Boxing
A popular pastime on St. Helier
Rosehill Boxing Club was founded early on in the estate's life. It still runs, though its venue has changed. The St Helier Arms hosted several boxing matches. They were good crowd pullers. Can anyone else supply memories?
Ted Thomson (senior) displaying some of his boxing trophies in the 1930s
Ted Thomson
"I used to box - Rosehill Boxing Club. I mean, my dad was a schoolboy champion. He came off the estate and that particular era had some very good [boxers]. Boxing was encouraged in all the schools then . As we came into the sixties, it was taken off the agenda. They said it was too dangerous which was ridiculous. There was nothing wrong with kids getting in there and scrapping. No one used to get hurt. The gloves were big enough to stop them getting hurt and if they were taught properly they didn't get hurt. Fortunately I was taught properly by my dad who was very good, so they tell me. In fact some very good boxers came off the estate in the thirties, forties. Freddy Smith was one and Billy English was another . People that have spoken to me about boxing over the years have said that my dad, Ted Thomson, Billy English and Freddy Smith were the three best boxers off the estate." (Ted Thomson)
Ted Thomson (senior), Schoolboy Champion of Great Britain, 1930s
Ted Thomson
26th March 1953, Wallington & Cashalton Advertiser
Dave Perry and George Bush become national champions
Dave Perry for the second time, and George Bush, for the first, became national schoolboy boxing champions of Great Britain at the Empire Pool, Wembley, on Friday.
...Bush, the new intermediate 8st 4lb champion first started boxing in 1948 when he entered Welbeck Road County Secondary School. Trained since then by Mr. J.J. Price, the school boxing instructor, he had never before gone further than the divisional finals. He has been the school boxing captain for the past two years.
In his final, Bush, who lives at 79 Peterborough Road, Carshalton, defeated Paul Tranter, Plymouth. The bout was not a distinguished one. Tranter lacking a punch and being mainly concerned in keeping away from Bush, who was not troubled to win points.