Childhood Memories - JAA - Pudsey Horsforth St. Joseph's St Michael's St Bede's

Exams started to get in the way, and with a total lack of application, managed to gain GCE O level passes in English language, English literature, French, Maths and Physics, and in the absence of any other plans, went on into the 6th form to study English, French and Economics at A level. Being the only ones from the original foursome still at school, John and Pete Lister made up a duo which concentrated on Folk Music, and had a brief spell at the Trades Hall Folk Club in Leeds opening the show to artistes like Dave Burland and others, the only payment being drink! Academic prowess was however not to be John's route to fortune, and realising that he was unlikely to stick out the full A level course, he took an interview with A W Baines in Leeds and was offered a job in the Motor Insurance Department at the princely sum of £10 a week.

John Andrew Allen - Childhood
John was born at Three Gables Nursing Home in Horsforth, near Leeds on 27th October 1954, the third son of Jack and Sheila Allen who at the time lived in the Roker Lane area of Pudsey in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Eldest brother Michael John Allen was 7 years older whilst elder brother Anthony Stephen Allen was 5 years older. The family moved to 29 Standale Crescent, Pudsey in late 50's - a newly built council estate on the outskirts of Pudsey. The family were Catholic (although Jack was to convert some years later) and the boys all attended St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School about a miles walk at the other side of the town. Jim Harwood was the Head Master when John started and the "reception" class teacher was a Mrs Rose, and Father Hewitt was the Parish Priest of St. Joseph's Church. Other children in the same class included Philip Smith (who I understand was later killed attending an England Football match abroad) Greg Hehir, Peter Hall (who later emigrated with his family to Ohio, USA) Michael Gaughan, John Choma, Adrian Callaghan, Fiona Steel, Phillipa Suttcliffe, Mary Lumb, Catherine Oxtoby, Robert Jowett, Frank Heffernan, Rosemary Bland, Tony Iddison, John Tidswell etc etc. Teachers included Mrs Heffernan, Mrs Mortimer, Mrs Oxtoby, and Mr. Mulligan.
About 1961 the family moved from Standale Crescent to 23 Cemetery Road, next door to a doctor's surgery, and a little nearer to walk to school. Younger sister Sheila Mary Allen (now Mary Eliott) was born in August 1961. There was a Cub and Scout Group at St. Joseph's (could it have been the "6th Pudsey" ?) and following the footsteps of his older brothers, John joined the Cubs and then later the scouts where friends included Barry Walker, Andrew Fleming (who after developing an Estate Agents business with his father Brian Fleming, died in his 20's) Kevin Donnelly etc and the Scout leaders included Joe Tobin, Stanley Walker (Barry's father who died quite young) Tony Wilkinson and later John's own dad Jack.
Being adjudged clever enough, John didn't need to sit the eleven plus, and attended St Bede's Grammar School in Bradford, which required a journey aboard a Samuel Ledgard's bus from Pudsey Town Hall into Bradford, and then a bus from outside Finefare up to Heaton to the school. First year friends and classmates included Philip Addison, Theodoro Jarmola and John played for the school under 12 football team, coached by Father Parker. One of John's early teachers was Tony Roper, who had been a successful Cross Country runner.
About 1967 the Allen family moved across the valley from Pudsey to Horsforth, a move of only about 4 or 5 miles, but it required John to change schools from St. Bede's to St Michael's College on St. John's Road in Leeds. Former primary school friend Gregory Hehir was already at St. Mick's, but other early friendships included Martin Brown, Andrew Bates, and John continued with his footballing, by joining and later captaining the School Football team, and was also a member of the school basketball team and Cricket team, in fact gaining selection to open the bowling for Leeds City Boys under 15 team and later going for trials with Yorkshire, which included a stint bowling at Geoff Boycott in the nets at Headingley. (Never got him out, but he played and missed once!) Music was however beginning to play a bigger part in his life and a saturday job at Steel's Butchers in Horsforth helped to pay for a Yamaha FG180 Acoustic Guitar in 1968 (which he still has to this day) and various musical alliances were made, but with Martin, Greg and Pete Lister they formed a sort of acoustic Folk / Rock Group - Wheatstone Bridge, although there were only ever about 4 or 5 gigs mainly at Youth Clubs and Folk Clubs (all unpaid of course).
Exams started to get in the way, and with a total lack of application, managed to gain GCE O level passes in English language, English literature, French, Maths and Physics, and in the absence of any other plans, went on into the 6th form to study English, French and Economics at A level. Being the only ones from the original foursome still at school, John and Pete Lister made up a duo which concentrated on Folk Music, and had a brief spell at the Trades Hall Folk Club in Leeds opening the show to artistes like Dave Burland and others, the only payment being drink! Academic prowess was however not to be John's route to fortune, and realising that he was unlikely to stick out the full A level course, he took an interview with A W Baines in Leeds and was offered a job in the Motor Insurance Department at the princely sum of £10 a week.
Index Page	Music	Childhood Photo Gallery	EMail