John's Life
1933
John was born on 10th January 1933 in Costessey. His mother, Alice and father Cyril, were from well-established Wymondham families and had lived all their lives there. For some reason, the family moved to Costessey for a year. John had four older siblings, Charlie, Bob, Mary and Sheila
1936 Browick School, Wymondham
The family lived at several addresses in the town, including Damgate Street and Middleton Street, before settling on the outskirts, at “Dar Anfa”, about a mile out of the town centre on the Norwich Road.
John followed his siblings to attend the local primary, Browick School, and his childhood sounds typical of the time, with a lot of freedom to cycle the lanes, find swimming spots in the rivers and play cricket and dig holes in their garden.
During the war, his father was away a lot and was part of the Dunkirk evacuation. Meanwhile his mother Alice kept the family together. John had many memories of his childhood during the war, including collecting shrapnel from fresh bomb craters across the road, seeing German planes flying low over the house and sheltering under the school desks.
When he was 6, his eldest brother Charlie (14) was killed in a traffic accident on the road outside the house. The tragedy had a devastating, long-lasting effect on the family.
1944 Kind Edward Grammar School, Norwich
John was awarded a scholarship to the King Edward School at Norwich Cathedral. At the time he was disappointed as he had wanted to go to the CNS School with all his school friends, but his mother thought it would be the best opportunity for him.
Living so far from the school had several disadvantages. He couldn't take the same bus as his CNS friends as he had to leave earlier. He wasn't able to go home for lunch as most of the boys did, so he ate at the British Restaurant with a few other boys and also the workers who were in a similar situation. On many occasions he would cycle to school, play a game of rugby and cycle home. The distance also meant he wasn't able to join in afterschool activities.
He didn't like the Headmaster, who refused to acknowledge him, but he did have some inspirational and supportive teachers. It can't have been all bad because he made many friends for life, and with whom he had a lot of good times, especially his “Boozy Friday” friends, Phillip, Dick and John.
1951 -1953 National Service
John wrote down some memories of his National Service as, like so many fellow “soldiers”, it was an experience he never forgot. You can read these in full at the bottom of the page.
“I was called up to join the Northamptonshire Regiment at the depot at Wootton Barracks, Northampton in September 1951, thus becoming part of the demob group 51/18. Train journey from Wymondham with two changes, I had never been away from home before except Scout camps and one or two stays with relatives.”
He did basic training for 6 weeks before being sent to either Trieste or Korea. Fortunately, it was off to Trieste and his first time abroad. In the barracks he shared a room with “Frankie (cheeky London Italian) and Louis (tall and unpleasant), both with criminal records and light fingered, and later caught stealing cigs etc from the NNAFI”. And so his soldiering, and education, began.
In 1952 he went to Schmelz in Austria for a field firing camp where he was transferred to the Battalion Intelligence section. Soon after that the Battalion moved to Wuppertal in the British zone of Germany as part of the BAOR. Much of Wuppertal (like most of the Ruhr) was still in ruins after the war-time bombing and they spent their time doing parades and “schemes”. They also had more time for sport and John played in the Battalion Rugby Team against the 2nd Battalion, the Coldstream Guards, “who were on average 2ft taller than me, and most of our team. I don't remember the result.”
John didn't complete his service physically unscathed. He suffered a bayonet wound on a rehearsal for the Coronation Parade when “Ginger (Gagg from Dagenham) held his rifle and bayonet slightly out of line and I sliced my 3rd finger on it.” The injury meant he had several days off and missed the Parade. He was always very proud of his war wound.
John had ideas that he would be a journalist when he left the army and took a correspondence course with that in mind.
1953-54 The “Gap Year”
John had plans to go to University but because he had not studied Latin, his options were limited. With advice and support from his brother Bob, John applied to do History and Geography (with Philosophy and German) at Southampton University and was accepted for September 1954. He had a year to fill and had an interview for proof-reading at the EDP and was offered a printing apprenticeship until they realised he was going to University.
He had a great social life, meeting up with old (Wymondham) school friends, all now ex-National Service men and he spent quite a lot of time in the Kings Head run by Mrs Goffin and her son Billy.
He was offered a job with Evans Lifts by the father of an old school friend, Bobby Struthers, and he had access to interesting places such as shoe factories, Colmans, a tannery and a large grain silo. He was a bit accident prone and knocked a can of oil over a pile of skins in a leather warehouse, ruining them.
At this point he started playing football for Deopham Reserves and then got into the first team when the winger was injured. “We played on a pretty rough field near the church, the joke being that the skill required by the wingers was how to flick the ball off the molehills. We changed in an old double decker bus, home team downstairs, visitors upstairs.”
In the summer he changed from lifts to painting and decorating working for Jack Forkes, a job he would carry on during his University holidays. He helped paint the local schools in Attleborough, Wicklewood and Deopham.
It was during the summer of 1954 that he met Thelma (Pom), his wife to be. He played cricket for Hethersett and tennis for the Social Club, where they first got together. “Our first match as partners was at Brooke and I took the whole team, 6 people in my little Ford 8 called Rosy. People go on about their first car, but she was something special. We did our courting in it, with trips to the coast and a holiday to Cornwall (which was very daring, but we had separate bedrooms), and tours around Southampton.”
Pom said she liked John because he wasn't competitive and didn't worry if they lost a match.
1954 Southampton University
Having got together, John and Pom maintained the long distance relationship while he was at University by meeting once a fortnight in London and of course spending the holidays together.
John worked hard, enjoyed his course and made friends with his Geography tutor, Billy Robinson who was from Hingham. The memories he recorded of this period are of the friends he met, and the sport he played. Southampton was a fairly new University at this point and John was awarded the first First Class for a General Degree.
1957 After University – Job Seeking
With no idea of what to do with his degree, John thought about journalism again and had an interview at Kemsley Group and was offered a job on the Blackburn Evening Telegraph. At the same time, he had an interview for the job of Planning Assistant in the Maidstone for Kent Planning Department. When he was offered the post, he accepted and his career in planning began.
1958 Marriage
John and Thelma were married at Hethersett Church and they went to live together in Maidstone. However, they weren't there very long before they returned to Norfolk and bought a house in Thorpe St Andrew, where they brought up their three children, Robert (born 1959), Ann (1962) and Clare (1968).
1959 Norfolk County Council
John had a long career with NCC, retiring in 1993. (See the “Planning” Page on the website for more details).
1990 Bluebell Road
In 1990 John bought his late Aunt Cathy’s house in Eaton.
Retirement
In 1993 John retired and started a whole new chapter of his life. His new freedom allowed him to expand on his interests and pursue new ones, often making very good friends along the way. His interests were wide and varied and he participated in many activities and Committees. He also made new friends. He also spent considerable time caring for his extended family and as Pom’s health deteriorated, he cared for her with unwavering devotion until she passed away in 2013.
His many interests included:
Wymondham
He was drawn back to his roots and spent many hours in the Wymondham Archives researching the family history and also the historical period around the enclosures in the 1700s. His publications include:
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All Sir Garnet - the story of the Wymondham Fire Brigade in which both of his grandfather's served at the same time.
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Articles on the Wymondham Enclosures
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Wymondham in the 19th Century in Maps, with Richard Fowle, Mary Garner, John Herne and Mark Phillips
He was a keen supporter of the Wymondham Art Centre in St Beckett's Chapel and felt it was a very valuable asset for the town. He helped to steward at exhibitions there and together with friends, exhibited his own work in 4 exhibitions. In later years, he welcomed any excuse to visit the town, returning the Barbers opposite the chapel where he had had his hair cut as a boy, buying supplies in Reeves the stationers, and visiting the Green Dragon which had been owned by his Great Grandfather.
Through his investigations into Ayton history, he met a very distant relation, Bill Ayton, living in California. Although they never met in person, they had a very long and deeply felt friendship on both sides and found they had a lot in common, including their sense of humour.
Art
John and Robert were both inspired and tutored in their pottery skills by their very close friend Albert Shelley, a potter from Shipdham. Once John retired, he was always busy creating his pottery figures and it has been lovely to hear so many people say that they have a piece of his work to remind them of him.
He continued to paint, and found renewed interest through art classes at Wensum Lodge run by his friend Paul Meade. He was enrolled on Paul's latest "Van Gogh" course when he passed away. He was determined to carry on as long as he could. His late friend Keith Johnson took him out sketching in the Norfolk countryside they both loved. And he never stopped sketching. If he had an appointment or anything that might require him to be patient and wait, he couldn't leave the house without sketchbook and pencil. One of the nurses caring for him in his last days said he had sketched her and the man opposite him in the ward.
In latter years he was a member of the Norwich Artists Group. A very valid question was posed as to whether his ceramics were pieces were "art", and it was decided they just about passed the test!
Norfolk Archaeological and Historical Research Group
John had been a member of NAHRG from its very beginning and edited the Annual until it became too much for him.
Yare Valley Society
John involved himself in the protection of the Yare Valley against prospective developments, offering his experience in Planning to the group.
History
In addition to membership of the Wymondham History Group, John joined U3A History discussion groups and participated in U3A History Courses. He was particularly enthusiastic in sharing what he had learnt studying the Bayeux Tapestry.
"Sport"
In the early years of his retirement, he enjoyed playing golf with close friends and family. He and his close friend John joined the Eaton Golf Club but after John had been reprimanded for the length of his socks, they didn't feel they fitted in and initiated their own wing of the "Eaton Marxist Brigade".
Later, John was introduced to Pitch and Putt at Eaton Park, which he really enjoyed, especially the company of his fellow players. The fitness target he set himself when he was beginning to be ill was to work around a pitch and putt course. He was very disappointed when he realised he wouldn't be able to.
One of his favourite memories was of his walks with his close friends Derek Searle and John Wright. The three of them spent many happy days rambling in the countryside and rewarding themselves with a pub meal. Every trip was meticulously minuted by John W which I am sure is a great record of their adventures.
Keeping an active mind
John loved a game of scrabble and he close friend and neighbour Andy established a very tried and tested routine for their scrabble nights. The wine and crisps were obligatory and the competition was gently ferocious! Occasionally there were guest players, and Andy's daughter Heather could outshine them both, while John's daughter Ann was there to soak up the wine and provide more opportunities for them to shine!
He was also very happy to take up invitations to Pub Quizzes although his hearing meant he was often a little behind. But he said he occasionally came out with some cracking answers (on obscure ancient singers).
Coffee
John loved to meet people, loved to chat and debate and loved his friends and family. And what better way to do all that than over a coffee, either at the Forum, in one of the many coffee shops in the city or simply in his beloved conservatory looking out on the garden. This was his favourite place to entertain. He was very fortunate to have great friends and neighbours, like Dorothy and family next door, who would always be ready to share a cup of something in the good, and not so good, times. It kept him going.
Final words
John himself would have said he had had a full and happy life. He would have liked a few more years I'm sure but he made the most of every minute he had and we were all lucky to have him with us as long as we did.