“WW2 ended May 8th, 1945, and my squadron disbanded a month later. It was posted back to the U.K., but I was transferred to an R.A.F. Communications unit in northern Germany until finally discharged in September1946.
On returning to Portsmouth the “Joys of Peace” had rescinded to reality. We were still suffering the pangs of rationing and unemployment. “Homes for Heroes” was not on the horizon. The massive bomb damaged atmosphere of Portsmouth was very distressful.
Fortunately, my wife’s parents invited us to live with them in Torquay and built a new life. Although the welcome and environment were refreshing, work opportunity was still a problem, especially as our first child, Carol, was due in December. My first job was in a government office shuffling medical records of servicemen. My second was working for a builder during which time I was looking for electrical work. Finally, that was achieved when I secured a job with a cinema company, “The Ritz”, which is now demolished.
During this period there were two important events in our lives, Alan was born, and we moved into our first house at 27 Clennon Lane.
Six months later I was offered a position with a major dairy company, “Cow & Gate”, as a member of a mobile unit of electricians traveling throughout Devon & Cornwall maintaining a number of dairy installations. The salary was an improvement, but the traveling and living in “digs” was a problem, which meant home comfort and living with the family was limited to short weekends. In 1955 I transferred permanently to one of the major dairies, “Dawes Creamery”, in Totes, Devon, as the resident electrician. I had to leave home early, at 6 o’clock each morning, and travel 12 miles by bus to work, and then not arrive back home until approximately 7 o’clock at night. I could now spend the evenings and weekends with the family, which was an improvement from the continuous traveling and working away from home.
In 1957, after all those years of travel and bussing, I resigned and secured the position as the maintenance engineer for “South Devon Cooperative Society Dairy”, in Torquay, only 10 minutes from home. At last, for the first time since 1946, I was able to live a normal family life. All the working away from home meant that my wife had borne the burden of the tending to and the upbringing and schooling of our two children.
On leaving school both Alan and Carol found work in town. The only disruption in our lives was my daughter’s early desire to leave Torquay to travel and to chase the sun, a habit she has been pursuing throughout her life. She even joined a small crew and sailed the Atlantic and worked in the Caribbean Islands. Although I was proud of her effort, it caused my wife and I a lot of concern and worry, added to the fact that our life took a dramatic change in 1967.
The dairy closed down and the property was sold to the local newspaper company, which meant I had a problem. I was 44 years old, and the job market for me in Torquay was next to zero. After many interviews throughout the country, I was offered the position of maintenance engineer at a company in Liverpool, owned by Selfridges of London. This meant leaving our happy home and friends in Torquay and starting a new life in a new city.It was a major turning point in my life but proved to be a very enjoyable one.
It was a major turning point in my life but proved to be a very enjoyable one. Working for Selfridges was the most satisfying and happiest eight years of my working life. I was responsible for the maintenance and development of the dairy, bakery and ice cream plants, plus a cheese factory in Cheshire. I traveled in Europe and the U.S.A. buying and installing new machinery, etc. Plus, I worked with a great management team and staff. I loved every moment.
There were a couple of “bumps” in the road. I survived a major car crash. I was stationary at a traffic stop in Liverpool when a speeding 5-ton truck rear-ended my car. I was propelled to the far side of the intersection. The car was turned onto its side, and it crashed into a concrete lamppost which fell and landed on the car door preventing my exit. Fortunately, I only suffered bruises and a concussion. My main fear was fire from the leaking petrol tank. My last recollection was hearing firemen sawing the door open and pulling me free.
Another interesting experience was the night my car was stolen from outside my office. It was later found by the police parked in a Woolworth’s car park. On the back seat were found a vacuum flask, meat sandwiches, a pair of gloves, a flashlight and a box of assorted keys. The police stated that they had “staked out” my stolen car which was to be used in a robbery, which they had foiled.
During these years Carol was living on the continent with her boyfriend. Alan had joined the R.A.F. and was stationed in the far east. In 1973 Alan returned to the U.K. and was discharged. He married and settled in Basingstoke where their first and only child, Chloe, was born. In 1981 Carol and her boyfriend returned from their travels on the continent to live with us in Liverpool, but only for a short time to enable them to complete their plans to marry. They then sailed to Toronto, Canada, and then went on to Windsor, which was the hometown of her husband, Kenneth Hind.
Vera and I were unhappy discussing and facing the fact that Carol was now living so far away and the chance of us ever being united as a family seemed bleak. Plus we recalled the fact that she had left home so early in life and now she was gone again. After a short while, we visited them both on a vacation.But, on our
But, on our return home from our Canadian visit, our life took another change. Vera became very concerned and unhappy on facing the fact of being separated from our daughter in the future. We had had scarce time with her in the past number of years. Vera asked me if I would like to emigrate to Canada. My answer was definitely “No!”. I was 52 years old and very doubtful about starting in a new country. For the first time in my life, I was very comfortable with my life in Liverpool. But, after weeks of deliberations and valuations, the decision was made, against the advice of my Directors, to emigrate to Toronto, Canada.
We applied to Canada Immigration with the help of Carol’s husband, Ken Hind. We were accepted and I reluctantly resigned from Selfridges/Recess and we flew to Toronto.
After the excitement of arriving and settling into our new life living with Carol and Ken, I obtained my first Canadian job with “Lever Bros” as the maintenance manager in the soap/washing powder division. The staff had only returned to work the previous week, after being on ‘strike’, and the atmosphere between the shop floor and management was still hostile and far from ‘homey’. Plus, my being a newcomer and a “Limy” was no help. I was not very comfortable having my orders challenged with the comment, “This is not the U.K. This is how we do it in Canada.” After approximately four months I had had enough! It was time for a change of environment. My second job was as the maintenance manager in a candy and biscuit factory. The manager and the maintenance foreman were both British and the atmosphere was pleasant.
Alan and his family had now also immigrated to Canada and they settled in Oshawa. Alan obtained a job in the offices of G.M. auto works. Ken and Carol’s family had now grown to two boys and they lived in Bowmanville. It was the first time since the early 50’s that we had all lived near each other. But, our perfect life dramatically changed when G.M. collapsed and Alan lost his job and he returned to the U.K. Carol suffered a dramatically humiliating divorce and she moved to Vancouver. Plus, there were changes at my work. The British production manager returned to the U.K. A new general manager joined the company. The owner retired and his two younger siblings now ran the organization. They employed a young production manager with whom my age and methods did not ‘jive’.
Added to the mix was Carol now living alone in Vancouver and separated by 3,000 miles from her two boys who were living with their father. To me, the effect on the children of the separation of their parents was paramount to recalling my own early problem in life. But, they were more fortunate than I. Thier father, Ken Hind, remarried and he and his wife, Nancy, guided his sons with love and care throughout their young lives.
But the whole situation led to me having a nervous breakdown and I resigned from work. I was a “mess” thinking, “Why the hell had I ever left the U.K.?”. I had thoughts of returning, but my darling wife convinced me that was not a sound opinion at my age and voiced her opinion, “She did not want to return to England!”.While I was recovering from my problems I received a phone call from Vancouver.
While I was recovering from my problems I received a phone call from Vancouver. The caller mentioned that he was representing a company in Hamilton that owned a dairy in Toronto, and that was having “a few problems”. He had heard from a mutual contact that I was “resting” and asked if a meeting could be arranged that may suit our mutual benefit. It was to mean four or five pleasant working years until my retirement. The dairy needed a lot of maintenance, plus upgrades and reorganizing. One of the first and most important appointments was a new production manager, Bruce Langly. He reminded me of my Liverpool pal, the bakery production manager at Selfridges, Joe Kelly, who was always out of the office on the plant floor organizing and working and focussing on the future. Bruce was the same type of “hands-on” guy. It was a pleasure to work with him. I learned a few years after I retired that Bruce was now the General Manager of the dairy. I phoned to congratulate him and he corrected me and informed me that he was now a director. This goes to show that hard work and loyalty has its rewards, and it couldn’t happen to a more likable, deserving guy.
In 1989, after I retired from the workforce, Vera and I decided to move out of Toronto to live in a small, peaceful town. We finally settled in Strathroy, (37 Miller Street) west of Toronto, in a small, private estate. It proved to be an excellent choice as we were surrounded by the most helpful, caring, friendly neighbours we have ever lived with.
Our happiness continued until Christmas 2013 when the “Love of my Life”, my darling wife Vera, suddenly suffered a heart attack. After a short illness, she passed away on January 7th, 2014 at the age of 93, after 70 loving, happy years of marriage. At the time of writing, 2016, I still live alone in “Twin Elms Estate”. I am healthy and contented. The happy, loving memories of those 70 years are with me every day.
I have a loving son living in St.Just, Cornwall, England. Unfortunately, he is divorced from his wife Livia. They have a lovely daughter, 24 years of age, who lives in the same area as her mother. They are all well, happy, and live in friendly contact with me and each other. My daughter, Carol resides happily in Vancouver, the city of her desire, and is now retired. Unfortunately, she is a widow after losing her second husband, and lives alone, but has many friends to help her enjoy her life there. She visits Ontario, Toronto, regularly to visit me and her many friends, and her two sons. They are both Toronto police constables and are living with their lovely wives in Stouffville. They each have two beautiful children and loving families.
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I have been blessed to be surrounded by such a loving and caring family. I have enjoyed 93 years of a long, happy, healthy, comfortable life, full of love for which I daily thank the good Lord above. Only He knows how many more years I have to live and enjoy. Meanwhile, I have no complaints, all my loved ones are happy, healthy and secure.
Who could ask for anything more?