Apprentice Training School Brighton B Power Station 1954/5

I stumbled across Terry McCarthy’s contribution just recently. if Terry is still around I’d like to hear from him! I too was in the very first intake of apprentices from various power stations in the South East region of the then CEA (Central Electricity Authority). My home station was Kingston B and there were apprentices from Littlebrook and Brighton as well. Those of us from outside the Brighton area lived in the Florentine Hotel, Portslade and walked to the ferry and rowed or were rowed across to the power station.

Home every Friday

We were given rail warrants to travel home every Friday afternoon and back on Sunday evenings. I think Terry was from Littlebrook and there were a set of twins from there as well. In addition to Ben Baldwin, we had Mr Osborn, I can’t remember his first name), both of whom were excellent instructors and were ex-Royal Navy ERA’s.

An apprentice’s conference

At the end of our course an apprentice’s conference was held which was attended by all the SE region’s apprentices and lasted a week I seem to recall. At the end, we spent the evening at The Shepperd and Dog at Fulking and consumed a fair amount of beer or cider. I remember visiting the Max Miller house that was being refurbished and adapted as a hostel for future apprentices. The hostel was supervised by a former Yorkshire spin bowler, whose name escapes me. The thing that impressed me the most was the wall to wall carpeting in red, i think and the beds with Dunlopillo mattresses, such luxury!