1960 Colin McGowan R.I.P.
Colin died some years ago. He had been in Australia, and at sometime was injured in a serious road accident. After living in Australia for a while he went to live in Spain were he is belived to have died from cancer.
– David Ross Walker (2007)
I remember Colin as we lived round the corner to him and his family. He had a brother, Ian, if its the same one. He lent me his bike when I was 12 to pop up to the paper shop at little Heath. Going along I hit a kerb and came off facedown along the gravel. Eight stitches in a hole underneath my eye, I still have the scar, his bike wasn’t that good either. He was a great mate, and was sad when they moved away. Such sad news but such happy memories of halcyon days.
Jennifer Want
I knew a Colin McGowan, not sure if it is the same person but sounds like him as to the accident and cancer. I didn’t know he went to Mayfield. I use to drink with him in The Wheelers pub Stratford in the early 80s. He was a partner with Trevor Brooking in a plastics company in Stratford, Colebrook Plastics. He was living in Wanstead for a while and had a bad car accident, I believe, in France on his way to Spain. Then heard he had died of cancer about 20 years ago.
Had some good memories of Colin. I used to sit next to him in the second year, Mr Gregory’s class. We hung out a lot before he went to Australia. Sad to hear of his passing.
I remember Colin although he was some years older than me. I was his cousin and have memories of him and his brothers Ian and John. His dad, Ernie, was my dad’s brother. I lost contact with the family many years ago but was sad to hear of Colin’s early death from cancer.
I knew Colin in my school days we lived just around the corner in Abercorn Gdns. I remember his mum and dad well and the odd sneaky underage beer we had with his dad. He was always a great character and my mum loved his laugh. His two brothers John and Ian were keen footballers. John I think was a journalist. We lost contact in later years, going our own ways through work and my love of motorbikes which I seem to remember his mum hate. But I do remember his factory in Stratford, Colbrook Plastics. Sad to hear of his passing so early in Spain, which is now my home. R.I.P Colin.
I worked for Modoprint which was adjoned to Colbrook Plastics. I met Colin on a fair few occasions. He would make tea in the shared kitchen. He was quite a moody chap but quite fun. I remember he would be hung over a fair bit. I recall he had quite small hands.
It would have been the early 1970’s when I was out getting spare parts for a customers car in my old Land Rover. There had been a lot of flooding due to heavy rain. I was driving along Selinas Lane, Chadwell Heath, and came across a flooded with a car stranded in the middle of it. I stopped to help and lo, it was Colin. I backed up to his car, waded in and hitched a rope on the car, hauled it out, dried the ignition system and he wasa on his way again. I didn’t charge him for this service as we knew each other being in the same class at school.
I new Colin when he lived in Australia, he shared a flat with my future husband David Boreham & several other lads. We came to live in England in 1966 & David & I did meet up with Colin then, we also attended Colin’s 21st birthday party. He was such a lovely guy & we all shared lots of happy times in Australia. David died in 2006 & I stayed on in England