I was born in March 1955 in Swindon at the then Maternity Home at the junction of Kent Road, Kingshill Road and Bath Road. My early years was spent living at 39 North Street in the Old Town. This house was bought by my parents just after they were married in 1954. My father Michael Suchodola died in 1960 when I was 5 and I have no memories of him at all although there are a few precious photo's of him.
Mum met and married Terry Lavelle in 1963 the year of the big freeze, at Holy Rood Church Groundwell Road Swindon. We were Catholics and I went to Holy Rood Infant then Primary School. The Catholic population was growing and Holy Rood School was too small to accommodate all of the pupils so two classrooms were used in Dixon Street School. My Teacher there was a lady who went by the name of Madam O'Gorman. She was a nice lady despite the fearsome sounding name.
Some of the Holy Rood pupils went to what were (I think) old war time huts at the Lawns. I spent a short while going there and my teacher was Mr O'Hanlon. There was some reorganisation and new 'temporary' huts were sited at the St Joseph's Lower School on Queens Drive, so Dixon Street and The Lawns were no longer needed.
After Mum married Terry we all changed our name to Lavelle so from 1963 I was known as David Lavelle. When I joined the Royal Navy in 1971 I had to decide to either change my name by deed poll or use my birth (certificate) name of Suchodola, I chose that.
