Seeing an ad for custard creams in a magazine from 1899 reminded me of a school friend who lived in a ‘Boys Home’…

I just happened to be reading a copy of The Graphic – 26th August 1899 – when I came across an advertisement for Peek, Frean & Co. Cream Sandwiches, known to us today as custard creams. I do not like custard creams – far too sweet – but as a schoolboy I was quite fond of them. Seeing the ad brought back old memories of one of my many visits to a boys home (for ‘waifs and strays’) attached to my secondary school.

So, what is the link between custard creams, an old school friend and a boys home?

I was at Highweek Secondary Modern School for Boys in Newton Abbot from 1967 to 1972. The school has long since been demolished. The ‘borstal’ as it was known – I am not at all sure it ever was a borstal – was right next to the school and, so far as I remember, most or perhaps all of the boys attended the school.

It was a boys home known as Meadowside, and sadly my web searches have revealed few results. Any references that might exist to Meadowside the boys home are drowned out by references to the present-day Meadowside the care home. Is there a link between the two, other than the name? I have not been able to find one.

I will not reveal the name of my good friend. I have not seen him since 1972 and have no idea where he might be or even if he is still alive. However, I can reveal his initials were DK. If anyone knows of him get in touch.

Meadowside was the beneficiary of surplus unsold food from the Newton Abbot branch of Marks and Spencer and on some evenings the boys ate very well. I sometimes used to join them, which was thought back then to be a rather taboo thing to do, but I didn’t care what people thought. I could sometimes eat better in the boys home than in my own home.

So where do the custard creams come in?

However, there was a great deal of hilarity one evening when the M&S goodies box was opened. Normally we might be fighting over a pork pie, scotch egg, ham sandwich or – my personal favourite – an egg custard tart. There was always a selection. It felt like a scene out of the musical Oliver!

Not this night! The Supervisor opened the box to reveal…

…more custard creams than I had ever seen in my life before – and nothing else. Just custard creams. Not Peek Frean’s obviously but M&S. I remember us all being gobsmacked into silence: there was nothing to fight over or argue about. There was more than enough for an entire pack for each boy and, I have to say, hungry though we may have been we learned that there are only so many custard creams you can consume in one session. Disappointment soon turned to hilarity.

I often wonder how many the Prince of Wales or the Emperor of Austria could get through in one session. No I don’t. That would be silly.

I was popular when I got home though – with a pack of M&S custard creams. I had to explain to my parents how I came by them though…

Devon & Bermondsey

Now, here is a strange coincidence. James Peek was born near Kingsbridge (Devon). One of his nieces – Hannah Peek – married George Frean, a Devon biscuit maker. Peak Frean’s was born – and the name is still in existence today. How weird is that?

But there’s more. If you look again at the 1899 advertisement you will see the company was based in London SE – Bermondsey, just a couple of miles from where I lived for 22 years.

What are all these coincidences trying to tell me? Perhaps I should eat more custard creams?!

#newton_abbot #borstal #boys_home #Highweek #biscuits #food_donations #M&S #PeekFreans #Devon #Bermondsey #custard_creams