Category: GOING OFF AT TANGENTS
-
Transport of Delight
Rev Jack Burton Rev Jack Burton is mentioned a number of times in family diaries, particularly those of my mother Sheila Drew, see Chapter 124. As a Methodist Minister, he sometimes spoke at services at the church my mother attended, St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, for example, in August 1975, January 1978 and October…
-
Gary Bannister
Childhood Memories Ever since I met my wife Jo, I recall her telling me that, as a child, she had known footballer Gary Bannister and runner Shirley Strong. Anyway, we were discussing the former recently. Jo mentioned that she had known Gary’s sister Julie, that he had also had a brother called Tony and their…
-
Politics, Elections and My Father
My Recollections I recall that my father, Royle Drew, was interested in politics throughout his lifetime. In the sixties and seventies, he was active in the Liberal party. He contested a number of elections for them, including the 1970 general election, see Chapter 112. I don’t know if he remained a member in later life.…
-
SNAP 76
Diary References In mum’s 1976 diary, I came across a reference to something called SNAP 76. On 2 June, when mum was feeling depressed and had been cross with my siblings, Malcolm Carter suggested she go with his wife Christine to the Scope – Snap 76 – Festival Choir at St Andrew’s Hall which she…
-
Harrison Slater
Contacted by Grandson In February 2026, I received an email from Simon Hoyle. He had seen material on the web site about Fred Harrison Slater, the well-known speaker and elocutionist, who was his paternal grandfather. He thought it was lovely to see how much his grandfather was appreciated by my family and others. Biographical Information…
-
Sutton Back Lane
Unfamiliar Geography One of the challenges of understanding my grandfather’s and mother’s diaries has been mastering, what to me has been, the relatively unfamiliar geography of Kirkby in Ashfield. This is because although I was born in Kirkby, we moved away when I was a baby and I have never lived there. I have described…
-
“Outward Bound”
Nottingham Castle and “Outward Bound” On Saturday 4 April 1925, grandad noted in his diary that “we went to Nottm Castle & Theatre “Outward Bound”“. We refers to grandma, Ethel Cirket, and grandad, Gordon Parkin. This was some five years before they married, see Chapter 16. Nottingham Castle On this Saturday, they went to visit…