man like me, but the only thing was I found out he suffered from heart trouble, and the thought of being up there with him gave me the willies.
A couple of years later I formed my own company, and did very well working in the Up Town part of Dallas, not being married I could do as I pleased.
It was around this time I heard about the Air Craft trade in California, so I decided to move out there, and was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor building the F20 and the B2 as a Test Engineer, I got a Degree from Pacific Western whilst in California, and I became an American Citizen in Dallas, so I can really call myself a Texan.
I have travelled around the USA and think it is a great place.
My School years at Eastcote Lane gave me a good grounding and background, and helped me enjoy the good life in this country.
I retired in 1994 and moved back to Texas, forty years was enough for me.
Having had a couple of Strokes, help me to decide there was more to life than money.
Now I enjoy not doing much at all really, just some Fishing, drive a new Pick-up,
Read and watch TV, attend Church and I also enjoy sharing stories with other English Folk who came over here looking for a better chance than poor old England was able to offer us.
I am looking forward to the School Reunion in October, and think Syd and Joy have done wonders with putting it together for us, and I hope to meet up with some of my old mates from Eastcote lane School, and sharing our life stories, bearing in mind of course, we are all still going to look the same as when we last saw each other.
So please wear your name tags so I will know who you are……….
All my best regards and please e-mail me.
Brian.
©Brian Bernhardt2008
