School Fairs and my Nanna

It was my eldest's school fair today. We had great fun, and when we arrived home and were talking about our experiences as a family my Mum asked if I remembered Nana at my school fair. I know a few stories and today I learned another.

You see, Nanna was always winning raffles and prizes wherever she went. She was also nearly blind. At one particular school fair she had to throw a dart at the board and in typical Nanna style she scored a bullseye and won the main prize. In what was also typical Nanna style she gave the prize back to the school to give to someone else.

Growing up I remember several similar stories. She would attend a school play, participate in a raffle to contribute to the school, win it and give the prize back. For Nanna it was never about winning, she had given to the school not to win something but to give. That was just the way she was. Part of me wonders if God kept making sure she won because he enjoyed her giving spirit so much. 

Ernest Hilton - Ancestor Template by son Michael Hilton

As with all family ancestors, I sent out what I called "Ancestor Templates" to family members who were still alive and might remember them, or stories about them. This particular template was answered and filled out by his son, my Uncle Michael.

General Information

Name of person answering: Mike Hilton

Relation to ancestor: Son

Name of Ancestor: Ernest Frederick Hilton

Name of ancestor’s parents and siblings: George Hilton and Clara Hilton nee Drakeley

Siblings were: Jessie Irene; Winifred May; George Stanley; Kenneth; Maurice; Evelyn Joyce.

Please note that I have birth and death details for most.

General Facts

Birth Date: 11th August 1923

Address/es: Spinning School Lane Tamworth, Edward Street Tamworth, Barcroft St Cleethorpes and finally 55 Richmond Road, Cleethorpes. There may have been others when he was in the Navy. He was stationed at Hartlepool before moving to Grimsby. I also believe he stayed with Phyllis Hedison when he first came to Cleethorpes. She was May’s friend and made the cake for their wedding.

Date of death: 24th March 2003.

Physical appearance

Height: 5' 10''

Hair colour: Dark or black? Turned white instead of grey when he was older.

Eye colour: Not sure

Anything else distinctive? He did have a large nose which was typical of the Drakeley side of the family.

Memories

What was their favourite food? He ate anything and everything. He always finished off food that needed eating and I remember him having bread and dripping. Nothing special though.

What was their favourite pastime? Like May, he enjoyed gardening. Like me he was not very good at DIY even though he did try carpentry in early days after the war. He enjoyed sport and had played football until he broke his leg playing for the Post Office. In later years he took up Bowls and the club instituted a prize in his name. Christine and I attended the celebration. He liked watching sport but it was not an obsession with him. He even started a computer course with Auntie Edna Timpson. Mum and Dad used to play tennis when younger.

What did they like to read (If anything)? He was not a great reader but obviously the Bible and papers.

What is your favourite memory of them, when did it happen?  There are many. I was always closer to my Mum when younger but after May died he came out of his shell and loved seeing his grandchildren and nieces etc.

What are some things you did together and when? Holidays most years, and of course going to church at Elim. He did go to the football once but that was enough. After Mum died he loved coming to Kenilworth

Can you share one funny story? There were quite a few. One holiday we came across a written statement on the beach that said Ernest was a lump. it obviously wasn't him but we teased him a lot. Trying to follow road directions was not easy (Chris interjected that she always remember when they went on Holiday that May would get annoyed because he always got lost.) for him and once he left the car on a patch of green in Skegness only to find on return there was a cricket match going on around it.

Can you share one serious story? When he came to Kenilworth he stayed in Bed and breakfast and the last time I saw him he was looking out of the window waiting for me to pick him up. For some reason I felt very sad for him and now I know why. Also not long after Mum died he stayed with Maurice in Southwold and was taken ill. What I didn't know was that he was diagnosed with a heart problem and was advised to have an operation. He chose not to and never let us know. Whether he was frightened, didn't want to worry us or just didn't want to prolong his life we will never know.

What was your favourite thing about them? His patience with Mum. She was often ill  as you know and took her frustrations out on him at times. He rarely let it get to him and although he knew he was not her intellectual equal he was most times happy and loved her very much.

Here are some of the pictures that Uncle Michael has also been able to provide.

Circa 1944

Ernest and May in front of the Humber Bridge, which joined the
north and south side of the river Humber in the U.K.

Ernest and his son Michael.

Ernest playing the accordion

Other notes:

1. Uncle Michael is the genealogist of this side of the family. He has done a lot of research on Ernest's side of the family. Many of my notes, stories and pictures from this side of the family come from Uncle Michael.

2. I love that addresses are provided. The 1921 census is not accessible by the public until 2021. I have not yet researched the pre WW2 survey that was done of the U.K, therefore these addresses are the best I can find of their location.

3. It is interesting that Grandad only went to on football game. From what Uncle Michael has told me, he actually helped build the foundation of the Grimsby Town stadium at Blundell Park. The atmosphere at a typical football game in the U.K is very different to American sports games which tend to have a much more family friendly atmosphere.

Interviewing Auntie Winnie: Part 2

Today I am posting the second half of my interview with Auntie Winnie back in 2013.
The first half can be read here.

Do you have any personal stories you would like to share? Any memorable events/occasions?

Your Grandad was a very pleasant lad, he used to play with children in the street and play very happily. They made their own pleasure with hoops and marbles and tracking around the streets. It was safe in those days. We all had a very happy life and he joined Crusaders(1) which he loved and he used to play the organ some Sunday evenings. One Pastor who used to come to mams a lot always used to chase your grandad under the table was great uncle Maurice, and we all had a laugh. I remember when we had the anniversary service at the assembly rooms when your grandad was helping to move
the piano when it fell on his toe and he broke it. Everyone was trying to make him laugh so he would not cry.

If there is anything you have learned in life that you wish to share with others what is it?

Being born into a lovely Christian family we were taught real Christian values which we knew it would help us through the difficult times we would have to go through. We were taught to pray over things and ask God to help, which we did and that was a big help to us. The worst thing that happened to me was when I was 18 I had rheumatic fever. I had been in bed for almost 7 weeks when four people from church asked Irene how I was. She told them I was very poorly, so they asked
if they could come to our house and have a prayer meeting for me. Mam said they could. After they left I sat up in bed with the pain gone and when the doctor came in he said to mam, a miracle has happened and she told him about the prayer meeting and he said I wish I had a few more patients who would do that.

Do you know how your parents met?

My parents met a Bolebridge Street Mission in Tamworth, both Christian people.

Did you ever meet any of your Grandparents? If so, do you remember anything about them?

I met both sets of grandparents. Dad's mom was called Sarah Sharret before she married dads dad also called George Hilton the same name as Dad. Moms mom’s maiden name was Pickering and when she married she was grandma Drakeley. When her husband died she married again and her new husband was called John Walker. Mom then had two sisters from Grandmas first husband and then three half-brothers from grandmas second husband.

Did you go to school and if so where did you go? Do you remember anything about the school or any stories that are worth sharing?

I went to Marmion School in Spinning School Lane in Tamworth. All my siblings went to the same school. We stayed at the same school until we left at the age of 14. I loved school and I was quite a bright child. The teacher called me out to the front one day to praise me because my work was good, but as I was very young I thought I had been naughty and I started to scream. As we only lived across the road from the school, mom heard my screams and came running into my classroom. The teacher assured her that I wasn't in trouble but quite the opposite.

Can you describe one or two ways that life has changed since you were born?

We didn't have much money in those days, we couldn't afford any luxuries, not like families of today, but we had a wonderful life and lots of fun, which we made ourselves. Today its all technology.

When did your family get their first car? and T.V?

We did not have a car even when I married we still did not have one. When I was small we had a wireless and gramophone. We did, however, have a telephone. I think we were one of the first in the area to have one. The people mom worked for (house-keeper) were very rich and it was them who had the phone installed.

****

Here are some things of note from this half of the interview.

1. I love the stories about Grandad as a child. I doubt there was anywhere else I could learn these particular stories at this time. It also seems just like Grandad that something would fall on his toe while he was moving it. 

2. Auntie Winnie is one of several people in my extended family that have experienced a miracle. My Great Grandmother Annie Griffiths had one that was well documented. 

3. I particularly love the details of where Winnie's parents met, and those she could provide about her grandparents. I know my Uncle Michael has researched that side of the family quite extensively, but this also makes it easier to begin some of my own if I wish.

4. Last but not least, the details Winnie remembers of her own school is a story worth cherishing.


*****
(1) I believe Crusaders to be the same church organization I went to as a young child. It was set up with activities that happened at church and was a place to socialise and learn about God. 

Interviewing Auntie Winnie: Part 1

I don't remember the date that I interviewed Auntie Winnie about both her own life and that of my grandad, Ernest. It was a phone interview and she was hard of hearing so I never managed to ask all of the questions I wanted, or if I did, she often never answered them directly. Much of the conversation was just me listening to what she wanted to share, which is how it should be. The order of the questions may, therefore, seem somewhat random, but I've edited out those that weren't answered. You will see that we jump around a bit.

I did conduct one other short interview with Aunt Winnie but she has since passed away and there is no opportunity for another. As with all good interviews, she often left me with more questions to ask than those she answered.

Without further ado, here's the beginning of the interview.

****

Full name: Winnifred May Hilton

Who were your parents?
Clara Drakely, and George Hilton. They met at Bolebridge Street Mission in Tamworth and were both Christian people.

Do you remember Ernest and May's wedding?
Yes, I was at the wedding of May and Ernest, it was a lovely day, they were married at the Elim Church. Your grandma wore white, and she looked lovely. Your grandad, I am sure, wore his navy uniform. Pastor Byatt (1) married them. They went to live in rooms (2) until they got a council house which they bought later in life.

When did Grandad join the navy, why did he join?
It was WW2 and at 17 1/2 years of age, you had to join either the army or the navy. Morris and Ernest volunteered for the navy because they believed it would be a little safer than the army and still a way to serve their country during World War 2. Morris was Ernest's younger brother.

Where did the family live when you were a child?
Number 5 Spinning School Lane, Tamworth.

What was life like growing up? How many siblings did you have?
My siblings were Irene, Winnie, George, Joyce (Died at 5 1/2) Ernest, Ken, and Morris (Married Auntie Gill).
We were a very close knit family and we had a lovely home life but there were times when we didn’t do as we were told. For example, when I was a little girl I loved to go and watch dad at his allotment. Mum said I could go as long as I didn't go anywhere else. But when I reached the top of the road I saw my friend and she said, "shall we go and play by the river at the top of our street?" This was something ma had forbidden us to do. I went with my friend and ended up falling into the river. I was very lucky to get out. Mam was furious and kept me in for quite a while after that.

Do you remember the name of the church your family would attend?
First of all we all went to the Bolebridge Street Mission Tamworth, and from there to the Gospel Hall which was later bought by the Elim Church and that was where we spent our lives. Dad, your great grandad George was the assistant Sunday School attendant until he died, and by doing this meant we never left Elim. Me and your great aunty Irene started the Sunshine Corner(3) with Pastor Banks.

That's the end of part 1, and I'll transcribe the rest of the interview in part 2.

****
1. I am not sure if this is the correct spelling of the pastor's name. I will have to do some more research to find out.

2. I am sure that rooms refer to some form of cheaper boarding, but I don't know the entire history behind this reference.

3. To the best of my knowledge, Sunshine corner is the children's department of Elim church.

Remembering Nanna and Grandad

It's been a while since I posted, and I think a lot of that is down to not really knowing where to begin with describing the life of my grandparents. I was quite close to them and it has been more difficult to work from a starting point that I am satisfied with. I did write this poem, however, and felt like it is worth sharing, along with a few remarks about its content. I am not sure whether I will stick their lives for a while or change back to a different ancestor. We will see. But for now, I present this.


I remember the silver tray with tea set

A little bell to ring, announcing it is ready.

I can still smell the flowers of the garden

And hear the stern warning -

Don’t hit the plants with the ball.


I remember Friday nights with beans on toast

Or egg and soldiers on the table

Later, Omlettes, on special occassions, a roast.


Walking through the bedroom door,

Turning round to see the wall

And bookcase filled with wonder.

Robin Hood and Arthur, best friends every visiting weekend.


Fish and chips for Saturday lunch

Walk along the promenade

Or by the boating lake and nature

Before 3pm and time to leave


And one day, home for ever after.

****

I want to break down the lines in the poem and explain the memory they come from.

"I remember the silver tray with tea set

A little bell to ring, announcing it is ready."

Nanna and grandad had a little trolley and ray that they often kept in their living room, and on this tray was a silver coloured tea set. I don't believe it was real silver, but to my childhood mind it was. There was also a bell and I remember pushing this trolley into the living room and ringing the bell loudly, shouting "Tea's ready." 

"I can still smell the flowers of the garden

And hear the stern warning -

Don’t hit the plants with the ball."

Nana and grandad's garden was really quite amazing. It seemed that flowers grew all year around and were stunningly beautiful. I was trying to find a copy of it, but don't seem to have a good photograph in my collection, so if you are reading this and have one, please feel free to send it my way.

As for not hitting the plants with the ball. My brothers and I, being British, loved football (soccer) and would take a small tennis ball and play it in the front garden. Often the ball would go into the flowers lining the grass, but we were always sure it did no damage. Nanna and Grandad were always sure it did.

I remember Friday nights with beans on toast

Or egg and soldiers on the table

Later, Omlettes, on special occassions, a roast.

In my pre-teenage years, Nanna and Grandad would pick my two brothers and I up from school and take us to their house on a Friday evening. There we would have our favourite meals. They were simple, beans on toast - a British delicacy, which is self-explanatory, or egg and soldiers. Egg and soldiers is a soft boiled egg with bread cut into strips and buttered, lined up like soldiers for inspection. The bread was then dipped into the yolk and eaten before using a small teaspoon to eat the egg white. I loved it and still make it today on occasion.

Omelettes and roast are also self-explanatory. I loved those Friday evenings and couldn't wait for them to roll around. My grandparents would also bring a radio or small black and white television into the kitchen (They had a large colour one in the living room) so we could sometimes watch kids tv or listen to Grimsby town play football while we ate. 

Walking through the bedroom door,

Turning round to see the wall

And bookcase filled with wonder.

Robin Hood and Arthur, best friends every visiting weekend.

One little bedroom at my grandparent's house had a large bookcase at the foot of the bed. I believe it used to be my Uncle Michael's room. I loved running up there whenever I visited and selecting one of my favourite classics to read. The two most read were Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. I grew up loving their legends and wanting to be Sir Lancelot or Sir Galahad. I often also brought The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe to read over the weekend, as we would stay over Friday night and come back home Saturday. At first the three of us would stay but we grew to be a hand ful and then we would alternate who stayed. 

Fish and chips for Saturday lunch

Walk along the promenade

Or by the boating lake and nature

Before 3pm and time to leave

Whoever stayed for Saturday would be treated to fish and chips, usually from a local place called Sutherlands. We loved eating Fish and chips, they were absolutely delicious. The fish was haddock. To this day I go out of my way to try and eat good old English Fish and Chips, but they are few and far between in Texas. 

My grandparents lived near the beach and the promenade was a walkway that ran along the shoreline, with a pier which had a short walkway because it was cut back during world war 2. Sometimes were taken to walk along this and eat doughnuts, fish and chips, ice cream by the beach or sugar-filled candy floss. I still associate the smell of freshly made doughnuts and candyfloss with the smell of the sea, and vice versa.

The boating lake was a small lake, Americans would probably call it a pond, and you were able to rent rowing boats to go out onto it. I remember Grandad sometimes taking us out on one. Next to the lake they ended up building a small nature house where you could observe bee's making hives and other little creatures natural to the area. We loved this area as well.

"Before 3pm" refers to the time we always left to go home. Usually they would give us treats to take back with us, such as a packet of Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles or a Yorkie chocolate bar. I loved it.

Those are my fondest memories and even writing them down and sharing the poem has sparked a few others. Thanks for reading. 

Pushing Open Doors

I haven't blogged in about 10 days. I haven't had a lot of time, but I've been busy behind the scenes. My Uncle Michael sent through information on my Grandad's funeral. I was unable to make it back to England to attend so I read the list of those present with great interest. At the bottom it mentioned members of Haverstoe Bowling club. I remember watching my Grandad play bowls when I was younger. I ran a google search but couldn't find anything about it. At the last minute I decided to contact the Grimsby bowling club. My Grandad lived in Cleethorpes, which is right next door to Grimsby where I was raised.

The manager of the club said that Haverstoe bowling club had closed but that he knew some of the ex members. I explained that I was looking to see if anyone remembered my Grandad and could tell me a little more about his experiences at the club playing bowls. I had heard once that a trophy was named after him. To cut a long story short, through a series of conversations the Grimsby manager was able to contact an elderly member of Haverstoe who remembered my Grandad. I received this email earlier in the week.


"I've seen the Haverstoe people again. They have a member called Mr Alderson who knew your grandfather well. He's going to compile a report and either send it to you direct or via me."

I am currently looking forward to receiving this report. 

All of this started with me sending out a questionnaire to my family. Here's a copy.

General Information

Name of person answering:

Relation to ancestor:

Name of Ancestor:

Name of ancestors parents and siblings:

General Facts

Birth Date:

Address/es: 

Date of death:

Physical appearance

Height: 

Hair colour:

Eye colour:

Anything else distinctive?

Memories

What was their favourite food?

What was their favourite pastime? (Do you remember anything significant about this.)

What did they like to read (If anything)?

What is your favourite memory of them, when did it happen?

What are some things you did together and when?

Can you share one funny story?

Can you share one serious story? 

What was your favourite thing about them?

Additional

Do you have any photographs of them or memorabilia you can send back?

I have received a lot of other information with more on the way. Birth certificates, death certificates, photographs I had never seen before. All this to say, I've not been idle while not blogging, but I am also awaiting some information on my other grandfather, Idris before attempting to blog about the end of his life story. My questionnaire template can be modified if I think of other questions but I like the way this jogs people's memories and I've found it really useful in finding out more about family I knew and family I never met.