| 1939 |
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Second
World War starts 3rd September |
| 1940 |
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| 1941 |
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March/April:
I remember air raids and sitting under
the table (a form of shelter). One day
I was taken into the street to see the
sky lit up by the fires from the Plymouth
bombing 32 miles away. |
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| 1942 |
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| 1943 |
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Started
school at Highweek Primary School, Newton
Abbot. |
| 1944 |
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| 1945 |
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Second
World War finishes 7th May |
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Street
party for returning servicemen and flags
and bunting hanging outside the houses. |
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I
remember going to the bottom of the road
to meet my Father returning from work
at Kingsteignton and pushing his bike
up the hill. |
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| 1946 |
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| 1947 |
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| 1948 |
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| 1949 |
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Started
secondary school at Highweek Secondary
School having failed the 11+ Grammar School
examination twice. Felt as if we were
thrown on the scrap heap, very few academic
lessons, spent most of my time playing
rugby, cricket and soccer, or in the school
gardens. Most lessons were practicalie
gardening, metalwork, woodwork, doing
errands etc. |
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| 1950 |
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Harold
was just finishing school and had played
rugby for the school. During my first
rugby lesson, I was sent to one end of
the pitch and the rest of the class to
the other. I was told that to score I
had to run through all the others. I didn't
get far and was soon buried under a pile
of bodies. Moved to 58 Pottery Cottages
(later Newton Road) Kingsteignton opposite
Hexter Humphersons where my
father worked. We moved so that my parents
could look after my Grandmother. The house
had no bathroom and an outside toilet.
We bathed in a tin bath in the "living"
room usually in front of the fire. Didn't
move schools so cycled to Newton Abbot
daily. |
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| 1951 |
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Joined
Army Cadets in Newton Abbot - worked as
a delivery boy for International Stores,
I was paid |
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twelve
shillings and six pence/week. My Mother
kept ten shillings to help with clothes
etc. |
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One
day the Queen came to visit an agriculural
show just outside town, came by train
and drove up the |
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main
street.The railway station was painted
throughout and the streets were spotless. |
| 1952 |
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Around
that time I remember a gust of wind catching
my delivery bike while I was trying to
turn |
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it
around with a big box of groceries with
eggs on the top. All was deposited into
the main road. |
| 1953 |
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Passed
exam to South Devon Technical College,
Torquay. |
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Not
the brightest and had difficulty keeping
up. On the first day a teacher came into
the class and asked another
lad and myself to come forward. He informed
us that rugby training was on the following
evening. I
think that he had been told I played rugby
and I'm not convinced I actually passed
the entrance exam. |
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Played
rugby and cricket for the college |
| 1954 |
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Attended
SDTC on a basic engineering course. Passed
entry examination for HM Dockyard,Devonport. |
| 1955 |
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Commenced
an Engineering Apprenticeship at HM Dockyard,
Devonport |
| 1956 |
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| 1957 |
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Army
Cadets - Won the Bain Trophy for the best
NCO in the battalion for three years,
everyone thought |
| 1958 |
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I
would go in the army. |
| 1959 |
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Finished
Apprenticeship - left Army Cadets as an
adult instructor (Sgt.Major) |
| 1960 |
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Joined
the Merchant Navy serving as a (Junior)
Engineering Officer on oil tankers with
Caltex. Could earn far more money than
National Service in the Army. |
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| 1961 |
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| 1962 |
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| 1963 |
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| 1964 |
3rd
October - Married to Margaret Alma Dennis
at Highampton, Devon |
| 1965 |
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| 1966 |
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| 1967 |
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| 1968 |
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| 1969 |
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| 1970 |
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| 1971 |
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| 1972 |
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| 1973 |
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| 1976 |
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| 1977 |
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| 1978 |
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| 1979 |
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| 1980 |
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| 1981 |
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| 1982 |
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| 1983 |
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| 1984 |
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| 1985 |
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| 1986 |
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| 1987 |
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| 1988 |
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| 1989 |
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| 1990 |
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| 1991 |
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| 1992 |
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| 1993 |
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| 1994 |
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| 1995 |
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| 1996 |
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| 1997 |
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| 1998 |
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| 1999 |
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| 2000 |
2000
/2001, Made
the Mayor of Exmouth Town Council |
| 2001 |
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| 2002 |
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| 2003 |
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| 2004 |
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| 2005 |
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| 2006 |
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| 2007 |
Made
Hon Alderman by East Devon District Council
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| 2008 |
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| 2009 |
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