I was born in Mary Street, West Gorton, Manchester, just across the road from Belle Vue Speedway entrance in the
year of 1936. Approximately 1800 hours on 23 April.
| Belle
Vue Speedway Entrance
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After approximately 3 years, my parents moved to
Walter
Street
, Harpurhey
and took myself and my brother with them.
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38 Walter Street, Harpurhey, Manchester
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I attended the local
Church
School
named ‘Holy Trinity’ in Harpurhey, Manchester. The old school is gone now, but
there is a new school with the same name elsewhere.
The old Holy Trinity School that I attended |
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My class at Holy Trinity School |
When I left School I served a five year Bound
Apprenticeship at an Engineering firm in Newton Heath, Manchester named
‘Mather & Platt Ltd’ and passed out as an Electrical Test
Engineer working on Alternating Current (A.C.) and Direct Current (D.C.) Motors,
Generators and Alternators, up to 66,000 Volts A.C. During this period I worked at Calder Hall
Atomic Power Station for 6 months assisting in the commissioning of the same
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Mather & Platt Ltd. Newton Heath, Manchester |
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Myself on the Test Bed at Mather & Platt Ltd. |
I left Mather & Platt Ltd. in 1957, (at the great age of 21 years) when the government (in their great wisdom) decided that
it would be an honour for me to serve for two years in Her Majesty’s
Forces (I chose the Royal Air Force). I did my Square Bashing at RAF Wilmslow (where a snotty little 18 year old acting Corporal, unpaid, made my life Hell for 8 weeks), then after my initial training at RAF Melksham, I passed out as an
Instrument Mechanic/Photographic (Servicing and repairing air cameras). I
was posted to RAF Bruggen, 2nd Tactical Air Force, Germany for
the remainder of my National Service
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Square bashing, 'C' Flight, RAF Wilmslow 1957 |
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Square bashing |
In actual fact I served two years and sixteen days
(even in those days the Government used to cock things up). After an
unsatisfactory period of time back at Mather & Platt Ltd., I decided the
best place for me was back in the Royal Air force and so I enlisted for nine
years as an Aircraft Fitter, General Instruments. Later, in their
wisdom the RAF retrained me as an Aircraft Fitter, Electrical.
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A Nine Year
Airman. |
In this wonderful period of time I met and married a
beautiful young lady named Eileen Beaumont (a fellow Mancunian) and she
honoured me by giving me two beautiful children, a Daughter Nicola and a Son
Roy (both born in Barnstaple, North Devon) and I am exceedingly Proud of them
both, they have matured into two fabulous adults.
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Christ Church, Harpurhey, Manchester |
More money was
required, so I signed on for another three years. Promotions came along and so I again signed
on to complete a twenty two year career with a pension at the end. I have never regretted any of the aforesaid
happenings.
On leaving the
RAF, I moved to Fulwood in
Preston
to start a new career as a Contract Technical Author and for the next twenty
two years I wrote Servicing Manuals for Aircraft Avionic systems and Electric
Trains.
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Sheriton Field, Fulwood, Preston |
From Fulwood, I moved to a village called
Inskip, in the Borough of Wyre and stood for the Ward Councillor for Brock and
gained the seat for the Conservative Party. I served on the
Council for 8 years, until I had an Aortic Valve replacement in my Heart and a
Heart Byepass and decided to stand down on the advice of my nearest and dearest because they thought it would be to stressfull. This has turned out to be wrong, my surgeon states that I'm now good for at least 15 to 20 years living a full and active life. I now attend the gymnasium five days a week and I am fit and trim.
In the year of 2001
my wife and I separated (the divorce became final in May 2004). I moved into a
Park Home in the Parish of Cabus (on the A6) in the year of 2001, there I
became a member of the Cabus Parish Council to help serve the people of
Cabus. Cabus is situated in one of the
loveliest parts of Green Lancashire and I for one will fight to keep it that
way.
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Wyre Vale Park, Cabus, Lancs |
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Home Sweet Home |
My daughter Nicola and Partner Paul, have
provided me with a delightful Grandson, Rhys Owen Hathaway.
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Rhys Owen Hathaway |
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Myself, Rhys and son Roy |
I am a member of 'The Royal Society of Saint George'.
I am the Vice Chairman of the Wyre Pensioners Forum.
I am a member of 'The Friends of Lancashire Archives' (FLA).
I am a member of the Lancashire Society.
I am a member of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
I am a member of the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
I am also a committee member of ‘The friends of
Real Lancashire’ (FORL). This
society is trying to convince the population of
Lancashire
that the Boundaries of the County
Palatine of Lancashire have never changed.
Places like Greater
Manchester, Merseyside, and Blackpool etc. are politically administrative
areas. To learn more visit the Friends of Real Lancashire page.
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Our county is called Lancashire, not
Cumbria
,Greater Manchester, Merseyside or part of Cheshire. |
On the 20th August 1993, I was diagnosed as having
Diabetes, as you can imagine it came as quite a shock, but with the help of the
Diabetic Team I came to terms with it. If you have or know someone who has this
condition read the page 'DIABETES'.
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