Well all our chip shops are closed 
Yeah, they bombed all our chip’oles. The Fokker’s.
Copywright : Stan Boardman.
Anyone watching Horizon? Interesting stuff…
I asked my surgery yesterday if I should shield. I got this reply:
If you’re at high risk, you will be contacted by the NHS by Sunday 29 March 2020. Do not contact your GP or healthcare team at this stage – wait to be contacted.
NHS England is helping practices to identify more people within the practice so we are unable to give any paperwork or advice at this stage.
Thanks for your understanding
Yeah, thanks for that.
It seems that for once my practice are on the ball.
(Actually that isn’t fair, I have no complaints, they are normally very good)
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Mine has had a couple of doctors retire, so they are all overworked now. They’re clearly struggling to stay on top of things. The service has always been good, but recently it’s been hard to get an appointment and stuff. Fortunately most of my care is done by the consultants at GSTT, although I’m not planning on heading into London any time soon!
One of our long term and well loved doctors who retired a couple of years ago but still does locum is on FB explaining the current situation, taking questions and giving advice every day. I’ve heard he is quietly doing home visits.
When Jan’s mam had mild dementia 30 years ago and we had to leave her alone in the house during the day, he dropped round to make her a cup of tea every afternoon.
Love him to bits.
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I really appreciated all the comments further up the thread and I am not looking for any further comments, but I did have a moment today when they announced the Covid figures.
881 people died in hospitals yesterday, without my Dad it would have been a much rounder number.
Irrational thought and it doesn’t detract from the fact they every one of those other 880 people will also be sorely missed.
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What did your Dad do Kev? Was he involved at the end of WW2? Feel free to tell us a bit about his life if you’re comfortable with that.
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My Dad was born in July 1929 so was 16 when the war ended.
He grew up in Kenley not far from the WW2 Fighter Station
Some of his younger brothers and sisters (6 of them) were evacuated but he wasn’t.
He missed a whole year of schooling due to the war and then started work when he was 15 in a timber yard.
He was very aware of his lack of education, two of his younger brothers went to Purley Grammar and I think he was very pleased when I got my 11 plus and went to a Grammar school and made sure I had everything I needed. He always had his head stuck in a book and used to drag us off to castles and cathedrals and any archaeological dig that was doing tours, much to my Mums disgust. I remember going round the newly discovered Roman Villa in Christchurch when I was about 8.
There was a major event that really shaped his life, the war (in Europe) finished in May '45 and my Grandfather was a Lance Sergeant in the Royal Engineers and was due home. In June there was a storm in the channel and the troop ships were cancelled and my Grandfather was killed in traffic accident and never came home. As he was still in the army he is buried in a Military cemetery in Belgium.
So in 1945 as the only person working in the family (the youngest was 5 at the time) he had to take a lot of responsibility and I think he grew up fairly quickly. My Gran got a war widows pension but it must have been difficult with rationing still in force, no NHS or social services etc I don’t think Dad saw much of his wages.
Unusually for a man of those times he never smoked, he loved sport and played football and in the mid 50s was playing badminton for Surrey.
Some years ago when I realised his memory was starting to go I asked him about those times and he showed me my Grandad’s medals, the letter from the War Office advising of his death, his pay book and stuff. Among them were a few letters from My Grandad to my Dad. Obviously I could’t see the ones my Dad had sent but one thing intrigued me and I asked Dad about it.
It turned out that Dad had written to his father about some issue he was having at work (it must have been difficult for a boy to be working with old men as all my Grandfathers generation were in the forces) and had asked his permission to start smoking!
My Grandad gave him some advice about the work thing and said that he would talk to him about smoking when he got home.
He never came home and my Dad never smoked!
He had loads of stories about cycling up to the aerodrome and cadging sweets and chocolates off the pilots. He said there was a Canadian Squadron stationed at Kenley.
He also told stories of watching the doodlebugs coming over and how the time to run was when you stopped hearing them as that was when the fuel ran out and they were coming down. Being South of London they saw a lot of them.
A couple of years ago I was at his house and he was dozing in the chair and there was a documentary on TV about the anniversary of the blitz and it was showing new footage from the period…
He jumped up in his chair and said to me ‘did you hear that noise?’ What noise? I said, ‘It sounded like a high explosive bomb’ he said, as a kid they watched the planes going over and could see the glow of London burning in the sky and hear the bombs.
It quite unsettled him and it was amazing that he recognised the sound from the TV.
I think I will leave it there for now, thanks for asking Guy, funnily enough I quite enjoyed writing that.
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Lovely write up Kev.
Easy to see that is from the heart.
All the best mate.
Same birth year as my Dad. He was also too young to be involved although of course he had to do National Service in the RAAF in about 1949-50. I found writing a eulogy for his funeral a very cathartic experience.
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Wonderful memories. I had a little tear.
God bless.
I used to love school holidays and being released to go up the aerodrome before they closed off the shelters and bits.
Funny you mention the Canadians never heard anyone else mention them before at kenley. We moved from Whyteleafe (hilltop road) to caterham on the hill. The house was still walking distance to the aerodrome. When we started decorating everything was painted blue underneath the last layer of paint. When we looked in to it, the Canadians had the house during the war. My dad still has some hat badges we found under the stairs.
I enjoyed reading that, thanks Kevin
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Fascinating and lovely bit of writing, thank you!
Thanks Kevin, very interesting story.
Slightly off topic but related to Kevin’s post, a few of you have been to my place in Brighton but I found this picture recently, a direct hit. (we are at Park Crescent). I believe the picture dates to 1941. Also Kev, a few very close to you.
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Very interesting.
“Whitehawk laid waste” seems like some things never change.
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