Old Photos, Some Memories and a Lot of Guesswork – Part One

I do not know where my parents started their married life (although the family tree shows that they were married in Lambeth in 1894) or where my sisters Trissie, Rene and Winnie were born, although my brother Dick was born in Camberwell in 1901. But according to Photo 1 they were living in Boykett Villas, Copleston Rd. East Dulwich, in a house built in 1902 and my sister Phyllis is the baby who was born in 1903. They shared the house with cousins who I can only guess at. Photo 2 seems to be taken in that garden.

Then it seems they moved to 70 Canonbie Rd. Honor Oak, which Father named “Mount Edgcumbe” after an estate in Cornwall which could have come the way of the Roskilly family so the story goes. Unfortunately there is no proof that this was true as the family tree actually shows that our family settled in Lanreath in the 18th century, moved to Devonport and Plymouth in the 19th century. One of the family Anthony, born in 1777, a tailor, brought his family up to London for work I presume, and through him and his descendants we arrived in South East London.

At about the same time as our family moved to Honor Oak, apparently the Atwell’s did the same. Although Doug was born on the 29th May 1901 at 94 Holland Road, Brixton, when he was about 3 years old his family moved to Netherby Road, which is almost opposite “Mount Edgcumbe”. Originally they moved to a house down on the left hand side called “Roslyn”, but after a short time they moved over the Road to “The Cedars” later numbered 25 Netherby Road – see Photo 3 – where his parents lived until the day they died. Photo 4 is one of Doug taken at about the time they first lived in Netherby Road when he was aged about five.

Our family were apparently long time friends of the Atwell’s, and knew each other even before both families moved to Honor Oak, as my Mother and Doug’s Mother both sang in the choir in the Catholic Apostolic Church in Camberwell. Ever since I can remember I knew his parents as Uncle Jim and Aunty Bob, which were both nicknames as their real names were Arthur and Ada. Photo 5 is of both of them taken some years later on holiday, probably the Isle of Wight. Although Doug was Christened Arthur Douglas, he was always known as “Doug” so as not to confuse him with his father.

Photo 6 shows my brother and sisters in the garden at the back of “Mount Edgcumbe”, with sister Doris as a baby about 1906, and as I was born on the 17th October 1907, Photo 7 must have been taken when I was about one and a half years old in about 1909. Photo 8 was taken about 1910 in the summer with Uncle Walter and his children. In Photo 9 to Photo 12 sister Muriel (Bobby) is the baby then , born in 1910 and we are on holiday at Littlehampton and I am rather prominent with Grandpa. Note Grandma, Mother and Trissie in large hats, even the children in some sort of sun hat.

We got drawn into working for Dr. Barnados by a Mrs. Powell (no relation) who lived down the road. She held sewing mornings on Saturdays for all the local children and taught them a lot, I learnt to crochet. She organised fairs every year which were held in her sister-in law’s large garden with maypoles and entertainments. Photo 13 was taken about 1911 and Photo 14 about 1913. Everybody worked for it which was very good for us and they made a lot of money. It was typical of Phyllis to go round hearthstoning people’s doorsteps for 6d (old money) a time. Phyllis never minded what she did and was always a forthright person who often spoke her mind, sometimes not always thinking too carefully about what she was saying.

A later memory I have of Phyllis, as an example of what I mean, was on the occasion that a large lump of ceiling fell onto the dining table early one Sunday morning. After we had cleared up the mess, and finally had our breakfast, being highly thankful that we had not actually been at the table when the plaster fell, we were about to go to church when Phyllis exclaimed “we are going to church to pray for the ceiling falling down”. We knew that she really meant that we were to give thanks that we had all been spared from a lump on our heads, but with Phyllis being well known for not quite saying the right thing, we all thought her remark really funny at the time.

Photo 15 taken about 1912 sees Mother with all us girls on the steps at “Mount Edgcumbe” with cousins and lupins in the background. In Photo 16 we are all lined up and Photo 17 shows the four youngest.

One of my earliest memories would be about 1912/13 when the family and friends had a marvellous fancy dress party and Mother made our dresses. Cupid for Bobby who was about two, butterfly for me and fairy for Doris complete with wings. Several people I can remember; Doug as a clown, Phyllis a Dutch girl, Father and Mother as Lord and Lady Teasel. There was dancing in the dining room, refreshments upstairs in the nursery and sitting out in the drawing room and on the stairs. I know we were sent to bed but spent most of the time peeping over the bannisters. I wish there was a photo of this event, especially one in colour, it would have been most interesting.

In Photo 18 Father has bought the field next door and we are all sitting on a horsehair seat, which usually lived in the hall, and there is a seesaw and an odd child behind. This field was later turned into a tennis court, and over the years many friends and relations played there.

Photo 19 shows a large picnic on Wimbledon Common, a yearly affair, with many aunts and cousins, I remember most of them – I’m still prominent.

Photo 20 and Photo 21 shows “Mount Edgcumbe” from the front and back as it was before the extension was built which I think was in 1918 at the end of the first World War. Photo 22 and Photo 24 shows Mother and Father with me, one of Dick, and Mother and Grandpa all at the back. The photo of Grandpa was probably the last one of him before he died aged 70, which was in 1913, when I was aged six. I recall that Doug was especially asked to sing “O for the wings of a Dove” to Grandpa as he lay in bed shortly before he died, as Doug, who was aged 12 then, was due back at Lady Craven’s choir school at Ashdown, Berkshire. Photo 25 gives a view from the front of the house of the laurels and down the hill, which was quite steep, with One Tree Hill opposite where Queen Elizabeth I sat and looked at London. What for I do not know, but a wonderful view.

The Great War did not seem to affect us much except when the Green Lane gun in Dulwich went off once and frightened us stiff. There was also a gun on One Tree Hill which went off once and broke the foundations. A small bomb fell on the gates of Dulwich Park which I remember seeing and of course the Zeppelins came over which looked like silver cigars in the searchlights. One was hit and broke in half and fell flaming at Cuffley, a terrible sight, which we all saw from Mother’s bedroom window. Occasionally when the anti aircraft guns were firing, we all came downstairs and sat along the wall in the drawing room while Grandma had palpitations and was given nips of brandy or salvolatile. As Grandpa had died, Grandma was living with us permanently then. They had previously lived together nearby at 56a Forest Hill Road.

In 1918, when I was about 11, Father rented a house called “Dallington” – see Photo 26 – at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight for two months. Trissie married John Green – see Photo 27 – and spent their honeymoon there, probably in July and we all stayed there for August. I recall when we came off the ferry having to say we were British as the Great War was not over until November 11th. Douglas also seemed to be having a school holiday at Bembridge School and turned up occasionally.

When we arrived back from Bembridge and saw the extension to the house it looked like a palace, all red brick and an exciting pattern. The large Photo 28 shows the outside view. Inside was a huge billiard room downstairs, and upstairs two new bedrooms and a bathroom, making a long corridor all the length of the house with big airing cupboards and hot tank, but no central heating, not that we noticed that.

Father was very fond of dancing and snooker, and when the billiard room was built it was used for both activities. With so many of us girls, dancing was popular and we started with the Lancers and Valeta and ended up with the Charleston and the Black Bottom. Soon boys came along and more often than not snooker won.

In Photo 29 taken in August 1919 I am on a visit to Kensington gardens with friend Lorna and Mother, the only time I have seen the Peter Pan statue. It is terrible to remember that this same friend, my oldest friend from school, who later married was staying with her mother and aunt during the 2nd World War in their semi basement flat in Forest Hill (her husband was I presume away in the forces) were killed by the direct hit of a bomb even though the flats were in a big block where the basements were always presumed to be safe. I never heard about it until a long time after so it must have been after we had evacuated to Kingswood, but more of that later.

Old Photos, Some Memories and a Lot of Guesswork – Part Two

Doug’s brother Claude returned from India about 1919. Photo 30 of him in his uniform was probably actually taken in 1914. Claude brought Frank Steele with him, who soon settled in and lived with the Atwell’s until he married Rene. They both found jobs in the Civil Service and on many occasions entertained us with their patter songs which they had used to entertain the troops in India, they were so professional.

Early in 1920 we had a holiday in Tankerton, see Photo 31, and spent our time near The Street, was there more sand then?

In Photo 32 the seesaw is still used and in Photo 33 Muriel was the first one to have her hair bobbed. I still had my curls and Doris her plait. It was Doug who called Muriel “Bobby” after her hair style and it stuck for the rest of her life.

One year Mrs. Powell hired the garden of a large house which in the Great War was used as a soldier’s convalescent home. Then me and my friends made up a ballet of the seasons. We made all our frocks grecian style and danced barefoot in a lovely enclosed part of the estate. It was fun and seemed to be popular. See the large Photo 34, Photo 35 and Photo 36 which are of us rehearsing in the garden at “Mount Edgcumbe”.

We always seemed to have visitors, various Aunts and Uncles and their families came to see us. Photo 37 is of Uncle Sydney Thompson and company in the garden. Uncle Sydney was related by marriage through his wife Ethel Roskilly, the daughter of Marian and George Cox Roskilly. Photo 38 is of Uncle Walter (Father’s Brother) and his family and friends sitting on the grass, as usual I seem to be prominent. I always remember “Aunty” Grandma (Elizabeth Roskilly) as we called her in her widow’s weeds, old fashioned bonnet and veil and I realised eventually why she was so called. It was because she and her husband Richard Roskilly adopted father (their Cousin’s Son) when his parents died when he was only nine.

Photo 39 shows Grandma’s sister (a Deavin) who wore a small black cap on her head rather like a jew, perhaps she had a bald patch. She also wore a bonnet. I must say that Grandma (Ann Roskilly) in the centre of the photo never wore anything to flaunt her widowhood, she had curly white hair which was bobbed and she laughed a lot – Photo 40 – was typical of her. When Aunt Marian Roskilly, another widow, visited us we had to be so proper and have morning prayers and grace before meals.

Later in 1920 Doug’s sister Winnie was Married to John Cummings (Jack) and as can be seen in Photo 41 my sister Winnie and I were bridesmaids. This photo was taken in the back garden of the Atwell’s house ” The Cedars”.

Photo 42, Photo 43 and Photo 44. Our first exciting holiday was in 1922 near the river Thames at Egham where we learnt to punt and row. The Atwells had a tiny house boat in front of us on the water – Photo 45. There were a few mishaps, trying to step from a rowing boat on to dry land was rather hazardous. Dorry Crump (Claude’s wife to be) had a bad time when the boat drifted slightly while she was hanging on to the landing post and she was stretched out over the water and nearly fell flat in. Claude saved her bacon by jumping in the water and catching her. We had many picnics by the side of the river and Grandma came too, in a punt and always with her hat on.

Another year, probably 1923, Father took us three youngest (Bobby, Doris and myself) together with Uncle Walter, Aunty Flossie (his 2nd wife) and Gladys to Ilfracombe – Photo 46 and Photo 47. We learnt how wonderful the West Country was, visiting Clovelly, Woolacombe, Doone Valley and had some lovely Devonshire teas, especially at a famous place called the “Hunters Inn” – Photo 48.

In 1924 we three youngest stayed alone at “Morris’s Farm”, near Whitecliff Bay, I.O.W. – see Photo 49 – and quite enjoyed ourselves but it gave Father fits having us there alone and he came down one weekend and stayed with the Hapgoods (Harry and Amy) just to see if we were alright. Photo 50 shows Father keeping an eye on us. I think he felt happier once we were courting with boys he knew; Doug for me, Eric Powell (our first cousin) for Bobby and Harold Collins for Doris. Because with later holidays he never worried as we usually went away together.

As I mentioned earlier, the field next to the house was turned into a tennis court, and Photo 51 is typical of one of the tennis parties taken at about this period of time.

Anyway in 1925 Father arranged a fantastic holiday in Whitecliff Bay (I.O.W.) by taking over a whole boarding house – Photo 52 – apart for one honeymoon couple, poor things. Nineteen of us including Uncle Walter’s family, Frank Steele and his Brother Pip (courting Rene and Phyllis respectively) and as usual Doug, Eric and Grandma. Photo 53 shows most of us on the shore with me and Father at the back and Photo 54 shows the three oldest Roskilly ladies: Mother, Grandma Ann and Aunty Flossie (Uncle Walter’s second wife) sitting on swings, which were in a field by the boarding house.

We had great fun together, went walking in bunches, one long one through the fields and “standing grass” to Brading, and an outing to Carisbrooke Castle. See the lovely picture – Photo 55 – of Grandma coming out of the main gates like Queen Victoria with her minions.

This year or was it 1924 I left school and went straight to work for John Green (Trissie’s husband) in the Commercial Calculating Company which meant learning to use a Comptometer before being sent out to different firms to do their stocktaking, new issues etc. I learnt a lot and got some confidence so when one firm offered me a job for more money I left the C.C.C. and worked for Caxton Floors until I left to get married.

In 1926 we had our best holiday ever in Polhawn Fort near Cawsand, Cornwall – Photo 56 and Photo 57 – Doug and me, Harold and Doris and Eric and Bobby – all courting couples – with Harold’s sister Kathleen, and his cousin Amy Stephens, and Bill Major, a friend of Doug’s from the bank. Photo 58 shows us girls and Photo 59 shows the boys. We filled the place which was built on the side of a cliff. It had enormous rooms and very deep windows which had been used as gun emplacements, fantastic. We lived in one huge room, girls slept in another and the boys in the last one. A footpath led down the cliff to a private beach, which was all ours, sand and wonderful bathing.

One night the owners Mr. Powell and his wife, a retired publican, had a party for all their rural friends and they asked Doug to play the piano for them. This he did and they sang old songs and danced while glasses of beer mounted on the piano. We never laughed so much as we did that night, giggling outside the door. I do not know how Doug stuck it, he was good at that sort of thing. That fort is now a hotel but I bet it is not so nice as when we were there.

I cannot remember what we did in 1927, although Rene and Frank were married on the 6th August – see Photo 60.

I also cannot recall what we did in 1928, but by this time Doug and I were engaged and Doug’s brother Claude finally got married to Dorry in the latter part of that year and went to live in a flat next to Hornimans Museum.

In 1929 Dick got married to Dolly (Doris Hobbs) in Bembridge – Photo 61 and Photo 62 – so we took a house called Watergate – Photo 63 – and had an assortment of people staying there. Photo 64 and Photo 65 show Doug and I standing by the gate. I think Bobby must have been ill with T.B. at the time because she was not there.

1930 was the year that Phyllis and Pip Steele were married in the spring – see Photo 66. I did not mention it earlier, but Pip was not his real name, which was actually Wallis, but he had been known as Pip since he was a baby, having been referred to then as a “little pip” and it stuck with him for the rest of his life.

Anyway later that year Doug and I, Harold and Doris, Amy and her cousin’s husband Brian, arranged a holiday at a farm near Boscastle, a small place called Beeny which turned out to be truly rural – Photo 67 shows us all excluding Brian, Photo 68 shows Doug and I and Photo 69 shows Amy and I. You entered through a muddy farmyard, full of chickens, a loo at the end of the garden and two enormous shire horses to do the ploughing – see Photo 70 and Photo 71. It was great fun even when the wall crumbled as Amy moved her bed out. However being May the thrift was out so it was very beautiful. We visited Tintagel and saw King Arthur’s Castle, the brave ones walked round the tiny footpath on the edge of the cliff to visit the spot, but not for me. I sat amongst the thrift and enjoyed the heavenly view.

We also visited Looe, if only I had known then how near we were to the Roskilly ancient home, from 1700 at least, Lanreath. I wonder what the Roskillys of those days did, they all seemed to stick together as we did as a family once we were married. No doubt they were Celts and probably moved there from lower down in Cornwall near St. Keverne. It has apparently been written in some ancient document that in the 34th year of the reign of Henry VIII, which was about 1543, that “Euryn Reskelly being seigned of one messuage: 80 acres, 20 of meadow. 40 of pasture and 20 of gorse in Reskelly in fee by inheritance on 6th September (1543?) Alexander Penrose of Trethne, Pascow Careyn of Polhorman, Ralf Jenkyn of Garrowe, John Tregouse of Tregouse Keryn (Keverne), William Williams of Grognth and others entered by force and still keep possession”.

In 1931 Doug and I were actually allowed to go away alone to stay with Dolly’s mother and Father, Mr and Mrs. Hobbs at Bembridge. Photo 72 and Photo 73 shows Doug and I outside their house, Photo 74 shows me together with Mr Hobbs and their son Harold (Dolly’s brother). Mrs Hobbs cooked us wonderful food and as it was May and the weather was dodgy we spent a lot of time at the “Crab and Lobster” playing darts. A truly rural pub then.

1931 was also the year that Doris and Harold Collins married on the 8th September – see Photo 75 – which was rather a grand affair.

So this was the end of my early life, which, on looking back, I realise how safe and comfortable it was. We were so lucky to have been born into a large family which nobody can afford these days and with a father who was so good to us and a Mother who worked so hard. But we all helped with the work and when one got married the next one in line left work to help in turn.

 

The Feeding of a Large Family

With eleven sitting down for a meal, eating was quite an event. Sunday dinner was the meal of the week, usually a leg of mutton with roast potatoes and vegetables in season. This followed by No. 52 as Father called it, which was apple pie and custard. All very nice and plenty of it. Breakfast was porridge, ugh, done in a double saucepan for an hour or two and toast. High tea was usually bread and jam and cake (home made) sometimes tinned meat or fish, salad was not fashionable in those days and fruit, although cheap, was expensive for a large family. When we were ill with childhood complaints though, we usually had one fruit meal a week. Orange, banana and apple with a chunk of bread, greatly enjoyed.

On Mondays, the great washing day, it was cold meat and bubble and squeak and leftovers for pudding. We all had large white starched serviettes for meals with numbered rings , the young ones usually wore starched pinafores and cotton knickers with lace around the legs, some washing! There were also loads of pillowcases and sheets but later on the latter went to the laundry. Most washing was done by hand with a scrubbing board, later on a pump in a large tub and eventually one of the first round washing machines. Washing hung in the garden on two long lines and a wooden rack in the kitchen with six poles.

Meals in the week were varied, we even had fillet steak and stews. Mutton stews were pale and ghastly. Fish on Fridays and plenty of steamed puddings, boiled and baked rice and pastry. When relations called to see Grandma and stayed to tea, it was normally macaroni cheese, the good old stand by, or tea in the garden with sandwiches and cake.

From Marriage to the End of the War: Edie’s War – Part One

1932 was the year of our wedding.  I left the office with a present of a sewing machine, which was very useful in making my clothes.  Unfortunately Grandma was taken very ill just before our wedding day and had to have a night nurse.  Father was persuaded not to cancel the wedding, so for the first time Mother had caterers to do the refreshments.

So finally after a four year engagement waiting for two of my sisters and my brother to get married, Doug and I had a lovely wedding at the Catholic Apostolic Church in Camberwell on the 4th June 1932.  Eric Powell was Doug’s best man, and we had a full choir and communion, too long for some of the guests.  As there was a big crowd Father hired a coach to take everybody back to “Mount Edgcumbe”.  Doug’s family and relations, were old friends, so everybody knew one another, which made it very jolly, even though the weather was not very nice, rather cold in fact.  Photo 76  and Photo 77 are some of our official wedding pictures and Photo 78 and Photo 81 are a few of the pictures taken by members of the family.

As we were travelling to the West Country we did not have much time.  So after a rather short reception we said goodbye to Grandma not expecting to see her again and made a hectic exit.  Doug carried out by four males and me sneaking out the back way, and were taken to Waterloo by car.  Grandma of course got better and did not die until 1935.

After a long train journey to Barnstaple, we caught a bus to some remote spot on the moor, hoping to be picked up by a taxi ordered to take us to Woody Bay Hotel on the coast of North Devon a few miles from Lynton and Lynmouth.  It turned up promptly luckily, as by this time it was raining and misty and we were glad to be given a meal of hot soup and cold snack when we arrived, and were dumped in a room full of people for coffee, rather an ordeal.  Photo 82 shows the hotel as it is at the present time – taken by Chris in 1991.

It turned out the next day that there were three couples also on honeymoon, apart from one elderly spinster and one bachelor, poor man – see Photo 83,  Photo 84, Photo 85 and Photo 86.

This hotel was a wonderful spot in the trees, but we could see the sea from our bedroom window – Photo 87.  We had many lovely walks through this heavenly part of North Devon, including walking up the river Lyn to Watersmeet, fantastic, and through the Valley of the Rocks, also we had some kindly car rides to various tea houses, including the “Hunters Inn” for strawberries and Devonshire cream.

After this dream honeymoon we spent the next six years in our large maisonette at 3A Manor Mount in Forest Hill – Photo 88.  This maisonette had two large rooms upstairs, sitting room and bedroom, and downstairs the semi basement had one large room at the front, empty except for a billiard table, which Uncle Jim gave us for a wedding present.  The table had a covered top so it could be used for meals.  The maisonette had a comfortable breakfast room, with a coke fire, which we used for most of our own meals, and there was a small kitchen with an old fashioned walk in pantry.  The bathroom had an old fashioned geyser, a modern device in those days.  There was half a garden for our use.  This home only cost us 30/-shillings, old money, and was eventually actually reduced to 25/-shillings.  The owner, a local builder even used to redecorate it for us without charge.

One of the first things we did was to have a celebration dinner for the four parents, and various Aunts and Uncles.  Later on we had an “American party”, meaning bring your own food and drink, for the younger members of our family and friends.  Soon after we had musical evenings, mainly for church friends, and after choir practice various young men from the choir came in for tea and cake.  Then we fooled about to the music on the radio.  This became a weekly event.  Our home was quite near “Mount Edgcumbe”, so we often visited, and there were many family picnics in the garden on bank holidays etc.  Photo 89 is a good example of one of those picnics.

Soon after our wedding and honeymoon, we were invited by Doug’s cousin Vera (nee Jones) and her husband Eddie Edmonds, an Australian, to spend a weekend with them on Wallasea, near the river Crouch in Essex.  Where they lived was almost like an island, covered with dykes, and  to get there you had to row across the river.  There was only one house on this place – Photo 90, which they lived in with their three children – Photo 91, and next to it was a school house where Vera taught a few local children, including her own.  They had to use pump water – Photo 92, which was so salty that tea tasted awful, and walking upstairs was quite dangerous as you had to duck your head to escape the low ceiling.  The bed we slept in had a terrible bumpy mattress, but we survived, being young at the time.

Doug went shooting with Eddie – Photo 93, who was a little bit boastful about his ability but missed his target, whereas Doug hit his.  I think he thought that Doug would not be very good at the sport, but he was better than he realised.  But Eddie was a very likeable and kind man – Photo 94 is of him with his two youngest children.

On the Sunday we went for a picnic up the Crouch in their rowing boat with a rigged up sail, for a picnic on the riverside – Photo 95 – which was quite fun.  Altogether the weekend was quite an experience.  Their eldest daughter Jill was actually one of my bridesmaids with her cousin Shirley, the daughter of Vera’s sister Phyllis Pitcher – both being shown in our wedding photo.

Doug being a junior staff member of a bank, had holidays at peculiar times, and so the following year, 1933, our holidays were a week in May and a week in October.  So in May we arranged to stay in the “Crab and Lobster” at Bembridge, which was a truly rural fisherman’s pub in those days, but upstairs they had nice rooms, and the landlords wife we knew was a good cook.  Rob Butterfield, a church friend and the organists son, had his holidays at the same time, so came with us.  Actually it was good fun, but Rob would never come down into the bar, because of the smoky atmosphere.

One day we decided to walk to Ventnor, because Rob was going to visit a friend in a sanatorium.  We planned to walk back up the steps called Jacob’s ladder and over the Boniface Downs, but found it was further than we realised, and took us over two hours, so we were very late for dinner and I had blisters.  Photo 96, Photo 97, Photo 98 and Photo 99 are some of our snaps from this holiday.

In June my sister Bobby was the last of us to get married.  She and Eric Powell were married on the 10th June 1933, and this time Doug was able to return the compliment by being best man to Eric.  Photo 100 was their official wedding picture.

Father used to go and stay in a hydro in Matlock, nearly every year, for the waters, and this year he invited Frank and Rene, Doug and I to go with him and Mother for our October holiday.  Wonderful place and wonderful food, but Doug or I did not try any of the steam baths, but Frank did, although I do not think he thought much of it really.  We did not walk much because of Mother’s bad legs, but I wished we could have gone to see Chatsworth House, which we could see in the distance. Photo 101, Photo 102, Photo 103 and Photo 104 are a few snaps we took at the time.

In 1934, if I remember rightly, Winnie arranged a holiday in Porth, near Newquay in Cornwall.  We stayed in a boarding house with our church friends, Basil and Esther Wood, Eric and Bobby and Winnie herself.  It was so near the sea and down the road Trissie and John and their two girls, Audrey and Sheila, were staying in a cottage at the same time.  Newquay was to our left and to the right was a large bay, called Watergate Bay, where we tried our skill at surfing, not very successfully I am afraid.  Unfortunately it rained a lot that year, so there were many card games played, all the same it was a jolly holiday and as Photo 105, Photo 106 and Photo 107 show we were not indoors all the time.

In 1935 I think we boarded together with Rene and Frank at Bembridge, but judging by the pictures, Eric’s brother John Powell and his wife Margaret were staying somewhere nearby, and Mother and Father must have been staying with the Hapgood’s, as we seemed to be picnicking together a great deal.  Photo 108,  Photo 109, Photo 110,  Photo 111, Photo 112 and Photo 113 are all of this holiday.

Early in 1936 I found I was pregnant and Christopher was eventually born on the 14th August, so no holiday for us that year.  Rob Butterfield was Godfather to Chris who was christened in September, Photo 114 was taken that day, and I seem to be rather amused at something, but I do not remember what it was.

As far as I can recall, we did not have a holiday in 1937, presumably as our life then was taken up with our first baby.  Photo 115 and Photo 116 are of Chris in his early years, gradually growing up, taken at “Mount Edgecumbe” – the second with Doris and her two boys, Denzil and Alan, Bobby must have also been there as Graham is also in the picture – Father is also in the background.  In Photo 117 Chris is at the back of Manor Mount.

In 1938 we did have a holiday, and this year we rented a house in Wittering with Phyllis and Pip and their two children, and hired someone to do the work and cooking.  I seem to remember that Bobby and Eric and Graham came down part of the time.  So there were four children, and Chris, being only two, kept running into the sea with all his clothes on.  This was a typical seaside holiday, bathing, paddling and sand castles and a few tears.  I recall that Graham broke a small pane of glass in the door and the overflow pipes got blocked up.  Photo 118, Photo 119, Photo 120, Photo 121, Photo 122  and Photo 123 are of this holiday.

Sadly, shortly after this holiday, Father died at the end of July 1938 and life changed a bit.  Mother didn’t want to leave “Mount Edgcumbe”, so we decided to move there and live separately in our own rooms, but share food together with Mother and Winnie.  This arrangement worked well.  Christopher had four mothers, including the maid Elizabeth – see Photo 124 – and we had lots of fun with other members of the family in the garden – Photo 125 and Photo 126.

From Marriage to the End of the War: Edie’s War – Part Two

1939 was the year we rented a house in Lane End for our holidays, and three families stayed there, Rene with Frank and Michael, Phyllis with Pip, Jackie and Derek, and Doug with me and Chris – Photo 127.  I was pregnant again at this time.  The children did not always agree with each other and Michael seemed to spend most of his meals under the table, nevertheless it was an enjoyable holiday.  Mother seemed to be staying somewhere as well and by the look of it we hired a hut and hammock chairs – Photo 128.

Soon after this holiday on 19th August 1939 I produced unexpected triplets and startled everybody, including myself.  They were so early and immature that two of the girls didn’t survive, but the first one, Ann, weighing only 1 1/2 lbs, was cared for by the nursing sisters in a nursing home near The Crystal Palace and miraculously survived.

All this time, talk of war was imminent and by the 2nd September 1939 all children were expected to be evacuated, so Christopher, then just 3 and me went straight from the nursing home taken by Charles Butterfield down to Kingswood, Surrey, where my sister Doris and her husband Harold Collins lived, leaving Doug behind with Mother and Winnie, because he had his job to do, and Ann the surviving triplet in the nursing home, because she was too small to be moved.  They covered her in cotton wool and fed her with a fountain pen filler.

On the 3rd September 1939 Mr Chamberlain announced that the United Kingdom had declared war on Nazi Germany.  Almost immediately there was an air raid siren and I don’t think any of us moved a muscle, but it was a false alarm.  Then began the phoney war when nothing seemed to happen, until after a week or two I suddenly had the most terrible pains in my stomach, which blew up as if I was about to have triplets again and was rushed to Redhill hospital, where the doctors betted on what the reason was: an abscess?: a fourth baby?, what quads?!!.  In fact it turned out to be an ovarian cyst which was bleeding internally and filled a basin, so no wonder I was so large.  Anyhow, I recovered quickly, so returned to Kingswood.

As the phoney war was continuing, we returned to “Mount Edgcumbe” early in 1940, but by April 1940, the Germans attacked Norway and Denmark and started the Blitzkrieg to the West and overran Belgium, Holland and eventually France, until they reached the channel ports and our armies were trapped in Dunkirk, from where many of them were evacuated by sea and many died.  Then of course we all knew it was England’s turn next.

Photo 129 is of Chris and I with Ann in the garden of “Mount Edgecumbe” taken during this time, and is one of the earliest pictures of Ann together with photos (130/132) showing Ann alone and with Bobby and her Boys.

On the 13th August 1940, the German Luftwaffe bombed our airfields and started the Battle of Britain and on the 7th September the docks were set alight by fire bombs which started the blitz of London.  Doug and I had a good view of this event, because as “Mount Edgcumbe” was situated on a hill at Honor Oak and us being in the garden we suddenly saw and heard what looked like an army of flies over the East where the docks were.  We soon realised what they were, especially when the area burst into a mass of flames.  Soon the crowds of sightseers came up the hill and stayed until dark, but quickly rushed away when bombers found their way up the river lit by the flames and started bombing London.

One man was so scared, that he came in our house and wanted to come down our cellar where we all were, five of us and two children, the couple from next door and four of their friends.  Doug kept going outside, but was warned by a warden to go in because of the shrapnel from our anti-aircraft guns.  Then a fire bomb landed under the oak tree at the back of the garden, so we all rushed up with a stirrup pump, which accidentally sprayed Mr Arnold from next door.  Somebody kicked the fire bomb and it went out, so that was a bit of fun.

This incident also reminds me of how our piano was damaged by shrapnel.  Whilst we were staying at “Mount Edgecumbe”, we used the dining room as our lounge and kept our piano in there near to the front windows.  One night some shrapnel smashed through the window and went straight into the lower part of the piano damaging several of the strings, which had to be repaired at no little expense.  How fortunate that Doug had not actually been sitting playing the piano as he so often did.  The repaired hole in the piano can be seen to this day

The bombing went on for nights and we tried to make ourselves comfortable in the cellar to sleep.  Not much space with a ton of coal piled up near at hand.  The 10th September was a terrible night when our Church at Camberwell was bombed.

We thought it was time for me to take the children, Christopher and Ann, now one and bonny, down to Doris and Harold again, where we squeezed in downstairs, while London was being bombed to bits.  Surrey was not affected, but we could hear the guns and see the search lights and wondered if our families were alright at “Mount Edgcumbe” and Doug’s parents at their house “The Cedars” nearby.  But by the 15th so many of the Luftwaffe had been lost, that Hitler began to change his mind and turned to the East and Russia.  The bombing continued all winter into early 1941, but the blitz took a toll of Grandpa Jim (Doug’s father) and he suddenly died of a heart attack in his chair on the 6th June 1941 at the age of 82.  His funeral was on the 11th June at Honor Oak.

Having been at Doris and Harold’s all these months, we looked around for a house to rent and found a small cottage called “Ashdown” in Margery Lane, Lower Kingswood, near Reigate Hill. We moved in on the 5 July 1941 and settled in happily with nice neighbours, Mo and Winnie Knight, who were very kind to us and gave us a lot of help.  It had a huge long garden or allotment completely planted with growing potatoes, the poor owner of the cottage had been called up after all the hard work of putting them in and we had to pay for them and harvest them all, not Doug’s cup of tea.  Photo 133 is of Chris sort of helping out at the time.  Unfortunately there were not very many photos taken during this time, as films were not generally available.  There is no picture of “Ashdown” itself, but Photo 134 of Ann and Photo 135 of Doug, Chris and I were both taken in the front garden, and Photo 136 is of me in the back garden.

Towards the end of the year, Doug had a medical, preparatory to being called up, which he passed Grade 1.  He was just 40.

Sadly, on the 4 December 1941 his mother, Grandma Bob, died with a stroke, she was 77.  She had become helpless after Grandpa Jim had died and so lost.  On the 6th, Doug was called up, but was given compassionate leave, so Grandma’s funeral was on the 10th and he joined up on the 15th just before Christmas.  Needless to say I travelled to “Mount Edgcumbe” with the children, as the bombing had stopped, and spent a lot of time sorting out the “Cedars” with Doug’s sister, Winnie Cummings – drawers and drawers full of letters etc., which all had to be looked at.  The furniture was sold for a song, a grand piano for twenty pounds.  We could not keep anything having no real home, so sad for Doug.  He spent a few hours with us at Christmas, being brought from Woking by a bus driver.  The RASC was full of bus drivers.  He went through his “square bashing” and survived, being called Grandpa, and found two nice pals.

Early in 1942 Chris, Ann and I returned to “Ashdown”, and on the 6 February 1942 Doug had his first seven days leave, but tragically on the 10th little Ann woke and went into a coma immediately and was rushed to Redhill Hospital through the snow, but died almost at once.  Needless to say Doug’s leave was extended for the second time and there was another funeral to face.  Ann was buried in a little grave at the Parish Church of St. Andrews, Kingswood.  Chris could not go to the funeral as he was in bed with mumps and Trissie stayed to look after him.  As there was a war on with people dying at home and abroad, one could not grieve too long, so many were worse off than us, at least we were together.

Doug went back to Woking on the 17th and we carried on as before.  At the end of May he was sent to Aldershot for a Clerk’s course, which he passed, and was posted to the War Office and made a Corporal and later on a Sergeant.  To get to London meant him cycling 3 miles to Kingswood Station to catch a train to London, but at least he came home to sleep, so we had a more normal life once more, and later that year I became pregnant again.

Sally Anne was born on the 25 February 1943, just a year after Anne died, which filled a big gap.  Photos (137/138) are some of the earliest pictures of Sally as a baby, about 6 months old by then.  All the people of Lower Kingswood were very kind to us and it was a pleasant place to live, with Colley Hill not far away.  We would have liked to have stayed there.

By this time, the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and the Americans had entered the war.  Hitler was fighting the Russians, but was beaten at Stalingrad, but it all seemed so far away and unreal, until the 6th June 1944 when the allies started the largest invasion ever with the D-Day landings in Normandy.  Shortly after that on the 13th June a strange plane spitting fire passed overhead during the night and started a frightening blitz on London again, with flying bombs day and night.  We had to sleep in an Anderson Shelter in the front garden.  Luckily it was summer and Doug still travelled up to London through it all.  Photo 139 is of Doug in his uniform and stripes which he had to wear at the War Office.  As it was summer we also had many picnics at nearby Colley Hill, Photo 140 is of a picnic with all of us when Winnie Cummings was on a visit.

Not many flying bombs came our way until one fell at the end of the road, then we felt it was time to get the children out.  So in July 1944 I took them down to Wales where my sister, Bobby and her husband Eric Powell were living at Porthcawl.  We squashed into their small house with them and their two boys, Graham and Nigel, also Auntie and Uncle Powell and their granddaughter Gillian.  Later on Mother came down as well and of course Doug on his leave – what fun.  It was like a summer holiday near the sea, no sirens, no blackout and Sally learnt to walk.  But we came back again in October 1944 while the V2 rockets were exploding and causing more casualties.  Over Christmas 1944 we travelled to my sister Rene and her husband Frank Steele’s rented house at Ruislip which was quite an event.

In 1945 life went on as usual, with the War not really affecting us and the children – photo ( 141) is of Sally and Chris taken at that time.  By May 1945, after much fighting and dying on the Continent, the war in Europe was ended and thankfully by August the war with Japan also ended, by the horror of dropping two nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

On the 19 November 1945, Doug was demobbed and we moved from Lower Kingswood complete with the piano, large divan and half a ton of coal back to “Mount Edgcumbe” on November 27th.  Coal by the way was rationed together with meat, sugar, butter, sweets and clothes coupons.

Then on December 18th we moved to our new house at 104 Woodwarde Road, Dulwich Village, having bought it from Frank and Rene who, with their son Michael, were moving to a very nice bungalow with a large garden at Caterham on the Hill.  Dulwich was so near the City of London, about 20 minutes by train to London Bridge Station from North Dulwich Station.  Photo 142 is of number 104, although taken a few years later, after Liz was born.

So with Christopher aged 10 and Sally aged 3, I settled into life in a large house with four bedrooms, two large sittings rooms, a kitchen, breakfast room and rather long corridors.  This made it difficult to heat, which meant having two fires, sometimes three coal fires at weekends, and a Dimplex heater in the hall.  Anyway the house had a nice back garden – Photo 143, overlooking Alleyns School playing field, with a lovely view of St. Barnabas church in the distance – Photo 144.

Doug returned to work in the issues Dept of Lloyds Bank, City Office, Lombard Street on 1st January 1946.  So many families were moving back to London after the War and like us were not very well off, so we soon found friends and enjoyed the Village life of Dulwich.

A New Life – Part One

So with the ending of the War in 1945 and the start of a new year, we began a new life in our new house at the beginning of 1946.

Our chief job was trying to find a school for Christopher who was so far behind in all school work.  Doug seemed to think he would be able to walk into Dulwich Prep straight away, but no hope of that.  So we managed to get him into Oakfield, a private school at West Dulwich for two years.

Harold Collins who was in the RAF in Kenya, and was also demobbed about the same time, left with his family, Doris and two boys, in May 1946 for South Africa, where he expected to find a good job immediately and make a fortune, which of course he never did.  I wonder if he ever regretted leaving a permanent job and pension on retirement in Lloyds Bank the same as Doug.  I imagine they had a dreadful time on the whole, trying to bring up their two boys who, nevertheless, are now both married with families and good jobs in South Africa.

In July 1946 Chris developed violent pains and had his appendix out.  Whether it was really necessary I am not sure.  By that time I was pregnant again.  In August we went on holiday to Porthcawl again where Eric and Bobby were still living, but this time there were no doodlebugs or rockets to worry about.

I was 39 in October and on 3rd January 1947 Elizabeth was born in a Streatham nursing home – Photo 145.  The easiest birth of all, no fuss, no stitches, a nice fortnight’s holiday except that it was the year of the snow and ice.  Mother had to come and stay with us because there was no water at “Mount Edgcumbe” and it was bitterly cold.  Liz screamed a lot when being bathed and could not be christened until March when the banks of ice on the side of the road were shovelled onto lorries and carted away.

During 1947 Eric and Bobby with their two boys, Graham and Nigel moved from Porthcawl and went to live at “Mount Edgecumbe”.  Later that year Chris left Oakfield School and went to Thomas Carlton secondary school where Graham already was.  Chris met Frank Johnson, a good friend to him and they both eventually ended up as prefects.

The next year, 1948, Amy and Edgar Powell persuaded us to have a holiday at Southbourne where they were living, which we did, only Sally had to have German measles at the last minute.  So Doug and Chris left by train on the Saturday and we followed after the weekend by car all the way.  Did I feel sick with Sally being a bit fragile and Liz one year old in a high chair.  Anyhow we enjoyed it and saw plenty of the Powells, picnicking beside the river at Christchurch and bathing and playing games together etc – see photos (146/147).  We came home by car – Photo 148 is of the children waiting for him to turn up before we left. but the wretched driver had illicitly used some of his allotted petrol in the morning and ran out of it in the New Forest.    Anyway so he left us there to find a garage and a can of petrol and was absent for quite a long time.  Even then it only lasted until we got to the bottom of Woodwarde Road, so we had a trunk, high chair and all our bits and pieces to carry up the hill, including Liz – the driver got the sack needless to say.

In 1948 Sally started at the Church of England Infants School in Dulwich Village and found a friend, Pauline Stockwell, who was two years older.  Pauline had a younger sister Jeanette who was very fragile to look after and a mother who seemed to think we were so well off and who looked down on them because they lived in a council flat, which was totally untrue.

Coming home from school alone one day Sally rushed across the road in front of a lorry and a teacher on her bike coming in the opposite direction and of course I got told off and so did Sally, which upset her very much.

After this episode the house and garden was full of children and eventually it was over the fence at the bottom of the garden into Alleyn’s  school playing field, which was rarely used.  In fact we made a gate through the fence and then other children round the field came out and they all played together, having a lovely time.  Apart from the fact that I could not get them to come in to go to bed, my voice was too weak.

Doreen White and her two boys from No. 98 got very friendly, although the eldest boy Ian did not play so much with Sally, the youngest Jeremy used to play with Elizabeth for ages and we had many picnics together in various places like the Shirley Hills, because Doreen had a car – so useful.  Photo 149 is of Sally and Ian and Photo 150 taken when Ian was a bit older, with Liz on his left and Jeremy on his right.  The other two in the picture being Richard Swan and Jennifer Greenwood, all friends from the field.

What I have written up to here are vivid memories of mine, but for what follows I studied Doug’s diaries which he kept from 1940 until the day he died.  They were brief notes of various events over the years, which have helped me remember.

1949

Life was very pleasant in Dulwich and we made many friends.  I joined the Church Young Wives Fellowship and Doug started having his voice trained by a Miss Barry.  He joined the local Dulwich choir under Mr. Rafter, apart from being in the Church choir.  He also joined a local club called Post 56, so named after an old Wardens Post in the war.  Eventually a choir was formed amongst members of this club with the help of Walter Dougharty to sing carols at Christmas and  concert of May Music in the summer.

We started our regular holidays at Bembridge, I.O.W., firstly in the Willows Guest House – Photo 151 – where all five of us slept in one huge bedroom and we were so near the sea.

Sally had a spell of ill health and attended Kings College Hospital out patients dept.  I was never quite sure what was wrong with her, but thankfully she seemed to grow out of it.

1950

This year has Sally aged 7 and Liz aged 3, both busy with their friends, Doug with his many hobbies, and Chris, aged 13 going on 14, at school with his pals.

Chris went on a school Journey to Somerset in May and we had another holiday that year at The Willows, and although there were tummy bugs about, we survived and had a nice time as can be seen in photos (152/154).

1951

Doug was busier than ever with his singing commitments and Chris went on another school journey, this time to Wales in April.  With only studs in his ordinary shoes he climbed Snowdon, which seemed rather dangerous to me.

We had a week’s holiday in Frank and Rene’s bungalow at Caterham, while they were away.

We came home for Sheila’s wedding to Eric Bryant, a Methodist Minister, at Dorking.  We were taken there by Winnie who had a car by then.  Photo 155 is of the wedding group, including Trissie and John.

1952

Elizabeth started school early 1952 and made many friends, progressing rapidly – Photo 156, also see Photo 157 of Jeremy White taken at the same time.  Then Mother was taken really ill in June, but at that time there was an elderly nurse lodging in “Mount Edgcumbe” and she took over the job of night nurse for Winnie who was due to go on holiday.  Bobby and her family were living there anyway, after coming back from Wales, and Eric went back to his old job as representative of a pottery firm in London.  Rene came over from Caterham to help Bobby in the daytime, but on 6th June 1952 sadly Mother died.  Winnie was left with “Mount Edgcumbe” which she had to sell for a song as it was so big that nobody in the family wanted it.  But we did miss it so.

Winnie went to live in Dolphin Square, London in a flat on the 9th floor and she continued to work with Dick in the tie manufacturing firm of Frank Theak and Roskilly, of which Father had been a director.  Their trade mark being “Theros”.  However we still saw Winnie regularly at church in Camberwell and she often came to dinner.

In August 1952 we went for a holiday to Rustington and Chris had the mad idea that he and Doug could cycle there.  So they took a Train to Dorking where they had breakfast in the station hotel and then cycled from there to the coast.  Meanwhile, Mr. Speller, a local car hire man motored the rest of us down and we passed them on the way and laughed like mad.  But they made it alright and the cycles were useful in getting to the sea shore.

Chris had left school and started working for the Borneo Company in the city in September.  Our church friend Lex Malcolm was the Managing Director of the company.  Chris seemed to like it alright and had some money to spend at last.

1953

As Chris was old enough to babysit for me, I was free to go out in the evenings.  So I joined Post 56 with Doug.  The choir arranged to sing “Merry England” and rehearsals were held at our house under Walter Dougharty, we had a lot of fun practising.

Then on the 2nd. June Queen Elizabeth was crowned in Westminster Abbey, and Charles Butterfield bought a small seven inch television and invited us all round to watch.  With several adults and loads of children, we had a birds eye view of the service, the procession in the pouring rain, and were amused by Queen Salote of Tonga in an open carriage waving and smiling to the crowds.

In August we had a holiday in Seaview, I.O.W. and enjoyed it very much, meeting a nice family on the beach with three children, so ours had someone to play and bathe with – see photos (158/159).

There were the usual Carols to practice and sing at Post 56 in December and Doug’s Dulwich Choir concert which I usually attended.

1954

After the Post 56 dinner in February, we started rehearsing for “The Mikado” in March, but Doug was dragged into singing in a short operetta called “Plain Jane”.  Something to do with the Rugger Club I think, Photo 160 is of the actual performance – note Doug in a wig – doesn’t he look strange.  That was in March, then it was rehearsing “The Passion according to St. Mark” for the Easter Music at St. Bartholomews, Sydenham.

We had a day at the zoo on the 26th April, so tiring, and then the next day it was Doug’s musical evening at Post 56.

Doug played a lot of snooker with various people and always went to the Rugby Seven-a-Sides at Twickenham with Lex Malcolm.  We usually spent Bank Holidays at Eric and Bobby’s.

We went on a river trip with Post 56, and Lex had a party for his sister, Gertie Malcolm from Canada, lovely food but a freezing cold house.

Our holiday in August was spent at Bembridge, boarding with Dolly’s brother Harold Hobbs and his wife Lois.  Dolly had the use of a beach hut on the shore where we could picnic, which was so useful and she, Dick and Christine were there at the same time.  Bertie Newman also came on a visit from his home in Cowes – see photos (161/162).  Chris was 18 during this holiday so we had a small celebration at the “Crab and Lobster”.

The children  and their friends gave a concert in our house in aid of raising money for a stained glass window for St. Barnabas, which kept them busy.

In September Sally started at Honor Oak Grammar School, having passed her common entrance exam.

The year ended with a dinner party for David Cullingham’s 21st birthday.  David being the son of Jim Cullingham who lived further down Woodwarde Rd. and was the President of Post 56.

1955

Chris had his two years National Service to do and joined the Royal Artillery in March 1955, reporting to Oswestry, Shropshire for initial training and then down to Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire for about a year.  Photo 163 shows Chris and a colleague amongst the stones of Stonehenge, which was only a short walk from his camp at Larkhill.

Meanwhile at home we carried on with our hobbies, choosing “Patience” for the Post 56 summer concert.

Our holiday was spent at the Hobbs again, without Chris, but he had loads of leave; 36, 48, 56 and 72 hours and occasionally 7 days.  Photos (164/165) are of ourselves on this holiday and photos (166/167) are of the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary (if you can see them) taken from Lane End, Bembridge by the lifeboat station.

In October Post 56 went to see “Kismet”, lovely music by Borodin, and we had the usual carols near Christmas when Chris had 7 days leave.  The children had another concert at home in the Christmas holidays.

1956

Post 56 decided to do “Iolanthe”, which we went to see at the Streatham Theatre early in the year.

The girls were in a dancing display in July for which I had two ballet frocks to make, but it was worth it.  Photos (168/170) are professionally taken pictures of the show.

Also in July, Rene had a spell in her local hospital and at The Maudsley hospital, Camberwell, which was the beginning of her troubles.

We had our usual holiday in Bembridge and Chris, still in the army, suddenly appeared for one of the weekends we were there, having travelled down from Salisbury Plain, staying in Portsmouth the Friday night and coming over to the I.O.W. early on the Saturday morning.  Photos (171/174) are of this holiday when Chris was there, Dolly and her kids were also there – no sign of Dick but he probably took the pictures.

Due to the Suez crisis, Chris was posted to Colchester, where he was kitted out to be sent to the Suez Canal Zone, and consequently became due for embarkation leave on more than one occasion.  It was a worrying time for all and I do not think it was good for England.  Personally we were glad when the whole affair was cancelled on the 9th November, and we had a peaceful Christmas, thank goodness, with Chris home on leave.

1957

Claude died suddenly on 10th January 1957 aged 65 and Doug and Frank went up to Newcastle for the funeral, but Dorry decided to stay up there in their flat because it was so much cheaper than London and the South East.

Post 56 decided to do the “Gondoliers”, so of course we went to see it in London.  We had a lot of rehearsing to do for our version, but unfortunately one of the choir, Bill Davies, had a heart attack in our house.  Lex took him straight to hospital and he did recover but sadly died in 1958.

Chris was demobbed from the army in Colchester on 24th March 1957, returning to work at the Borneo Company.

Mr. Whitfield, a priest at our church in Camberwell, died in May, leaving Mr. Heath, the only other priest, to carry on alone and he was quite old.

In June we had our Silver Wedding party, there were loads of flowers and one silver spoon, but such fun.

Ian Roskilly was married to Diane Kilby at Otford, with the reception held in the Old Manor House where Diane’s parents lived and worked.

Chris had his 21st birthday in August 1957, usual family affair with plenty of fun.

Doug was singing away as usual with his many commitments, and Walter and Peggy Dougharty became regular visitors on Sunday evenings, so there was always plenty of music.  Photo 175 is of Peggy and Walter, taken at their wedding a few years earlier when John Green’s brother Keith was Walter’s best man.  Photo 176 is of them at their bungalow at Rustington which they went to some years later after they moved from Dulwich, where Walter continued to live after Peggy died.

1958

There were preparations for Chris to go abroad as he was being  sent by the Borneo Company for a four year tour to their Far East branches, starting off in Kuala Belait, Brunei State.  In March we all saw him off, together with his friend Frank Johnson, at Heathrow, which was rather a sad experience, especially when the girls said “why did you let him go ” and the house was much quieter after that.

Anyhow Elizabeth passed her Eleven Plus and was accepted at Honor Oak Girls Grammar School, so that cheered us up and in August we had a holiday with Doug’s Sister Winnie and her husband Jack Cummings where they then lived at Hordle near the New Forest – photos (177/179).

Christopher was very good and wrote a lot and sent many photos, and he seemed to spend a lot of his spare time in a swimming pool when he was in Kuala Belait – Photo 180 is of Chris by the pool at the Panaga Club, a Shell club where he used to go.  In December he was sent to Miri, Sarawak where he met Shirley Cox, who was working in the Miri office, and was much happier.  Photo 181 is a picture of Shirley that he sent us at the time.

Post 56 choir rehearsed for the “Pirates of Penzance” and Doug continued with his many singing commitments.

Brian Roskilly was married to Violet Cross at Otford in September and on the same day his brother’s wife Diane had a daughter, Bridget, so he was an uncle already.

This seemed to be quite a busy year, there was always something on with so many friends.

Edgar and Amy were staying somewhere, probably near Eric and Bobby at Waddon.

Our church in Camberwell was closed for a time as Mr. Heath was ill.

1959

We attended St. Barnabas in Dulwich whilst our Church in Camberwell was closed, which was very sad.

Post 56 choir sang “Yeoman of the Guard” in May which we had been to see at the Princes Theatre in London.

Chris and Shirley became engaged on his birthday, the 14th August 1959, and we had even more pictures from them – photos (182/183).

We had another holiday at Hordle, and whilst there, went to see Maggie and Bertie in Cowes – Photo 184.  Quite easy on the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth, I.O.W.

Our near neighbours the Flynns moved to Ringwood and their daughter Anne lodged with us because she was working in a bank at Bromley and became one of the family.  Photo 185 is of Anne with her Fiancee Ray Benson.

A New Life – Part Two

1960

On the 4th February Anne suddenly appeared in the middle of the morning to say her father, Mr. Flynn, had died in his bed, such a shock for her. She phoned Ray Benson and they went straight down to Ringwood. His funeral was held at the Dulwich R.C. Church, so Mrs. Flynn stayed with us, as well as Anne, but she went back to Ringwood after a week to try and make a life for herself down there.

Dick had a prostate operation in April, which basically was the beginning of his cancer trouble.

Sally left school in July and found a job for herself at Gamages after we had another holiday at Hordle with Win and Jack. Whilst there we went to see Maggie and Bertie again at Cowes. Sadly Maggie died on the 11th November, three months after that visit, leaving Bertie to fend for himself.

1961

On Easter Sunday 2nd April Mr. Heath, our priest at our Camberwell Church, collapsed in the middle of the service, which was awful as the church was so full of visitors. So the Church was closed and he died on the 10th May and was buried in Albury graveyard.

We had a letter from Chris on the 17th May to inform us that the Borneo Company would not be renewing his contract at the end of his period abroad.

Doug joined St. Barnabas choir and attended choir practice there for the first time on the 9th June and sang in the Church on St. Barnabas Day.

We had a week’s holiday at Hordle and on the last day of June, Doug retired from Lloyds Bank after 40 years service.

Anne Flynn got married to Ray Benson and went to live at Lee near Lewisham.

On the 2nd July, Mr. Perry, the vicar of St. Barnabas, invited us all to a coffee party to introduce us to various members of the Church.

Sally went on holiday to Cornwall in July with her friends Ann Birkin and Tony Chable, and met Clive Perkins, who visited us for the first time.

Christmas was spent with the Edgar Powell family at Blindley Heath, where they had a grocery shop in a huge old house, so many rooms and stairs, a lovely place for hide and seek.

1962

In 1962 Chris and Shirley were married in Miri on 24th February – Photo 186 – and left at once for the journey home. Such an ordeal for Shirley, different country, different climate and different people, but she adapted very quickly. Then Chris had to find a job which was not very easy, luckily Shirley could type and found local work to help and eventually they moved into a small flat at number 80 Beauval Road.

Winnie left Dolphin Square and moved into a flat near Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, so we saw more of her and celebrated Easter Sunday together in St. Barnabas Church.

At Whitsun, all of us including Winnie, had a picnic at One Tree Hill, Sevenoaks, where we met up with Dick and his family – photos (187/188).

We all managed a holiday together that year in Ovingdean in Sussex, which was quite fun – Photo 189. Sally and Clive came down and slept on the floor for one weekend.

We spent Christmas at home with the family and on Boxing Day the Edgar Powell’s visited us from Blindley Heath. That was the night it snowed a lot and they had a great time snowballing. That was the first time Shirley had ever seen snow for herself and was quite excited, unfortunately she later became rather fed up with it because it lasted right through to the following March. Anyway Winnie had to leave her car outside because she was too scared to drive in the snow so Chris took her home in his car and Clive also left his scooter and Chris took him home as well.

1963

Dear Aunt Lulu, Mother’s sister, died in January and her funeral was at Beddington Church and after at Eric and Bobby,s bungalow at Waddon, her former home. Photo 190 was of her taken in the garden there some years earlier.

This year the post 56 sang the “Mikado” and in July we had a holiday at Winnie and Jack’s at Hordle.

On the 27th July there was a farewell party at Eric’s for Edgar and Amy and family who were off to make a new life in New Zealand. Photo 191 is of them both together with Michael taken in Auckland many years later in 1972.

Paul was born to Chris and Shirley on 22nd August and Liz passed her eighth ‘O’ level. Paul was Christened in October with Anne Benson (Nee Flynn) as godmother. Photo 192 was taken on the day of the christening in the back garden at Woodwarde Road. Photo 193 of Paul was taken a little later at Xmas.

1964

On the 28th March, nephew Graham Powell married Miriam and on the 19th April Sally and Clive became engaged.

On the 18th May the whole family had a picnic in the garden of Dick’s house at Otford – Photo 194 – a lovely affair, only Sally had a temperature. She had been camping with the “Imps” at Seasalter.

We went down to Whitstable with Sally and Clive on the 22nd May to see the house they contemplated buying, falling in love with the place.

After that Sally and Clive’s wedding was arranged so swiftly we did not have time to worry. They were married on the 5th September at St. Barnabas Church, Dulwich. Clive’s friend Trevor, a vicar, took the service with communion, which was a signal for two babies to cry, the mothers did not think about taking them out, which I thought was rather thoughtless. Apart from that all went very well with the reception held at our house and it turned out a lovely hot day, so the garden was full of people, but not enough seats. Trying to find someone to cater for it had been difficult, but it turned out alright in the end. Photo 195 is of Sally and Clive taken in our garden and Photo 196 is one of Sally, Mr and Mrs Perkins and me on the steps of the Church with a few “Imps” who provided a guard of honour.

Sally and Clive spent their honeymoon in Cornwall and often returned there for their holidays. It was nice to visit Sally at their seaside home and when they went on their holidays we used their bungalow for our holidays and got to know Whitstable so well. Photo 197 is of All Saints Church in Whitstable which we attended on our visits there and got to know even better in later years.

1965/6

In 1965 Winston Churchill died and had a very moving funeral on the 30th January.

Sadly in March 1965 Clive’s father Mr. Perkins suddenly died with a heart attack, which was a terrible ordeal for Madeleine and of course Clive. She decided to sell her house and move down to Whitstable to live near Sally and Clive. It was quite a long and difficult process but she eventually moved in with her furniture into her bungalow.

All this time Liz was tackling her ‘A’ Levels which she passed but not with high enough grades so did not get a place in a University. It was the year of the “bulge” when young people born the year after the war came of age, masses of them. She managed to get into the Lycee Francais de Londres, and left school in July, but did not really enjoy her time there, although she passed her diploma and was proficient in typing and French shorthand. She went to live in a flat with her friends but came home fairly often. Photo 198 is of Liz taken at about that time in our garden with Penny our cat.

Sadly in June ’65 Pip had died and Phyllis had all that to cope with alone in New Brighton, near Liverpool.

Of course as our holidays were now spent in Whitstable we often met up with my cousin Grace Roskilly who lived in Tankerton. Photo 199 is of Gracie taken in the flat she occupied there. On one occasion we had quite a long walk from Sally and Clive’s bungalow to All Saints church, passing along the top of Downs Avenue, not realizing that we would eventually be living in that road.

Young Christopher was born to Sally and Clive in October ’65, and we spent two days with them in November. Photo 200 is of him in the garden of their bungalow.

A French student, Chantal de Boulanger – Photo 201 is of her in the garden with Penny – lodged with us for a time to help her English which was not very good, while attending a college to prepare for her Baccalaureate. She was a strange girl, very anti English because she came from Rouen, but improved as time went on and became addicted to Cox’s apples and cheese on toast, which was very useful to me as she came home to lunch. She returned home in July 1966 but had a struggle to pass her exam as her writing was so awful, which did not help.

1967

On 1st January 1967 Nicholas (Nick) was born to Sally and Clive and she had her hands full, toiling up and down Borstal Hill shopping in Whitstable with two young babies. Photo 202 is of Chris and Nick in their pram.

Doug had his first heart attack on the 19th May during choir practise in Christian Aid Week. As he delivered the envelopes for this, I had to finish collecting them for him, as he spent a month in King’s College Hospital and came out on the day of the Dulwich Millennium.

A month after on the 16th June, we went to Whitstable with Winnie when Sally’s family went to Ventnor for their holiday together with Chris, Shirley and Paul. Just before they went away on holiday, Chris and Shirley had a letter from a Mrs Pellow in Ryde, I.O.W. saying that cousin Bertie was ill in Hospital. The Pellow’s were apparently related in some way to the Newmans. Anyway so of course they went to see him, but sadly he died shortly after on the 15th July. So Chris, with Clive’s help, arranged his funeral in Cowes which they attended, also seeing Bertie’s solicitor so his affairs could be wound up.

While this was going on and we were away in Whitstable, Doug improved rapidly, having Winnie’s car was so useful as we did not have to walk up and down hills. When we came back Doug had his check up at King’s which was satisfactory.

Chris had a stone in his kidney the day before his 31st birthday and was rushed to Dulwich Hospital in great pain, but was home again after eleven days.

Liz left the flat she had been sharing with friends and came home. Chris changed jobs and started work with U.A.P.T. in Croydon in December.

1968

Liz had her 21st birthday party in January, but we were sent out to sleep at Chris and Shirley’s. The house survived but smelt of cider, I think they enjoyed it.

In May my sister Winnie had a heart attack just a year after Doug and again during Christian Aid Week and was taken to King’s and rushed into a ward during an emergency somewhere, bells ringing all over the hospital, that was not a nice welcome. Winnie also delivered envelopes for Christian Aid so once again I had to finish the task. Unfortunately we had a holiday booked to go to Win and Jack’s at Hordle but Winnie insisted that we should go. But when we came back she was transferred to Dulwich Hospital because her ward was being redecorated. It was not so nice, and she was put next to an old lady of 90, who cried all the time, so Winnie held her hand and did things she should not have done, apart from worrying. Then on the 15th June, the day she was going to come out of hospital to stay with Bobby at Waddon, she went to have a bath without telling anyone, and had another heart attack in the ward bathroom and died, a terrible shock to all of us. Photo 203 is of dear Winnie taken in our garden.

Her funeral was held in St. Barnabas church, and I think all the remaining members of the Camberwell church turned up as well, and she was buried at Honor Oak Cemetery in Grandma’s grave for five people: Grandpa, Grandma, Mother, Father and Winnie.

On the 26th June we went to Whitstable, while Sally’s family were away, and Chris and Shirley moved to Maidstone on the 1st July. They called on us the same evening because their butter had melted it was so hot, and the next day they came and fetched us to see their house, and we liked it very much – see Photo 204. There was a real heatwave that June/July and we found it cooler in Clive’s bungalow on the hill than on the sea shore, it was lovely and we needed the break.

On returning from this holiday, Bobby and I had to empty Winnie’s flat, and move all the furniture to our house in Woodwarde Road. Then various parts of the family called to take what they wanted away, but we kept the greater part.

We visited Sally in Whitstable quite often, had Christmas Day in Maidstone and Boxing Day in Whitstable, bit of an effort for Chris driving us all that way.

1969/70

I visited our friend Mrs. Arthur, who lived in Dulwich Village to help her with her work once a week, as she was so crippled with arthritis. I also occasionally went to Bible study evenings.

In April 1969 Sally had Jonathan, so we went to Whitstable for the weekend and stayed there again in July. In August they moved to their new house in Tankerton , with Madeleine in a granny flat with her own kitchen. Photo 205 is of Jonathan in the garden of their new house in Tankerton.

Doug was not well that Christmas and had bronchitis, and he could not go to church again until March 1970. Liz got a permanent job at Hertz and eventually moved to a flat in West Dulwich.

Eric had a heart attack at Stephen Powell’s wedding and was whisked to the Mayday Hospital, but was only kept there for two weeks. When he came home he decided to walk down the garden, then after walking back he collapsed and died on the kitchen floor, which was such a terrible shock for poor Bobby. Sadly she has joined him now.

The Whitstable Years – Part One

That year, 1970, we started to look for somewhere to live in Whitstable, leaving Liz to fend for herself in Dulwich. Directly we saw 46 Downs Avenue we knew it was the right place, such a lovely outlook, but on a hill?! Photos (206/207) are some pictures of the front and back of the house. Photo 208 is an unusual aerial view of the house amongst our neighbours houses; up to No. 52 on the left and half of No. 44 to the right. Photo 209 was taken from a bedroom window looking over the back garden with the cemetery and hills beyond and finally the Swale estuary. Photos (210/213) are later pictures of Doug and I at the front door, the road outside, roses in the front garden and the back garden from an upstairs window.

We had a lot of trouble getting in as the people selling, the Figgs, could not find a house they could afford in Gravesend where they were moving to be nearer to his work. So we stored our furniture and moved in with Sally and Clive as our Woodwarde Road house sold so quickly. We were two months waiting and directly the Figgs moved out we moved in. The next day the weather changed from summer to winter being November so we were lucky.

Chris came and helped us settle in so it was marvellous and we soon felt at home, gas central heating, colour television, luxury. Liz and David came down most weekends and stayed the night, it did not take them long, so that was nice.

On the 23rd November Madeleine had a heart attack, her second, and died in hospital which was another shock, life seemed to be full of shocks.

By Christmas it was snowing, Liz came down and we went to midnight mass, spent Christmas Day at Clive and Sally’s and Boxing Day here with Chris, Shirley, Paul and the rest of the family.

1971

In June 1971 Anthony was born, the last of the boys, and completed Sally and Clive’s family of four, originally they had contemplated eight!! Photo 214 is of the whole family taken when Anthony was a baby and Photo 215 is another of him when a baby. Photo 216 was taken, as you can see, some time later.

Lex Malcolm died in hospital in August and we went up to Dulwich for the funeral.

Our days were now filled with All Saints church, Doug having soon joined the choir and me involved in flower arranging and washing the church linen. Photos (217/220) are some views of the church, an outside view from the graveyard, and inside of the altar with the end of the choir stalls, with two others showing Christmas decorations with flowers, some of which I did.

Apart from the church there were also many visits to see the family in Tankerton, frequently calling in to see Gracie on the way.

Young Chris poked a stick in the roof of his mouth and had to have stitches, which must have been very uncomfortable. Old Chris did the very same thing when he was about three, but did not need stitches thank goodness. It is always boys who do this sort of thing.

1972

1972 was the year of the power cuts and we bought an oil lamp which we have never had to use since, I am glad to say.

Rene had a terrible operation in March to try and make it easier for her to eat, but it was useless and she never got any better.

The family went on holiday to Cornwall in July and we went to Bobby’s in August. We tried walking to Rene and Frank’s over the downs, which turned out to be quite a long way and landed us at Kenley. We finished the last bit by bus up the hill to Caterham. Photo 221 is a rather nice pictorial memory of Rene and Frank, which was taken some years earlier at some wedding or other. Anyway that was the last time I saw Rene because sadly she died in October after yet another operation, which was almost unnecessary, as she was dying anyway.

I had heard that our old neighbour from Woodwarde Road, Mr. Arney had died in September of cancer of the throat and although I heard from another former neighbour, Lyn Gray, that Mrs. Arney was still alive at that time and over 90, I have never heard since as to when she died. I also never heard whether Winnie Knight, our old neighbour from the war years when we were in Kingswood, was alive, alas just silence.

Life was not all misery though, and we enjoyed the choir dinner and dance at the Marine Hotel with Chris and Shirley. Nevertheless the sadness caught up with us again when we heard that Doris had died of cancer in Cape Town just after Christmas ’72. She had requested that her ashes should be scattered in the sea, a wish that Alan carried out with much difficulty. Photo 222 is a nice memory of Doris together with Harold and Alan.

1973

In 1973 Trissie went into Margate Sea Bathing Hospital to have a hip operation and I went into Whitstable and Tankerton hospital to have a wart out, what a fuss. Triss recovered very well and managed to walk after it, but unfortunately her other hip got worse.

In June Doug wanted to go to the Founders Day Centenary at Dulwich College and the Willsons kindly put us up for the weekend. Photo 223 is of tea in the Willson’s garden when Charles and Evelyn Butterfield visited, they are on either side of me, with three of the Willson’s (Phyllis, Joan, and Owen). No sign of Doug but he must have taken the picture.

We had a founders day lunch at Dulwich College and watched cricket there, and then Liz and David turned up and we had to go and look at one of Doug’s old classrooms, but we did not meet many of his old school mates, anyhow it was a lovely day, and we went back with Liz for tea at her flat nearby in West Dulwich.

After we came home we heard the awful news that Mr. Hope, a neighbour, had drowned off The Street with the young boy who lived next door to him, and Mr. Hope was a life guard. In July another local man, Mr. Barr drowned, a strong swimmer, so Whitstable is not such a safe place for bathing after all, as the Street can be quite dangerous because of the strong current. It is still a lovely spot to look at though, as the really nice Photo 224 that was taken by Clive shows

In July Sally’s family went to Norway for their holiday in their Dormobile. Quite an experience with so young a family.

The choir had an outing to Boughton Aluph where they sang evensong in the church which is famed for it’s sound. Apart from one large house this church is practically alone in a field, extraordinary. But at Crundale, which is on a hill with a wonderful view over the Wye Valley, there is a church all alone surrounded by meadows, with sheep grazing. Strange where they built churches in days gone by. There was one at Eastwell and near Stelling Minnis which Triss and John attended but they had to walk about 1 1/2 miles to get there.

David and Liz flew to Bulgaria for their holiday and Chris and Co. went to Cornwall. We did not seem to go anywhere but Bobby came to stay for a week and then Frank for a day or two. He had moved to Woking to be near Michael, but he did not seem to be very happy there and eventually Michael and his wife Valerie sadly broke up and parted.

1974

That year Liz started a new job at Occidental Engineering and eventually David and her became engaged and went to Polperro on holiday, Photo 225 is of them in our back garden at about that time. We, as usual, went to Bobby’s.

In July Dick died of cancer and we went to Bembridge for the funeral and stayed at the Elms Hotel. Dolly insisted we stay a few more days and paid for it, much to Doug’s embarrassment. It was rather a nice place though as can be seen from Photo 226 and Photo 227 of us with Dolly

Sally’s family went to Cornwall and Chris and Co. flew to Guernsey for their holidays that year.

Liz and David’s Banns were read in church and they got married on the 26th October, and Chris acted as David’s best man, with Shirley as maid of honour to Liz – see photos (228/229). Sally and Clive held the reception in their house at Liz’s request and all went well. Trissie and Audrey were coming to the wedding but a blocked chimney caused Triss to pass out on the kitchen floor and landed her in hospital.

Liz and David went to Majorca for their honeymoon and then settled in at 59 Frankswood Avenue, Petts Wood. They had a lot of repairs and alterations to do in a much neglected house.

1975

In 1975 I visited Trissie periodically to do a little work for her because she was getting rather feeble and John was always pleased to see me.

Doug sang in the Brahms Requiem in Canterbury Cathedral and we had some lovely picnics in the Dormobile at Eastwell, Westwell and Crundale with Sally’s family.

In July they went camping at Whitecliff Bay, I.O.W. and booked a flat for us in Gainsborough Court for September which turned out very nice, only it rained rather a lot. David kindly drove us down on their way to Dorset. Dolly gave a party for us as Bobby was staying with her in Bembridge at the time. One day we had a good view of an American aircraft carrier, an enormous thing, with helicopters lined up on deck, an extraordinary sight. David met us at Portsmouth on our way back and drove us home.

Then Trissie was taken ill in October and had to go into hospital again, so John came to stay with us and was remarkably good, but it was quite a strain looking after him. Audrey and Neal had bought a large house at Kingsgate to house them and Triss and John as well. So after Triss came out of hospital Sally took us all down there. Triss was still in bed and apparently never got better and went into Margate Hospital where she died on the 23rd November. Alan brought Phyl down for the funeral and Sheila’s husband Eric took the service.

Then Audrey and Neal were left with the problem of John, who was quite senile and caused many troubles and eventually the poor man was put into St. Augustines Hospital which was a dreadful place.

Meanwhile, Chris, Shirley and Paul flew to Sarawak for four weeks over Christmas, and we had David and Liz and Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs on Christmas Day and Boxing Day at Clive and Sally’s.

1976

Sally took me to see John occasionally and the one time Doug came with us it was a miracle to see John’s face, full of recognition. We took him for a walk in the hospital grounds but after that he seemed to go downhill and died in April.

In June David and Liz went for their holiday to the Greek Islands and we started our holidays at “Two Trees”, Bembridge – see Photo 230 and Photo 231 of the owner Mrs Williams who was such a good cook. We were taken and brought back by Chris. That June the weather was so hot we could only walk to Dolly’s hut with our lunch and stayed there all day until it cooled down, then paddled a bit and walked back, the temperature was in the 90’s.

The Powells from New Zealand arrived that month and stayed at Clive and Sally’s while they went to Cornwall, so we saw a good deal of them.

There was a party at Chris and Shirley’s for his 40th birthday in August. We also had a lovely picnic at Hernhill on the village green with Chris and Sally’s respective families – see Photo 232 – (no Clive, as he took the picture).

Eric and Sheila Bryant moved from Wilmslow, Cheshire to Ashford, Kent and stayed the night with us on the way. Photo 233 is of them and family taken at the front of our house. They had returned to England from Utila, a small island off Honduras, where they had endured hurricanes and sadly lost their small boy through drowning.

There was a family dinner at Wye in October and we spent our usual Christmas at Clive and Sally’s and Boxing Day here with all the family.

1977

In 1977 Liz left Occidental Engineering because she was expecting a baby and Peter David was born on the 9th May and we visited them on the 20th when photos (234/235) were taken.

Chris took us to see Edgar and Amy who were living in a rented property in Tunbridge Wells this time and Doug sang in a concert with Ashford School at the Cathedral. Then it was a case of we visit Liz or they visit us, and Bobby stayed for a few days so we organised a family gathering to see her.

In July we were off to “Two Trees” again and Liz and David wanted to come for a week, but Mrs. Williams made a muck of it and had not got any room for them. So we offered to sleep out to let them have our room, and Dolly’s sister offered us a bed, so kind of her. It was strange walking back to breakfast in the early morning, but it gave us an appetite. Photo 236 is of me with Liz and David in the garden of “Two Trees”. While they were there David took us to see Win and Jack, a lovely journey over the downs to Yarmouth, the ferry to Lymington and on to Hordle. A lovely day and Peter was so good in his carrycot. Photo 237 is of us all in front of Win and Jack’s bungalow at Hordle taken that day.

In August Chris and Co. flew to Jersey for their holidays that year. Bobby arranged two family gatherings, one for the Powell’s and then one for the Roskilly’s. Very gallant of her and very enjoyable, not easy for a big family to meet very often. Photos (238/241) are of the Roskilly gathering in the garden of her bungalow at Riddlesdown near Purley.

In September Jackie and Alan invited us to their silver wedding party, so we travelled up to York with Frank and Bobby. We were met at the station by Alan and they made us stay on for a few days after the celebrations. Photo 242 is of York Minster and Photo 243 is of me and Bobby with Phyllis who lived with Jackie and Alan. We were taken out by them through wonderful country. On one trip we went over the Dales to Scarborough and onwards to Robin Hood Bay, where we had tea, and then back to York, a terrific journey, so kind of them.

The Whitstable Years – Part Two

1978

In 1978 Edgar and Amy and family returned to New Zealand, and Doug had to go into the Royal Victoria Hospital, Folkestone, to have two impacted wisdom teeth out, a painful business which had worried him for months. He was out in two days, black and blue round the neck and had his stitches out at Canterbury Hospital after six days.

Anthony had the measles in May and we went to Peter’s first birthday party on the 9th.

Then it was holiday time at “Two Trees” again and we spent a day with Clive’s Aunts, Phyllis and Lily while we were there see Photo 244.

Later in the year Bobby came to stay for a week and Sally kindly took us to see Audrey and Neil, also Basil and Ethel.

There were several visits that summer, to Liz’s with Sally and the boys, picnicking in the rain at Keston – Photo 245. Also to Bobby’s where Phyl was visiting then and saw Frank there Photo 246.

Owen and Joan Willson visited us one day – Photo 247 – but sadly soon after that Owen died of a heart attack while driving with Joan whose legs were injured trying to stop the car.

The Mattocks moved from the house next door to us, and the Kedges moved in with their son Richard, our nicest neighbours. Photo 248 is of the Kedges picnicking in our garden on the day of the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana. Some years later however they rather upset me. It was just after Doug had died, and they had the extension built at the back of their house, completely blocking my view of the sea and Sheppey and some glorious sunsets, only to then move directly afterwards!! Photo 249 is of a typical sunset, which was taken by Bobby from the front of the house, which I can no longer see and enjoy at the back because of the extension.

Sadly, Ethel Green was put in a home in Herne Bay because she was senile and Sally took me to see her, but surprisingly she did recognise us.

Our annual family dinner was at Giovanni’s in Whitstable and we spent our usual Christmas Day at Sally and Clive’s and Boxing Day here.

1979

In 1979 Doug started the New Year unwell, the weather was bad with snow and ice, so he stayed in bed on antibiotics, but was better by the 8th January. The weather did not improve and February was just as bad. To crown it all the piano went for an overhaul, which was awful for Doug, and did not return for seven weeks.

Anyhow by Easter things were better, Liz, David and Peter came and stayed the night and on Easter Monday the family came for lunch.

Doug sang in the Messiah in Canterbury Cathedral with Kent College on the 11th May. Sally’s family went camping at Whitecliff Bay and Anne Benson and a friend stayed in their house, so we saw her there. Nigel brought Bobby down for a few days and she went home by train for the first time.

We went for our holiday at “Two Trees” on the 14th June, by train this time, but we were met by Christine at Ryde. Most of our evenings were spent at Dolly’s and supper on the Sunday, when we met Keith Ward. We had our usual meeting with Phyllis and Lily at Shanklin one day. There was a nice family in the beach hut next to ours with two children, the poor little girl was arthritic, so awful for her, but she managed to get about. Kathrine Dougharty and a friend visited us one day, and Walter another, so we had plenty of company that year. We came home by train as well and were met at the station by Sally.

Liz phoned to say Peter had whooping cough but luckily it was not bad because they visited us two days after that.

Ray and Lyn Gray visited us with Mrs. Osbourne, an old friend of theirs, who lived in St. Anne’s Road and has since died.

Sally’s family went to Wales for their holidays.

Paul passed 4 ‘O’ levels and 1 ‘A’ level.

On the 19th August there was a presentation to the four Senior Choristers of All Saints Church and Doug and three other members were presented with R.S.C.M. certificates and medallions for long service – Photo 250.

On the 28th August we visited David and Liz. Came home by train as usual but had to walk up the hill as there was no taxi. Doug rushed straight up to bed and was in great pain, so we knew what it meant, another heart attack. I phoned the doctor on duty but it was very late by then and he did not want to come, saying try an aspirin, but I insisted, so he came and was very rude and Doug told him off. He gave Doug two pills which made him sick, but luckily I think Doug slept a bit and the pain had gone by the morning. Anyhow I called our own doctor and of course Doug was sent to hospital where he stayed until the 11th September and even then had another slight heart attack after a week.

To cheer us up Anne Elizabeth was born to Liz and David on the 3rd November and Sally and Anthony rushed down there to mind Peter. Liz was soon out of hospital and we visited them on the 10th November. At last a grand daughter, just like a pixie. Photo 251 is of Anne as a baby and Photo 252 is a later picture of her with Peter.

Then Doug was back to normal so we carried on as usual, thank goodness, and had Christmas with Sally’s family. Chris, Shirley and Paul had flown back to Miri for Christmas with Shirley’s family. They left on the 9th December and were due back in the New Year on the 15th.

1980

In 1980 Jack Cummings was taken very ill, was sent to hospital on the 9th January and died on the 12th. We did not dare go all that way to Hordle in January to attend the funeral, but did go on the 20th February to stay with Win. She was marvellous then, but it was very cold and damp which made me worry, but Doug was fine. We did a lot of walking and shopping and only stayed a week. We arranged to visit her again in June, which she seemed pleased about.

Doug had to go to hospital about his eyes to see Miss Starbuck because he had glaucoma and was given the usual eye drops.

On the 14th March the Rev. Christopher Lewis was inducted and became the Vicar of All Saints. On the 25th March Robert Runcie was enthroned as the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Liz and David and family went to New Milton for their holidays in June and as we were going to Hordle at the same time, Clive drove us down there and went on to where the others were for the weekend. We had a nice holiday then, but it nearly killed Doug trying to walk to the sea, so far away. Photo 253 is of Liz and Co. with Winnie and Photo 254 is of Sally and Clive’s four boys also with Win. While with Winnie we visited our old friends from Dulwich, Harold and Frida Begernie in Lymington and then Gerry and Grace Faulkner, it was so nice renewing their acquaintance. Of course we saw Sue and George Dove, and Grandma Dove ( who used to live next door to Jack and Win’s) as usual. That was the last time we saw Grandma Dove or Harold or Gerry who have since died.

Edward was born in July to our neighbours the Kedge’s which completed their family. In August Sally’s family went to Cornwall for their holidays and Edgar and Amy stayed in their home, so we saw a lot of them which was nice.

On 25th October we had the family dinner at the “Fox and Hounds”, Herne Common.

We had Christmas Day at Sally and Clive’s and a party at Neil and Audrey’s on the 2nd January, where we met Sheila’s family and got to know them.

1981

Early in 1981 it was back to Canterbury Hospital for Doug’s eye tests.

On the 20th February we heard that Edgar had died suddenly of a heart attack in New Zealand, he was 76.

Most Wednesdays we had fish and chips at Sally’s from the shop near them, visiting Gracie on the way. On Monday’s Janet took Doug to a rehearsal at Kent College under Mr. Everhart, for whatever they happened to be singing in the Cathedral next.

I spent Friday afternoons at church with Flo Pearce and Co. seeing to the flowers and occasionally we had quiet evenings in various peoples houses. We spent days with various parts of the family or they came to us.

Christine and Keith got married in Bembridge on the 28th March. We would have liked to have gone, but it would have been an expensive trip, having to stay somewhere.

I think the world was startled when the Pope was shot, but thankfully he recovered.

We had a birthday dinner for Doug at the “Fox and Hounds” and a family gathering the next day for his 80th birthday on 29th May. Photos (255/256) are both of this special occasion.

In June we went to Bembridge for our usual holiday at “Two Trees”, and the very next day Frank died, and we could not do anything about it, so sad. Ian and Diane and family were staying with Dolly, who was very ill really, so we saw a good deal of them and of course Phyl and Lily. Photos (257/258)

Soon after returning home we heard from New Zealand that Amy had died, aged 73, on the 11th July of a heart attack too, so soon after Edgar, the family were devastated.

David and Liz had a holiday at New Milton again and went to see Winnie and Sally and Clive and Co. went to Shanklin, and Chris and Co. to Guernsey.

Soon after David had to go to Sri Lanka on business, so Liz asked us to stay for the weekend, but of course Doug could not sleep and ended up fainting over breakfast. Poor Liz called the doctor but Doug recovered and then David arrived home early. So we had to get home somehow as there were not enough beds. Good old Chris managed to take us although he was not feeling too good that day. Next day we called the doctor and he ordered an ECG which was excellent, so it was only a faint after all.

In August Doug felt very low and missed church for two weeks, but was well enough for our family dinner at “The George”, Farnborough.

Then, for some reason, in November I started a nose bleed, which would not stop and lasted a whole weekend, including Remembrance Sunday, and Doug had an immense carbuncle which must have been very painful. So no church again and District Nurses flocked round for treatment and drugs. It took him a long time to recover, that’s what taking steroids did for him.

Then it turned very cold and snowed, but Doug managed midnight mass somehow and Christmas at Sally’s.

1982

The year started off with another crop of boils for Doug, so no church for three weeks, and he was then rushed to hospital for an emergency hernia operation on the 28th January. He was pushed out after six or seven days with a leaking wound, so more district nurses and no entries in his diary. The hospital had taken him off his steroids so he had terrible eczema, which kept him in bed and very depressed. The doctor tried valium but he hated it, so was put back on steroids and was soon up again thank goodness.

Meanwhile Dolly had died in Bembridge on the 4th February of Cancer. Photo 259 is an earlier picture of her taken with us sometime before she was ill. Photo 260 is the last picture we had of her, taken the previous year.

Sadly Anne Benson’s marriage to Ray had broken up, but she had met Len Owens, and they were married on the 14th April at Sutton. Both Sally and Shirley went to the wedding.

Doug was back to church in May and celebrated his 81st birthday. Then of course it was our Golden Wedding year, and on Friday the 4th June the choir came in after practise for sherry and sandwiches, and on Saturday we dined with the family at Clive and Sally’s, and then back here for tea and cake made by Tori Boucherat, and supper. A very happy anniversary, and we even managed church the next day. Photo 261 is of our lovely Golden Wedding cake and Photo 262 is of the family gathering.

We went to Janet’s wedding at The Barn on the 19th June, but sadly that marriage did not last long.

Doug had a little respite from his trials in July it seemed, because we walked to and from church once or twice, and even walked to Sally’s once, a record.

Chris and Shirley went to Malta (without Paul for the first time) for their holidays, Liz and David to Swanage, and Sally and Clive to Dorset, but our holidays were over now.

Doug started boils again in October, but carried on, and Amanda then took us to church and brought us home, but he still managed to deliver the magazines.

We took to lunching at the “Tudor Restaurant”, occasionally with Sally, and then on to her house.

We still managed church on Sunday and Midnight Mass at Christmas.

1983

Early in 1983 it was boils again and prescriptions, and a touch of ‘flu, which kept Doug in for a fortnight. There was plenty of snow, but all was well by Easter Sunday, and Laurie Bradley helped him with the choir sheets and boards.

Sheila’s husband Eric died with a heart attack on Good Friday just before taking a service, and an old friend, Leslie Butterfield, died in April.

Chris and Shirley were coming to dinner on the 14th of April, so Doug insisted on going to the corner shop for wine, and found he could not get back, but our neighbour opposite, Mr. Harman noticed this, and backed his lorry down the hill, and gave him a lift, which made him realise at last that he must not do such a thing again.

The Bissell’s opposite decided to join their family in New Zealand, and said goodbye for good in May.

We managed a family gathering for Doug’s 82nd birthday on the 29th May, but by June he was not well again, so no church until July, when the Dougharty’s managed a visit.

Then it was holiday time again, and Clive and Sally’s family went to Penzance, Liz and David’s to Devon, and Chris and Shirley to Spain.

We seemed to be managing to go to church again, with various drivers, right up to Christmas, which was a record. We spent Christmas Day with the Family as usual and on the 27th were taken by Clive to Derek and Cynthia’s at Gerrards Cross, where Phyl was celebrating her 80th birthday. A lovely gathering meeting all their family. Photo 263 is of Doug with Sally and I, Photo 264 is of the then three surviving Roskilly sisters and Photo 265 is of Doug doing his favourite thing.

1984

In 1984 the church was being altered, so services were held in the hall, and choir practise in the Vicarage.

Doug was taken ill on the 1st February, and began to fail. Liz and David visited on the 18th March. So no more church, the Vicar brought communion, and prayers were said for him. He had heaps of visitors, and the doctor called most days, sometimes twice.

We tried to get a single bed for him, which was left behind in the Verger’s cottage, but could not get it down the stairs. So Clive, Sally, Jon and me came back from doing this, had a drink of sherry, and suddenly Doug had another heart attack, and he died in his chair, so quietly, on the 24th March.

On the 30th March Doug was given a very moving funeral at All Saints Church. There was a full choir with several young girls, who had previously left the choir, attending, and crying during the service. There was a full church, and five clergyman in the congregation. They sang one or two anthems such as “God be in thy head” and the “Russian Contakion of the Departed”, which I did appreciate. Doug was cremated, as he had wished, at Barham.

The Lonely Years

What follows are once again my own vivid memories, as I no longer have Doug’s diaries to help me remember.

In March 1984, after Doug had died, I found I was alone at the age of 76, but determined to carry on as usual with my church work. There was Gracie to keep an eye on, and Sally to visit once a week, and Liz and David and Chris and Shirley visiting occasionally. I could do all my own work and shopping at that time, thank goodness, which kept me moving. There was still Winnie Cummings to worry about, who of course was so upset at her younger brother’s death, but Chris contacted her and went to see her, so she was able to rely on him for advice etc., which was a great relief.

Anyhow Gracie was the first one to require help, because in June she suddenly fell while ironing, and broke her hip, crawled into the sitting room , and lay on the floor all night by the fire. I had two urgent phone calls the next morning, one from her neighbour, whose milkman had suggested that something was wrong, so she had walked round and heard Gracie call. The other call from her friend, Mrs. Smithers, who had her door key, so the neighbour kindly fetched it, and managed to get in , and realised what had happened. Needless to say I phoned Sally, and she rushed round, and took me there. We phoned the doctor, and he called for an ambulance, and of course I went with Gracie to hospital, but Sally soon followed to keep me company, as all the boys were at school.

Her hip was operated on, and she seemed fine until her mental condition began to deteriorate, and she upset the nurses who I do not think were very kind, and complained to me about her. Eventually she was transferred to Nunnery Fields, which was hopeless. By that time she was completely mental, and did not speak at all, just looked blank, and did not know us, in a ward with women who were convalescing, and behaving normally. The last time we saw her she could not swallow the sandwiches thrust upon her, was shivering, and no doubt had pneumonia or something. We stayed as long as we could, and tried to find a nurse to ask about her condition, but there was not anyone anywhere, it seemed awful.

I was very apprehensive and at 11 pm received a phone call saying that Gracie had died, and would I fetch her things in the morning. Again, Sally helped me, and even volunteered to identify the body. Then of course there had to be an inquest, so we both had to go to court.

So then there was another funeral to arrange, solicitors to visit, and arranging the selling of the house, and the clearing of the contents. The house had in fact been left to the Church, but all the contents to me. So that meant a lot of work sorting out the rubbish and carting it to the dump. Luckily Sally was using the dormobile at the time, and Chris came over to help with carrying old washing machines etc.. Loads of books and papers, all to be looked through, because I found lots of money in odd places, old jewellery etc.

She had some good old furniture and china which she had inherited, so I told her nephews they could have what they wanted, for which they never really thanked me. They did come to the funeral though with their mother, who is my cousin, and she thanked me, but that was the last I heard of them.

Shirley and Barry Powell came over from New Zealand, and stayed with me, on and off, until just before Christmas, visiting relations and friends. I had several outings with them during the summer, so was not lonely at all. They loved my church, and always came with me, so I enjoyed their stay though rather tiring. Photo 266 is of Shirley and Barry taken in my back garden on one of their visits.

1985

Winnie Cummings was getting older and older, and more and more helpless, until Chris, with the home help sorted her out, sold her bungalow for her, and eventually found a nice rest home where she was quite happy, with her own room and television which she enjoyed. Chris took me down to see her during Wimbledon Fortnight and she was quite normal.

Dorry Atwell (Claude’s widow) died during this year in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

1986

Winnie eventually became ill in 1986 and died just before her 91st birthday on 19th January. So again there was another funeral, in Hampshire this time, and her good friend Sue Dove entertained us afterwards, before the long journey home. Since then Sue Dove has died so the money that Jack had insisted she should have for her kindnesses in the past did not help her very much did it. . I cannot recall much else about that year, although the worst thing that happened during this lonely part of my life, was David leaving Elizabeth, a terrible shock, but somehow you adjust and get used to such happenings. He has now married again and Liz works as a medical secretary. Photo 267 is an earlier picture of them when they were still a happy family, Photo 268 is of Peter and Anne taken when they were about the age when David left home

1987

1987 was Chris and Shirley’s 25th Wedding Anniversary year which was on the 24th february. They celebrated their Silver Wedding with a party at their house with many family and friends, including Bobby and myself. Photo 269 is of Chris and Shirley cutting their Anniversary cake on that occasion

1988

I do not recall much about the early part of ’88 but there were two lovely events in October. First of all Sally and Clive had a big party at their house for any relations who could come to meet each other. Many of the younger generation had probably not even met some of their older relations, even the older ones only met rarely, usually at a wedding or a funeral, so it was a lovely occasion for all concerned. There are many pictures of this occasion and photos (270/275) are just a few of them.

The Second lovely event in October, which occurred right after the party, was that Clive paid for a delightful few days holiday in Shanklin for me and his Aunt Phyllis. This was a birthday treat for us both, as my 81st birthday was on the 17th October and Phyl’s 76th on the 22nd, while we were away. I think we saw most of the Island by car, parts of which I had never seen before, in spite of my regular visits in the past. There was a quick visit to Bembridge, and the “Crab and Lobster”, much altered, to remind us of old times. Photo 276 of Sally, Phyllis and I at the miniature village at Godshill is a happy reminder of our visit.

1989

In March ’89 Shirley’s father died and she flew out to Sarawak in a rush and all on her own (they could not really afford the fare for Chris to go as well) to attend the funeral. Quite an ordeal for her really.

On the 17th June ’89 Nigel and Margaret Powell’s daughter Karen got married to Thomas Mckenna in Guildford. Clive and Sally took me, picking up Liz on the way, and they had a wonderful reception at The Lakeside, Frimley which lasted from about 1.00pm until nearly midnight and many of the family attended. Photos (277/278) are two of the wedding pictures.

1990

By this time I found it more and more difficult to walk, which ended in me having several falls, mostly down the hill. On Good Friday 1990, although Liz had met me from church, turning from the footpath into our road, I somehow crashed over and cut my eyebrow quite badly. I stuck a plaster over it but Sally carted me to Tankerton hospital, where there was a casualty dept at that time. Then Dr. Hunt cleverly put four stitches in, and I have no scar visible. That was my 11th fall.

On the 8th July ’90 Nigel and Margaret decided to have a family gathering at their house with a barbecue in the garden in the afternoon and lasting late into the evening. Photo 279 shows Margaret dishing out the drinks with two of Graham’s youngsters in the picture and Photo 280 is probably the last picture I have of Bobby. She looks happy enough but by this time she barely knew who people were, although she did seem to know me alright.

1991

In 1991 I had my 12th fall, which was really awful. I was spending the May Bank Holiday with Sally and Clive, and coming back from a short walk, I missed their outer step and crashed onto the door, splitting my head open. I bled all over my clothes, and was rushed to Canterbury Hospital by ambulance where I had 14 stitches, across my forehead, and along my hairline, what a mess. Sally holding my hand all the time, and young Chris and Jon sitting watching, some performance. I healed very quickly, but unfortunately developed Cellulitis in my leg, so was kept in three weeks. This fall made me very nervous, as I did not want a 13th. So Sally always took me shopping or to the doctor etc. and hung on to me.

1992

In 1992 I had an uncomfortable prolapse which ended in a hysterectomy in April, which was no trouble luckily, and I was pushed out of hospital after six days. While recuperating at Sally’s, Nick did some work on my house, painting outside, cutting the grass, and eventually putting in three new panels to the fence, which next door’s dog had destroyed.

It was at about this time that I started to write these memoirs, mainly to give me something to keep my brain occupied during the long periods of inactivity. I actually started writing the war years first and it was the family who jokingly called it “Edie’s War”. It was after this that I was persuaded to expand the whole thing into it’s present form.

Anyway after returning home full of aches and pains the doctor decided, after blood tests, that I had polymyalgia rheumatica, which is basically inflammation of the muscles. So I was put on steroids, which take the stiffness away, but does not cure, and there are a lot of side effects causing me to be practically housebound. I was sleeping downstairs by then, so bought a new single bed, and a new carpet, which all look very nice.

Jon, while he was unemployed, redecorated our bedroom upstairs, which had never been done since we moved down here. Then he took on the garden, and made a lot of improvements, but he then got a job in the bowling alley, so I decided I must find a new gardener.

I had Jane to do my work once a fortnight, but she was so quick that it was a job to fill two hours.

Paul had bought a house in Maidstone during 1991 and finally left home and moved in during the summer of ’92 after he and Chris had spent nearly a year altering and decorating it. Photo 281 is of Paul, the proud owner of number 6 Pope Street, Maidstone and Photo 282 is of him at the table in his kitchen/diner.

On the 8th October ’92 Bobby died in an old peoples home with a stroke. Nigel and Margaret had put her in this home because she had become so very senile and needed watching all the time. Her funeral on the 15th October at Beddington was a lovely family affair. All her five grandchildren were there, including Nigel’s married daughter Karen who brought her baby. Graham’s daughter Angela read the lesson. Bobby was buried in the same grave as her husband Eric at Beddington cemetery and we all had tea and refreshments together so could meet old friends and relations at a nearby pub, which Nigel and Margaret had managed to arrange as they were so far from their home at Guildford.

Chris and Shirley went to Sarawak for Christmas ’92 returning early in the New Year.

1993

Clive thankfully started working locally and was quite busy, and Sally was hoping to get a job.

Nick became engaged to Miranda Harvey, due to get married in April, they had a nice flat in Herne Bay at that time. Anthony was sharing a flat with a friend, so there were only two boys at home then.

I had to give up going to church regularly, so life became just one long succession of days without end. But David Simms still brings me communion once a fortnight. I managed to go to church one evening to hear the 2nd part of the Messiah, sung by an augmented choir for charity, which was a nice change.

Jane recommended a gardener to me, and he has been doing wonders to the garden ever since. I was, and still am, so pleased about that because it gives me something pleasant to look at, and maybe sit out, if the dogs next door do not spoil everything by barking all the time.

Nick and Miranda’s wedding on the 3rd April 1993 was very jolly, and they had a wonderful honeymoon in Florence. Photo 283 is of the happy couple and Photo 284 is of the full gathering taken at the reception in Sally and Clive’s garden.

I was hoping that once I came off steroids I would not be so house bound, and would be able to get to church more regularly again, although I had been once or twice in the evening. But I did not seem to be safe walking alone, which was a great drawback. I was longing to do some light gardening.

To add to my troubles, in May I bruised my rib cage by leaning over the arm of my chair, causing more agony. This lasted for three weeks but eventually went. Having rested such a lot during this period, my arthritic knee became very stiff and painful, so of course I was not able to go shopping with Sally.

In June I luckily had several visitors. Liz and Anne, Chris and Shirley and Paul all came on different days, and Audrey and family came and had a picnic in the garden one Sunday afternoon, which happened to be fine. Then I had my annual visit from Mr Orr, who visits the pensioners of Lloyds Bank to check on them. He had been very ill and on the same steroids as me, only more of them.

Early in July I was taken to church by Brenda Martin-Davis to hear the Brahms Requiem.

On the 5th July Barry Powell, who was over on a visit from New Zealand, came to stay for a week. On the Saturday after he came he took me in the car he had borrowed from a friend down to Chris and Shirley’s for the afternoon. Neither of us was sure of the way but luckily I recognised the turnings and found their road, but we had forgotten the number of the house and so whizzed right past, even though Chris was standing outside, turned round with Chris waving for us to stop. We had a luscious high tea with them and then on coming home we took the wrong turning and found ourselves on a motorway going back towards Maidstone. Eventually we made it and found the right road home. Barry hates motorways.

Barry also took me to Hernhill, which I love, and a roundabout tour of Seasalter where we sat by the sea in the rain, in the car though.

At the end of July, Liz and Anne came to stay for five days and they did a lot of walking. Liz had one bathe, but it was not very warm.

On the 3rd August Diane and Ian Roskilly paid me a visit and Chris also popped in during that day. Diane and Ian had done most of the hard work involved in tracing the Roskilly family tree and they brought me some of the paperwork they had accumulated for me to see, as well as a lot of the photographs concerning the family that they had collected – many of them from me. One particular picture I found most interesting was of the village of Roskilly that they had taken when they visited that part of Cornwall – see Photo 285.

At the end of August Liz and Anne came again for another five days and it was a bit warmer then. We spent Bank Holiday with them at Sally and Clive’s and Chris and Shirley also came for the day. The weather was lovely that day thankfully.

On the 5th September the Vicar took his last service before leaving for Bradford Cathedral. Unfortunately I could not go but went to dinner at Sally and Clive’s where Phyllis, Clive’s Aunt from the I.O.W., had come to stay for a week.

On the 6th Chris came down each day for three days to put a rail up my stairs to help me walk up and down, a marvellous affair. Phyllis also came in for two afternoons, while Sally went to her job of minding two children and Audrey and Sheila also came for a picnic lunch, so I had plenty of visitors that week.

Following that week I seemed to be suffering in silence, with the only visitors I expected being a workman, to mend my broken doorbell, Dennis, who cuts my hair and, when I could get hold of the gas board, a man to come and explain to me how to use the new programmer that was fitted to my boiler in the kitchen, which I could hardly understand and barely see anyway.

Still I should not complain about being lonely, for when I think about Phyllis I realise how much better off than her I am. She not only has Parkinson’s disease and lives all alone in a big house in Wroxall on the Isle of Wight but unlike me has no children to help her.

At last the gas man came, at 6.30 in the evening, to demonstrate how to use my programmer, it was as clear as mud to me but it came on alright but the radiators did not get hot, so I had to ask him to come again to see what was wrong. It was getting colder at that time of the year I so wanted to get it right for the winter. Still nobody had been to mend the doorbell and as I could not hear the knocker, life seemed rather difficult at that time.

Clive and Sally bought me a tapestry kit from a shop in Lewes, Sussex which they had visited on the way back from taking Phyllis to her cousin in Worthing where she usually stays for a few days before going back to the I.O.W. I was so thankful for that as I found I had so little to do as the writing of my life story was more or less completed.

Edie’s Diary

So this is the end of my actual memoirs. What I have remembered up to September 1993 were either my own strong past memories or those much prompted by old photos and Doug’s diaries, which perhaps explains why those years in the past with my strongest memories, together with only the most recent years, have the most material. However Chris (who has acted as typist, editor and compiler of this journal) has asked me to continue writing. So what follows is more in the form of a diary and are of some of my thoughts and the small events in my life written as and when they occur.

At this point I felt that Chris who, as I said above, has acted as typist, editor and compiler of my story deserved his own particular pictorial memory, so Photo 287 is it.

Chris and Shirley are away in the Algarve for a week (12th – 20th Sept), I hope it is better weather there. It is pretty awful here with a cold north wind, it seems that winter has come early after a mouldy summer.

Hurrah! Grantham has mended the bell and am beginning to get the hang of the programmer and have had it on all day, still not too warm but better, apparently the pump had jammed.

David brought a tape of the Vicar’s sermon for me to listen to, his last one at All Saints. I wonder who we shall get now, but at least we have a priest, the Rev. McNicol and he is very nice

I do hope that when I have finished with steroids I will be able to get to church. Sally came in with Jan on Friday, she is a sweet girl but has her disabled mother to look after and gets no help, which is awful. Graham tidied the garden up beautifully and we have had three lovely days, quite hot, wish it would go on a bit longer, it has not been a very nice summer on the whole, but the south east is the driest place and usually the warmer.

18th and 19th Sept – Sally and Clive came in on Saturday and Sunday, it does cheer me up to see them, we both enjoyed the Leeds International Piano Competition and admired the young players skill. On the Sunday Christopher Lewis was installed as residentiary Canon of Bradford Cathedral, the family will be living in the precincts which will be nice, but Bradford will be a great change to Whitstable I’m sure.

Had three lovely hot days, so did quite a lot of washing for a change, always dread hanging out in case I crash onto the rockery. I don’t want any more falls.

Jane is in a terrible state as she has had a row with Richard, the chap she is living with. I think it was about his son Adam who is aged 11 and she hates him, so I guess he has been spoilt or badly brought up having no mother.

Jackie and Alan called in on Wednesday for three hours, having been to the Water Aid headquarters in Orpington. Alan is a water engineer responsible for Water Aid in Sierra Leone and will be going out there in a week or two with Jackie, a very good charity.

Mrs Northover senior called on Thursday for me to witness her signature on a power of attorney and wants me and Sally to witness her will, she’s a nice woman.

24th Sept – Grantham called in to put in a new bell, thank goodness, I can’t hear knocks always

25th Sept – Supposed to be going to Liz’s today but can’t go because of a tummy upset, her stairs make it difficult. Miserable weather, disappointing.

26th Sept – Awful day again but I am going to tea with Sally and Clive, so it does not matter.

27th Sept – Janet is 36 today, still raining.

28th Sept – Even worse day, so no Graham unfortunately.

29th Sept – Much better day, wish Graham would come to clear up before the fence is renovated. Sally brought her lunch to have with me and David came in the afternoon.

1st Oct – Sally did loads of shopping for me and then she and Clive went to Chris and Shirley’s for the weekend, Liz is joining them on Saturday so they should have fun. Terrible stormy day, I think the whole world is upset somehow. Awful earthquake in India, devastating.

2nd Oct – It’s a bit calmer today but my inside is not and I don’t know what I should eat.

3rd Oct (Sun) – They all enjoyed their weekend, saw the inside of Paul’s new house and had a picture taken in his back garden – see Photo 288. Shirley made wonderful meals, good for her.

4th/6th Oct – Now the men have arrived to do the fence, soon had the posts in and the next day all the gravel boards. Jane has left the man she was living with and gone home with Jamie, after all the fuss of moving into a new house and having three holidays with him, what a mistake. Now she has no home and no money, having given up most of her cleaning jobs, hope she comes back eventually and recovers.

Saw Dr MacMillan for the first time after his illness, he looks very thin but very nice.

9th Oct – The fence is finished and looks good and strong and I can’t see the dogs, except from the window but they still bark at every sound, too much.

10th/16th Oct – Saw Sally and Clive on Sunday. Monday was a better day which encouraged me to do some washing. Unfortunately Tuesday was wet so no Graham to clear up the garden, but he promised to come on saturday if fine and luckily it was, so the garden is back to normal with even the grass cut. Now I have got to be patient and wait for fine weather so he can prune the roses, cut the shrubs down and hopefully put in two fence panels at the back of the garden. Then it will all be tidy for the winter, which I dread.

17th Oct – Chris and Shirley came over on my 86th birthday and we had a nice day with more cards than usual, people are kind and write to me now because they realise I like answering letters for something to do. Photo 289 and Photo 290 were taken on the day

19th Oct – Unfortunately I felt so awful that Sally called a doctor, who came nice and early and gave me some pills to stop my tummy behaving like a sieve, but they put me to sleep and made me feel even more dizzy than ever and I have not got over it yet.

23rd/24th Oct – Liz and family came over for the weekend, even Peter this time, I was honoured and he is getting quite useful and solved my programmer problem. We all went to Sally and Clive’s for dinner on Sunday, but Clive was ill in bed with a rotten cold, got up in the evening and went to work the next day.

26th Oct – Liz and Anne went home in the afternoon, so now I am recovering from this awful tiredness, but managed to wash all the towels somehow, gradually recovered and carried on as usual.

1st Nov – Saw no one at the weekend because Sally was at a meeting, but went to tea with them the following Sunday – 7th Nov.

9th Nov – Graham came to put two fence panels up at the bottom of the garden and pruned the shrubs, a marvellous job, he’s a good worker. Unfortunately I can’t even walk down there to look at it.

14th Nov – It was Remembrance Sunday so I had plenty to look at for two days, but not very cheerful.

16th Nov – I complained to the Gas Company about my difficult programmer, so they came at last to change it to one like Sally and Chris’s, so simple. I can’t think why they didn’t put it in at the beginning, I can understand this one and can see it.

17th Nov – Two days of a freezing frost, looked lovely but was so cold that now I have my heat on from 5.00 a.m in the morning until 11.00 p.m at night and then have a hot water bottle in bed, although I usually wake up sweating. I is lovely when I sleep all night, but occasionally I don’t, which is grim and I have to read with the light on of course and sometimes don’t sleep at all until after 4.00 a.m so I am tired all day.

26th Nov – Graham came and pruned my roses in the front garden very neatly but it was a mistake because it encouraged the schoolboys to push my wall over, most of it gone, great heavy lumps of it.

28th Nov – I went to dinner with S and C and discovered she had asked four young Jehovah’s Witness friends as well, but they were very jolly and did me good I expect.

29th Nov – Audrey and Margaret brought their sandwiches and came to lunch with me, so kind of them. I can’t entertain these days not being able to shop.

1st Dec – Sally was going to take me to Tankerton to buy Christmas cards, but couldn’t start the car so we went by taxi and bought a box of 50 cards plus 3 pounds for the taxi. Anyhow I have sent them all with notes in and have had lots of lovely replies, including phone calls from Winnie Crook and Aubrey Pearce. John Crook is ill and never goes to church and now Aubrey has something wrong with him so we are all in the same boat. Writing the cards and letters has kept me amused for days, but now that is over must find something else to do or my brain will just fizz out, hence this.

Had some awful windy weather but nothing like other parts of the country, where there has been damage, but it is a cold north west wind but dry and sunny at times so I sit near the fire, it is the only way to keep warm.

14th Dec – Mrs Rake took me to see Mrs Waton in Bradley House care home one afternoon, she is wonderful and quite happy there, loving the food, but it would not do for me, too many old ladies and men as well, some senile of course, but very nicely appointed.

15th Dec – Sally came and changed my bed and cleaned the room, awful effort as the bed is so heavy. Began to have lots more nice cards, some with letters, which I have replied to.

21st Dec – Gary came to rebuild the front garden wall, he worked very hard and finished it in two days.

24th/25th Dec – Liz and family arrived early on Christmas Eve and we had a lovely Christmas dinner with Sally and Clive and the boys.

26th Dec – On Sunday we stayed at home and we looked at the morning service on television from Bradford Cathedral and saw our former vicar, the Rev. Christopher Lewis, reading the prayers. Janet and her new fiance Michael visited us, he was very sociable and we all liked him.

27th Dec – On Boxing Day we went over to Sally and Clive’s again with all the family including Chris, Shirley and Paul, Nick and Miranda and younger Chris’s friend Nicola and Anthony’s friend Penny.

28th Dec – Clive kindly took Liz and Co home so now we are back to normal and quiet.

31st Dec – Sally and Clive came in on New Year’s Eve but we didn’t see it in, how kind of them to come though.

1994

1st Jan – It is New Years Day and a lovely sunny day too. I hope it will be a better year for me as regard health, so hurry on Spring. I am having dinner with Sally and Clive so that is a good start to the year.

It is at this point that I have decided not to continue with my personal diary as the little that happens in my life now seems, to me, to be exceedingly boring and of little interest both for me to write about and for anyone to read. I have not written of many of the events that have occurred in this country, or the rest of the world, because it has been my life that I have been recalling, and have only mentioned matters outside my own small world when it affected me or my family personally, such as the war. But before drawing my memoirs to a close I thought I would record just a little of what I have observed has been happening in the world at large in the past year.

England seemed to have suffered so many bombings from the I.R.A., the worst being the two bombs in the City of London which damaged huge business blocks, but thankfully did not kill many people. There were also the sad bombings in the shopping centre of Warrington where two young boys were killed.

All over the country young lads seemed to be stealing cars by driving fast through town centres and killed so many people and caused so much damage.

Then there was the terrible murder of a two year old child by two boys aged only 10 and 12, which revolted the whole country.

Yugoslavia is a forgotten country now, there is fighting between the three different factions and the country is devastated. The U.N. try to bring aid to the starving communities and resolve the conflict, but so many lives have been lost and people wounded.

Even the weather was in revolt, there were two terrible earthquakes, one in Los Angeles and the other in India, where there were so many casualties. In Australia there was a terrific fire so near to Sydney, with a temperature of 100c, yet in New York the temperature fell to minus 40c, so 1993 was another strange year.

Still that is enough gloom and doom, so I will try to finish on a happier note. I read an amusing letter in a magazine recently which I felt applied to me quite well, it went as follows:-

“I am now a Senior Citizen who is a person born before the Pill, television, frozen foods, credit cards and ballpoint pens. For us, time sharing meant togetherness and a chip meant a piece of wood. Hardware meant hard ware and software wasn’t even a word. We were before pantyhose, drip-dry clothes, dishwashers, tumble dryers and electric blankets. We got married first and then lived together (how quaint can one be?). Girls wore Peter Pan collars and thought that cleavage was something butchers did. We were before Batman, vitamin pills, disposable nappies, jeeps and pizzas. Instant coffee and Kentucky Fried Chicken weren’t even thought of. In our day cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was for mowing, pot was something you cooked in. A gay person was the life of the party and nothing more, while Aids meant beauty lotions or help for someone in trouble. When you think of how the world has changed and of the adjustments we have had to make, I think we are a hardy bunch.”

To add to the above anecdote, here are some of my own random memories of those days long gone.

School was a place where you did what you were told and worked hard and were polite to the teachers. When at home you helped with the housework and washing up, made your own beds and tidied your bedrooms.

On Sundays you went to church with your parents and spent the rest of the day reading or gardening and behaving yourself and Christmas and Easter were religious festivals. Sometimes there were visitors but no trips to the country or seaside on a Sunday. We had grace before meals and morning prayers when certain visitors stayed, and not just on a Sunday either!!

There weren’t many private cars then, just a few bicycles and the milkman went round in a horse and cart and served the milk out of huge cans. Other tradesmen called once or twice a week for orders and then delivered them, butcher, baker, greengrocer, grocer, laundry and fishmongers. There were lamplighters and men who called to sharpen your knives or mend your chairs. There were horse buses with open tops and horse driven funeral cars, decorated with large black feathers.

We had picnics in the garden, there seemed to be real summers then, and married members of the family were always visiting with their children. We played croquet and, later on, tennis and always gardening. In our homes we danced to a gramophone with a big trumpet, waltzing, foxtrot, polka and occasionally the lancers, such fun. Our holidays were spent in the British Isles

We had boy friends who took us to the cinema or dances. Ballroom dancing of course was the rage then, until the Charleston came from America, apart from the Lambeth Walk which was fun and truly British. Also very occasionally there were visits to the theatre or a promenade concert. Tickets for the front stalls in theatres and concert halls in London cost 7/6d (old money – that’s 37 1/2p today) and for the back seats about 2/6d. I believe theatres in London now cost at least 35 pounds for the stalls, although cheaper in the provinces. Fashions were quite different in those early years, skirts were below the knee and necks weren’t low, we wore long evening dresses and dinner jackets for men when we went to dances. Going up to London was exciting and safe, even on the underground, and even working in an office was enjoyable. Burglaries were rare and mugging and raping weren’t even thought of or worried about.

Most of us had some sort of a job but usually retired on getting married. Then we started off in flats or shared houses and gradually saved up for a house of our own. Jobs were easy to find and food was relatively cheap, so we coped with our small families and had a good life. We earned comparatively small salaries but we managed. A girl in an office in the 1930’s earned about three to four pounds a week, as against probably about 150 pounds a week today. At that time sugar was 3d a lb (old money – that’s about 1 1/4p in present day money – it is about 67p a lb today). Tea was 2/4d a lb for Lyons Greenleaf.

We revered the Royal Family, who were very popular, and we were very patriotic and sang about it. Tabloid newspapers were pleasant to read then, The Daily Mirror and The Daily Sketch had a lot of pictures, but now most papers seem to vie with one another to print as much sleaze as they can manage.

We had to cope with a World War which for some was tragic, meaning separation or death, including nightly bombings of towns and cities, doodlebugs and V2 rockets and the evacuation of children to the countryside.

In conclusion then, looking back over the years I consider that I was so lucky to be born at the tail end of a large family when my parents were considerably better off than they were at the beginning of it. After the extension was built on to what was already a large house, it was a joy to live in and with an extended large garden to play in we were really very privileged. I did not realise it at the time, but looking back as I am, anyone can see how fortunate we were. Again Doug and I had a very stable marriage, as indeed did all my sisters and brother, not one divorce in our family of eight. Also apart from the war, even though we lost dear little Ann during that time, so many people suffered more than we did, so I still feel that we were so very blessed.

Now I am alone I grumble a lot and yet look back with thankfulness for all the good times and the friends we made over the years.

Edith Florence Atwell

Whitstable
April 1992 to March 1994

One day in the life of a Moaning Minnie

If you wake at 6.30 you have had a good night, bar interruptions, but if you wake at 4.00 am then you will find that you cannot sleep any more until it is time to get up when you would love to stay in bed until you really feel like getting up. Anyhow you force yourself to rise and wash and dress and have a cup of tea in case someone rings the doorbell, but nobody ever does except the milkman once a week when you are usually visiting the loo, this can be embarrassing.

Then you get your meagre breakfast and plan to be eating it by 9.00 am with a bit of news. This can be interesting, or boring, or upsetting as it has been lately. Then you try to read the paper and the excess literature which you discard, it is a rare treat to find a letter from an old friend, people do not write these days.

The paper does not cheer you up much by the time you run through the list of murders, rapists, joy rider kills, divorces etc., and politics seems to consist of each party slamming at one another, you begin to wonder how we ever get governed at all and not ending in fighting each other like some other countries do.

You read the latest news about what used to be Yugoslavia where different parties all believe in one God but they fight for the right to live with people who worship in the same way this one God. Consequently they rape and torture and kill, and the women and children flee from one place to another, or they starve in spite of the U.N. humanitarian aid which is usually prevented in one way or another.

Thank goodness the papers have stopped talking about Somalia and showing us pictures of the dreadful starving children there, it is more than one can bear. The Americans cannot stay there forever and it will happen all over again when they leave.

After eating and glancing at papers you wash up your few utensils and make your bed, wash a few articles of clothing, and by that time you want to sit down again, so read a bit more rubbish, then decide to dust the room, which does not really need it but it is something to do.

Then you prepare some scraps for the birds and throw it out and get furious again because the seagulls will swoop down and pinch it all, so you tap on the window and watch the starlings rush down and have a go, this goes on between them for some time with magpies creeping in the background and a black crow watching from the tree tops.

After that episode you try and think of something else to do, and if there is somebody you can write to, all is well and good, otherwise you have to make something up like this.

With luck it could be 12.00 noon by then so you feel it might not be too early to eat a little something and maybe have a cup of hot milk, because tea is barred. So you turn the radio on hoping for some nice soothing music, but it is usually Mozart or Haydn, not my favourite, or you put up with Pebble Mill, which varies, and another dose of news.

Then with a sigh you cover yourself with a rug and lie back in your chair and doze, but it must be a little one or you will not sleep at night.

When you wake up there is the joy of having a much needed cup of tea and a slice of cake if any, a little luxury which is not good for you. Then there is the gap between 3.00 and 5.00 to fill which is extremely difficult, too early to settle down with needlework, that’s for the evening. It is the right time for conversation but there is nobody to converse with. I miss Joan once a week, and rare visits from Liz or Chris and Shirley, but having Paul one day recently was just right, he explained all about his job, training young students and assessing them, good luck to him.

Then of course there is my dinner to prepare and eat, very simple and is eaten in about ten minutes. With television on, more news, just the same, and not very interesting programs, takes about an hour. Then wash up unless there is something really good or funny to look at, which I enjoy, and a long sit down with my tapestry for about three hours, bit hard on the eyes, but relaxing and the best part of the day.

One day in the life of a Moaning Minnie

THE ALTERNATIVE VERSION (LESS WOE)

If you wake at 6.30 you have had a good night, bar interruptions, but if you wake at 4.0 am then you will find that you cannot sleep any more until it is time to get up when you would love to stay in bed until you really feel like getting up. Anyhow you force yourself to rise and wash and dress and have a cup of tea in case someone rings the doorbell, but nobody ever does except the milkman once a week when you are usually visiting the loo, this can be embarrassing.

Then you get your meagre breakfast and plan to be eating it by 9.00 am with a bit of news. This can be interesting, or boring, or upsetting as it has been lately. Then you try to read the paper and the excess literature which you discard, it is a rare treat to find a letter from an old friend, people do not write these days.

The paper does not cheer you up much by the time you have run through the list of wars, murders, rapists, joy rider kills, divorces etc.. Also politics seems to consist of each party slamming at one another, you begin to wonder how we ever get governed at all.

After eating and glancing at papers you wash up your few utensils and make your bed, wash a few articles of clothing, and by that time you want to sit down again, so read a bit more rubbish, then decide to dust the room, which does not really need it but it is something to do.

Then you prepare some scraps for the birds and throw it out and get furious again because the seagulls will swoop down and pinch it all, so you tap on the window and watch the starlings rush down and have a go, this goes on between them for some time with magpies creeping in the background and a black crow watching from the tree tops.

After that episode you try and think of something else to do, and if there is somebody you can write to, all is well and good, otherwise you have to make something up like this.

With luck it could be 12.00 noon by then so you feel it might not be too early to eat a little something and maybe have a cup of hot milk, because tea is barred. So you turn the radio on hoping for some nice soothing music, but it is usually Mozart or Haydn, not my favourite, or you put up with Pebble Mill, which varies, and another dose of news.

Then with a sigh you cover yourself with a rug and lie back in your chair and doze, but it must be a little one or you will not sleep at night.

When you wake up there is the joy of having a much needed cup of tea and a slice of cake if any, a little luxury which is not good for you. Then there is the gap between 3.00 and 5.00 to fill which is extremely difficult, too early to settle down with needlework, that’s for the evening. It is the right time for conversation but there is nobody to converse with. I miss my neighbour Joan once a week, and rare visits from Liz or Chris and Shirley, but having Paul one day recently was just right, he explained all about his job, training young students and assessing them, good luck to him.

Then of course there is my dinner to prepare and eat, very simple and is eaten in about ten minutes. With television on, more news, just the same, and not very interesting programs, takes about an hour. Then wash up unless there is something really good or funny to look at, which I enjoy, and a long sit down with my tapestry for about three hours, bit hard on the eyes, but relaxing and the best part of the day.