Goin back to ya roots?

Ciderman wrote:

It makes you think a bit doesn't it Davo.
I was an only child born in London 2 months after the start of WW2. My dad was a London Met policeman, as his father had been and his grandfather, but about 1942 he managed to join the navy, while mom and I put up with the doodlebugs. After the war he put in for a posting to Bermuda and he went on ahead while mum and I followed a few months later on a returning lend lease aircraft carrier called HMS Ranee. I lived an idyllic childhood, mostly in the water or on the water fishing. This meant , of course, that I lost most contact with my grandparents. I have no cousins as both my mum and dad had a sibling but they never produced offspring.

After another, shorter stint in New York dad was posted to the reserve fleet in Harwich for a couple of years where he got bored out of his brain and swore that HMS Tyne, the depot ship, was aground on gin bottles, he applied for and got a posting to NZ as an antisubmarine and minesweeping  specialist for 3 years. At the end of that time it coincided with the end of a commission period so he either had to go back to England or opt out. We all liked NZ so we stayed. I've been back 3 times but I think he made the right decision, with all due respect to the POM's on here!  :;smile:

that was a great story CM - what an idyllic life on the beach in Bermuda - I remember some old friends in UK whose son applied to be a policeman in Bermuda - that was in the 50;s not sure if you had to be one already are they trained you - but we were all envious of his opportunity although his parents were somewhat dubious. Never did find out how he got on there.

I have approximately 12 cousins that I know of in UK and over the years have managed to keep in touch with half of them but that has now faded. It just seems that family ties are not as strong or valued any longer and even I have given up now! I did drop in on a family gathering or rather created it in 1999 when I came back to UK - they all turned up amazingly and promised to keep in touch. Tough titties!

Sad but true Davo - I have cousins all over the UK - including some less than 5 miles away. But we only ever exchange pleasantries at family funerals which are becoming all too frequent now I'm almost 80.

AlanHo wrote:

Sad but true Davo - I have cousins all over the UK - including some less than 5 miles away. But we only ever exchange pleasantries at family funerals which are becoming all too frequent now I'm almost 80.

Unfortunately we have to attend the funeral of my brother in law tomorrow.  He was a great person until struck down with dementia.

Commiserations andsome - but it comes to us all.

AlanHo wrote:

Commiserations andsome - but it comes to us all.

That is the only cast iron guarantee that we have.

That and the immortality of taxes

andsome wrote:

Unfortunately we have to attend the funeral of my brother in law tomorrow.  He was a great person until struck down with dementia.

Sorry to hear that, andsome.  

I have never seen a case progress so rapidly. His daughter called round to see how he was,and he had just finished putting his bed linen onto the compost heap. The doctor got him straight into hospital for observation,and in less than six months he did not know us. He was always vey fit and strong,and went out jogging every day until he was 83.

Dementia is a dreadful condition.  

My Mum had it at the end of her life.  She eventually didn't know me each time when I arrived at the nursing home where she ended her days.  :|

My blind veteran friend who recently died, nursed his wife at home as she slid into dementia for about 5 years before it was diagnosed as Alzheimer's. He was 90 and blind and just could not cope and she had to go into care. He spent £102,000 of his savings on care home fees - after all his wife's savings had been exhausted. She died in 2012 - and with the help of some solicitors I am still fighting to try and get most of that refunded to his estate 4 years later.

good on ya A

It's truly a hard slog - the public services have a mighty skills in procrastination and red herrings.

funny they call it the "public service" they should take a leaf out of Obamas last speech!

this has been a great thread for opening up about our lives and families or lack of! but what were some of the actions of these families that assisted us to succeed? I remember my Da had a great love of reading and joined me into the local library as soon as I had reached the appropriate age. we had a full range of encyclopedias at home and I can remember sitting on his knee in the small kitchen next to the warm fire grate and listening to him read stories for me. eventually one of my few successes at school was english grammar!

my mother was more business orientated and brought home one of those very old fashioned typewriters for me to mess around with - from there I eventually learned to touch type having bought a portable olivetti and practiced for three months with a coaching manual.

as I have mentioned previously I am disappointed my two grandfathers didn't teach me the skills of their trades.

My parents both made the decision to leave the 'pool and move to a healthier environment in Cheshire were I learned to enjoy cheshire cheese; beer and scrumping! My parents never really coached us vigorously day by day but by example and gently guidance got us there.

so we had moved from lower class poor to middle class poor and then finally just middleclass middleclass although these days I have come across the british term "the rural poverty"


rural poverty

it didn't seem to exist when I lived in a small cheshire village in the late 50's - 60's but heh england has changed so much since I left that's for sure. some of my existing friends back there tell me "davo we had the best years compared to today"

I don't have any 'roots' as such

I was just 14 when my dad died... I had to leave school and get a job in order to support myself, the house was rented and I was too young to take over the tenancy so I found accommodation with a lovely old couple and got a job in a shop.
My accommodation costs took all my wages and I had to walk two miles to work and back......6 days, 9 'til 6 for £3.50.
After a couple of years or so I got a flat and started night school.
My sister was just married when dad died and was no help to me at all financially or otherwise.
I had two brothers, one lived in London a rich theatrical agent whom I never saw and the other one a drunkard who again I never had any contact with.
Despite it all I survived and eventually got a position with British Aerospace where I ended up a Development Engineer.
Married, one son, divorced and re-married and took redundancy in 1991, my wife took her redundancy in 1992 an neither of us has worked since.
Very generous severance payments and occupational pensions paid early.....we were rich ! and even richer when we reached OAP status.
All in all I have had an interesting life but I have no complaints at all.
We are happy and contented with good and successful families .......
and a lovely new great grandson


Enlarge this image