Life Stories FRED HASLEGRAVE ELEANOR O’CONOR 1 Life Stories From DENNISFRED HASLEGRAVEBLURTON Dennis Blurton Fred Haslegrave As told to and written by ELEANORSARAH MERCER O'CONOR Contents Life Stories from Dennis Blurton As told to and written Lifeby Sarah Stories Mercer from Fred Haslegrave AsAuthor: told to Sarah and writtenMercer byDesign: Eleanor Hannah O'Conor Fincham Page 9 Page 3729 Published by: Bridging Ages CIC Author:Printed by:Eleanor Lulu O'Conor About: Chapter 32 Design:Copyright: Hannah ©2018 Fincham Bridging Ages DaysSchool In The Army PrintedBridging by: Ages, Lulu CIC Copyright: ©2018 Bridging Ages, CIC Page 13 Page 4535 About: Chapter 43 Bridging Ages, CIC develops Life Stories LookingWork For A programs to encourage social Career Bridgingcontact between Ages, CIC the develops elderly programsand youth. to encourage social Page 17 Page 47 contact between the elderly Chapter 1 ChapterPage 53 4 andWe areyouth. based in Sussex, UK. www.bridgingages.co.uk Childhood Daysand ChapterMarriage 5 We are based in Sussex, UK. www.bridgingages.co.ukReprints can be ordered at Early Life Seafaring Years www.lulu.com Page 25 Page 55 Chapter 2 Chapter 5 Evacuation Holidays 4 5 Page 6563 Chapter 6 MarriedLater Life Life Page 7973 SarahChapter Mercer 7 Bio Postscript Page 77 Eleanor O'Conor Bio 6 7 Bridging Ages Bridging Ages CIC is a small not-for profit community company established in Sussex UK, formed in 2014 by three friends who were concerned about loneliness and the lack of social contact between generations. The Life Stories Project was created to address these issues. In 2017, Bridging Ages was awarded a National Lottery Fund grant to develop a Toolkit for the programme, making it possible for any school or group to bring the Life Stories Project to their communities. 8 9 Life Stories Life Stories aimsaims toto increaseincrease socialsocial contactcontact between generations. Teens visit older people in their homes, ask them about their lives and then write a professionally published book about them! In the process, young and old come together and each becomes a part of the other’s Life Story. AA Life Stories bookbook isis anan importantimportant familyfamily documentdocument forfor futurefuture generations.generations. Families can order more copies and usually do! However, the success of the project lies in the process of making thethe 10 1111 books. The student visits give support to older people who may be lonely. Conversations with a young person can stimulate reflections on a life lived and honour that life. The older participants tell about how things used to be and what they’ve learned in their lives. It is enjoyable to share these stories with a receptive ear and important to hand down this legacy to the next generation. Spending time with an older person and hearing a first-hand account of history can counteract negative ageist attitudes in the young. This is important in our rapidly ageing population. For many teens, this project is an introduction to volunteering, which can lead to future civic engagement. In addition, they meet the tremendous scholastic challenge of actually writing a book! The Life Stories Project builds respect, trust and empathy between generations, and that makes our communities stronger. 12 1313 Life Stories From DennisFred BlurtonHaslegrave 14 15 11 ChildhoodChildhood Daysand Early Life 16 1717 ChildhoodChildhood andDays Early Life “Everyone“I would enjoy used going to fight to theover thecinema front for seat.” special showings for nine pence.” II waswas bornborn intoon 24th the worldAugust at 1926 Chatham in HospitalBeckenham, on the a town 18 September situated in 1946. the countyI am theof Kent, oldest Southern member England of my family and was with an two only youngerchild. My sisters mother, and Sybil a younger Tamar brother.(Medwell), My fatherwas born Charlie, in 1889 Chaz and to my me, father, had five George daughters(Blurton), in from 1894. his My first parent’s marriage family but homeI neverwas in saw Kingswood them because in the myneighbouring dad was no longercounty part of Surrey of their and, lives. wishing Most toof returnthe years to ofmy my father’s childhood roots, was they spent only living lived inon a campBeckenham in Staplehurst for a short previously time after used they by ack-ackwere married. (anti-aircraft) I therefore gunners, only lived who inwould shootBeckenham down planesfor a year during or so the and war. have We no 18 1919 ChildhoodDennis ChildhoodChildhood memoriesoccupied the of livingfirst house there. you came to Blurtonand Daysand which We was moved the guardhouse.to a bungalow A councilin the village Early Early ofestate Lower was Kingswood, later built whichabout ais mile where away I Life Life grewbecause up. theIt was council a happy wanted place to to move live, uswith aaway church, from school, the camp, shops, perhaps petrol itstation was and twobecause pubs. they deemed the site dangerous, but IMy can't parents be sure. enjoyed The estate a happy was marriage, made up withentirely my offather ex-service commuting families, to workincluding in Londonour own, by making train to it Waterloo an extremely Station close-knit where hecommunity. worked for Southern Railway in their solicitors' My mother’s office. Both name my was father's Dorothy parents and diedshe was when based he was near young, Maidstone so I never at the knew myDetling paternal Aerodrome grandparents. for the However,Airforce, where my maternalshe was ironically grandparents nicknamed lived in Tiny Lower Kingswoodbecause she and in fact I knew was them not tiny well. at My all! I grandfather,remember she a carpenter, once told mekept that ferrets during and an heair had raid an she organ did not keyboard want to in get his up front and roomslept throughthat he would it as a play.result and thank goodness Additionally, for that my because aunts all and the uncle, other on myworkers mother’s were side killed of thein the family, raid alsoafter lived they inhad the got village up. Sadly, and would my mother come diedover offor tea withthroat their cancer children when some I was afternoons, eight years and old weleaving would my visit siblings them. and My me father’s in the three care of a brotherslady named and Ivy, his whosister lived had two by that doors time up. movedMy siblings away. and my dad and I still lived in our ownWe would house invariably but would spend travel Christmas to Ivy's Dayhouse at everyhome eveningbut over for the dinner Christmas and she DennisGrandad at - Mick's,Olympics 1940 periodwould wouldwash our visit clothes friends too. and Ivy relatives. would 20 2121 Wemake did me not packed tend to lunches have big for parties work with at ChildhoodDennis ChildhoodChildhood wentwe were back able week to makeafter week,the most but ofin thisvain, on home.some very interesting fillings, such as Blurtonand andDays becauseholiday visits.we were continually humiliated banana Growing sandwiches! up in the One village of the during earliest Early Early for the As wholea boy Iduration would pump of the the three village weeks peacememories time I Ihave would is ofplay the games kind neighbours of Cowboys Life Life weorgan attended and a littleand so later decided progressed to hang to up join our andwho Indians surrounded with mea gang during of local my childhood,boys in skates!the Church Choir and sang with them theespecially nearby the woods warm and smiles these they were offered an until At being breakfast evacuated as a child, to Canada it was at normal the age excitingafter my adventure.mother’s death. Riding down the hill forof fourteen. me to come In 1938downstairs I joined and a scout find groupplastic outside When our I homewas a onteenager a makeshift I lived as lively coveringthat had formedthe table in while the village. my father These and were pram-wheeleda life as you can go-kart imagine. was A notfriend always of mine brotherthe days repaired of trek carts car engines and I remember as part of accidentworked in free! a bakery A more and efficient used to go-kart borrow was the theirsetting weekend out for work.a first Mycamp brother on a Reigate was very builtvan at by weekends the scouts to and get itto competed and fro (they in a talentedHill estate. and This could was repair all right an engine on the way pre-warallowed himscout to competition use it I hasten at Broadlands.to add). himselfdown the by hill the but age involved of fourteen, lots whileof pulling I was CrossingLittle did thethey main know road it was on thefor ferryingway to me knownand pushing as the on dunce the wayof the up family! for our return. schoolhome after often many involved a wild help night! from Although the AA This My did great not put grandfather me off scouting was a preacherhowever, (Automobilethey could probably Association) tell after man a onwhole duty at atand St since Peter’s those Church early in days Islington I remained and my thecrowd crossroads. of inebriated He was teenagers always coveredsmartly in grandfatherinvolved, both was in aand steward out of in uniform, the 1908 in turnedflour had out traipsed in breeches home and from black the gaiters OlympicCanada and games Mayfield. and actually umpired in andbackdoor he saluted of the all van! passing Once motoristsmy friends who and I some I runningattended events the local probably village becauseschool, the he displayeddecided that the we AA would badge. try our hand at washead the master honourable of which secretary was our of next the door ice-skating On some and Saturday so we headed mornings up to I would Blackheathneighbour, andHarriers. then went on to Reigate goStreatham to the cinema ice rink.