John Burley was born at the start of the First World War at 3 Lister Place (now called New Windsor Terrace) which runs parallel to the upper part of Killigrew Street. After his birth his mother woke to hear the town crier calling up reservists. His upbringing and early education were largely provided by his 5 older sisters. At 61/2 he attended Trevethan Board school, an imposing building with a clock tower modelled on the one containing Big Ben in the Houses of Parliament. It was located on the hill behind the library and was unfortunately bombed in the Second World War and later demolished. He later transferred to Wellington Terrace school which is now part of University College, Falmouth. He would go home for lunch, but first had to take his father's lunch to him wherever he was working (as a mason) in the town.
Aged 11 John started at Truro Technical school (which has now been taken over by the library) travelling up on the train each day. In 1928 the family moved to 1, Kimberley Place, opposite the Roman Catholic Church on Killigrew Street, where they ran a guest house. Three years later they moved to 107 Killigrew Street where one of the sisters opened a greengrocers shop. The house is still in family ownership. Until he left home after getting married in 1938 he had spent his whole life in and around Killigrew Street. At the age of 16 he left school to become a trainee engineer at Truro gasworks, continuing to travel up by train. The novel writing started much later, in the 1960s when he was a teacher.
He remembered playing games in Killigrew Street as a boy, only occasionally being disturbed by traffic and then it was usually horse-drawn. Every Sunday he would go with the family to the large Methodist Church at the bottom of Killigrew Street and had fond memories of the marvellous singing from the packed congregation. He met his future wife there where she was a Sunday school teacher. Later he would go for long walks with her exploring the beautiful countryside around the Fal and beyond. 'As a child, Trefusis was a great place for family picnics and later a great deal of what used to be called our 'courting' was done in long walks from Flushing around Mylor and on to the Truro road. It hasn't changed as much as most places, thanks largely to the Trefusis family.' ( Extract from a letter to a Wycliffe fan in 1992). The views from the footpath around this beautiful headland are as spectacular today as ever they were.
© Alan Burley
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