About the contributor

I was born on 06 03 1926 and brought up in West Hampstead, London,where our family lived until 1962. We knew the area and many of the people well. I went to Emmanuel School, West End Green as did my sister Irene (known as Rene) but left there until 1933 when I went to Beckford School, Broomsleigh Street, West Hampstead. At the age of 11 (1937)I went to Fleet Central School from where we were evacuated to Ashwell Rutland at the outbreak of war. In 1940 I returned to live in West Hampstead and joined the Post Office as a telegraph messenger being stationed first at NW HQ in Eversholt St. Camden Town and later at Kilburn Sub- post office until I was called up in 1944. I became a Bevin Boy and served in the Mines until late 1945 when I was released on health grounds. For a short time I became a sorter in the Western DO in Wimpole Street but was then called up again in 1946 and served in the RAF until 1949 at RAF Hemswell,Lincolnshire, serving also for a short time in Singapore with 97 Squadron as a RADAR mechanic servicing Lincoln Bombers . Then I entered the Civil Service and worked in The Ministry of Education, later Dept of Education and Science and later in the Ministry of Labour from which I retired as a Senior Executive Officer in 1986 but remained on as a Clerical Officer until 1993 (final retirement). During those years, I had joined the Cygnet Rowing Club (Civil Service)and Ruislip Lions Club (as a founder member) was married to Annabelle (nee Ferguson) in St. Andrews, Fife and we moved to Eastcote, Middlesex in 1964 before the birth of our first son Lawrence in 1965. Alison was born in 1967 and then Stuart in 1971. Later we moved to Northwood Hills and then to Pinner in Middlesex. After the family all left home Anna and I moved to Rustington in Sussex in 2002 where we are still living. I am still an active member of Lions International Club. We have 4 grandchildren Alex and Iain (by Lawrenc's wife Karen) who live in Worthing , Sussex; Sam (by Alison and husband Christopher Martin who live in Cambridge); and Maisie by Stuart's partner Liz, who live in Leyton , London E. Currently Alison is expecting a new baby.