My BIOGRAPHY
Born in London to Mary and John William Badgery, I moved several times as a youngster, from SW18 to Clapham, till I was about 5, then to Rosehill, Wimbledon, Newmarket, Brighton, then Streatham, when I was about 11. That was the problem, everytime I came home from school, My mum and Dad had moved.(not really,but felt like it) I spent my teens in Streatham, and my spell in the army, Royal Fusiliers (Infantry), then after many a job and business venture, ended back in Carshalton. Married a couple of times, and having four lovely children.
It hasent been an easy journey, but you pick yourself up, dust your self off, you know the rest.
I suppose driving and drumming have always been with me as a child. From the age of about 5, I remember turning an old pram upside down in the garden, using the wheel as my steering, and my dad putting a peice of wood in to the ground, and using it as a gearstick. I used to spend hours there, driving all over the Country. Well we did'nt have game consoles or pc's then.
And as for the drumming bit goes, I had many a thick ear from my mum, cos I would always tap on the table at dinner time, or play with my willie, (I was only seven at the time) But I got a thick ear for either..
My early days at school were great .I went to Malmesbury Rd School at Rosehill . And I was captain of everything sports, and got quite a few medals and certificates. Then we moved to Streatham, after passing my eleven plus, I chose not to go to grammer school,(thanks Janice xx) and went to Dunraven Secondary Modern.Which was cool until I punched the Headmaster and got suspended. By then I was 14 and taking no S$%T.
It was his own fault for picking on me. I was actually bullied by the headmaster, until that day, I thought I am not having this any more. I was allowed back to school , but it was never the same. I just wanted to get out and get a job, and discover the world..
Young Man !
Whilst at school I used to do part time at F.Bright, (Family butcher) in Balham on Tuesday nights and all day Saturday.which was cool. The old couple that owned the shop were really old fahioned about everything, He would do the butchering , and she would be in the kiosk, taking the money. They always looked after me, made sure I ate something, and sent me home with some meat for the family, and always a joint at weekends, never knew what I was going to get,(whatever was left) but always something.
Bless them, they were real sweeties. After a while he started to show me how to bone shins of beef, cut up lambs, and make sausages, so when I left school. I started there full time, Which I loved doing, My first taste of meeting someone famous, was delivering on a Saturday to a house in Streatham, where Michael Caines mum lived. And years later he was one of the Stars I drove, along with Roger Moore, when they were doing Children in Need.
Mr Bright became ill, and the shop had to close. I got a job in a shoe shop in Tooting, called Sherrys, and was there for a few years, doing overtime for them at Chapel Market, on Sunday Mornings. I then joined the Army, The ROYAL FUSILIERS (Infantry) That is another story. Then (by accident) found I had Rhythm, and behind a drum kit for the first time, found I could play them.
After trying my hand at different careers,spent 20 years driving the Stars around including touring in Europe, I am now a Director of a Security company, based in Mitcham........
