From Diane's Desk
So the Christmas count-down has begun, do you love it or loathe it? In the middle of November the Christmas lights went on in Basildon Town Centre with fairground rides, street sellers, music and fireworks and a group of us from the local Church communities singing carols. We had only sung one carol when the firework display started, they were very noisy and it did cross my mind that maybe it was in response to our singing! Anyway when the fireworks stopped we started again and even got a round of applause from the passers by so we were appreciated. But the whole experience of singing carols so early set me in a bit of a panic and I didn't sleep well that night as all kinds of things were going through my mind that I had to arrange before Christmas arrived. In the fresh light of morning though I was able to put things into perspective. But still wherever I go now it seems that the Christmas hype is gathering momentum. From the little ones in pre-schools to the more mature folk at Woodbury Court, all are making an effort to do something "special".

But along the way too I am finding many who for one reason or another cannot jump on this Christmas roller coaster ride. There are young parents growing more and more anxious as they hear people telling their children that "if they are really good Father Christmas will bring them lots of toys" and they worry that the reality will not live up to the illusion. There are others whose financial circumstances have changed so rapidly that it is difficult to budget for the everyday let alone the special occasions. And, of course, those of us who will face Christmas with an empty chair at the table know there will always be a hint of sadness.
But if we are prepared to take a moment to realise that Christmas is really all about something more precious than anything money can buy and the joy it brings will last forever not just until the battery runs out - if we allow Christ into our Christmas - then I know we will find that God with us (which is what happened when Jesus was born) will become a reality, and life will never be the same again.

However you prepare for Christmas I hope you will know Christ with you, so that the love and peace of the Christ child will fill your hearts and your homes.
God bless,
Diane

View From The Pew
A monthly ramble brought about by musings, interactions and conversations earthly and otherwise.

I know I keep on about my experiences in and around Basildon Hospital but having never been in a hospital as a patient before 2009 I am rarely away from it now and so it is a major part of my life. This month I want to tell you about three patients that I have met recently that have been inspirational to everyone who has had the good fortune to meet them.

Patient #1:
I met on day 1 of my rehab sessions at the Cardiothoracic Unit. He was a very cheerful soul who was always smiling and making jokey comments which raised everyone's spirits. His manner certainly attracted people to him and it wasn't long before I struck up a conversation with him. This man had a passion about bicycles. He absolutely loved them, in fact he was cycling to work when he had his heart attack that brought him to be where we both were.

Imagine how amazed I was when he told me that he had had two hip replacements and had severe arthritis in both calves and ankles! Besides which he had been in receipt of three stents to prevent further cardiac arrests. When I got to know him he told me that he did not go to church but believed that there was a God and that angels had been watching over him. I was further impressed as not many Christians these days have the faith to believe in the existence of angels even though the Bible is chock full of reports of their activities!

We related to each other our own personal testimonies about our convictions and I came away refreshed and happy to have been privileged to have had this conversation.

Patient #2:
Was a Sunday League football referee. During the first half he suddenly fell to the ground and the crowd and all the players assumed that he had tripped and that he would be up on his feet any moment. Not so - after about 20 seconds people rushed to his aid and someone dialled 999 to get an ambulance to the scene.

Two football coaches had FA first aid training and took charge of the situation until help arrived. This man's heart had stopped and he was given CPR. This saved the man's life but with a brain that had been starved of oxygen for so long his wife was told that she should prepare herself for any damage this had done when her husband returned home some 12 days later. What a miracle! A year later he was healthy and suffered no lasting ill effect from his traumatic experience and although he has not returned to being a referee, he does everything else he used to do.

Patient #3:
Is a thoroughly good sort of bloke of about 75 years young. On the second day I knew him (he had overheard a conversation between myself and Patient #1) he gave me a book mark withdrawn from several that he kept in his jacket inside pocket. On it was one of my favourite Bible passages and I will use it regularly. He bought these himself from a Christian bookshop and gave them to people he met that might be encouraged and receptive to the message.

On day 3 he gave me a booklet called ' Today' - it's produced in America but it seems very scripturally sound and is easy to read and understand. He gets these for free and distributes them to people that (as he put it) maybe open to God's word.

This patient impressed me because of the preparations he had made should God send him an opportunity to talk to a stranger about Jesus and God's plan for our salvation.

The Cardiac Unit has a support group of about 100 ex-patients and relatives who want to make the hospital even better than it already is. If you would like to read more about the group's activities then have a look at their excellent website.

Thank your lucky stars

If you (like me up to a year ago) have never been in hospital and had serious treatment for a life threatening ailment. If you ever do though have this fate befall you will meet (as I did) all kinds of Angels and your faith in things spiritual will soar as never before. Angels, I can testify, do not have wings (wherever that comes from I am not sure) but certainly speak in reassuring tones of God's great love for all of us. Have a great Christmas and you will not be surprised to hear that I cannot wait to get rid of 2009 and start life again afresh in 2010.

"God bless us - every one!" - Tiny Tim (the remake by Disney has had some bad reviews - I hope to see it soon though)

IHS - Paul
http://www.friendsofsnc.co.uk

Contact Paul for more details

To join FOSN, please contact Paul
http://www.friendsofsnc.co.uk

St. Nicholas Snippets

"Shine Jesus Shine"

"Shine Jesus Shine" - well we know who wrote this hymn - Graham Kendrick but did you know that he lived in Langdon Hills from 1957 until 1963.

In May 1957 Reverend M. D. Kendrick, became the new pastor of Laindon Baptist Church in the High Road, Langdon Hills. The Reverend, his wife, daughter and three sons, one being Graham, moved into "Revesby" a newly-decorated manse in the High Road.

It was a particular turbulent time for the church and the community as a whole as the New Town of Basildon was just starting to be developed and the quiet town of Laindon and Langdon Hills was beginning to feel its impact.

Graham was born on the 2 August 1950, Blisworth, Northamptonshire and has become one of the most prolific of British Christian singer-songwriter and worship leaders. He currently lives in Croydon with his wife and two children.

Prince's Trust 2009

The Prince's Trust for the third year running descended on us in October for eight days. The team was made up of two girls and eight boys between the ages of 16 to 23, managed by Paul (Skip) and an assistant. It was great fun with plenty of laughs and banter. Mind you, the greatest bit of excitement was when, on the last day they found a young adult adder, slow worm and a smooth newt.

In addition to the work they did, they attended the dedication of the Carpenter Cross service conducted by the Bishop of Bradwell in the first week and at the end of the second week we provided a BBQ for them.

The work load included:

Preparing the ground for planting the hedge on the northern boundary of the church yard (1st week)
Clearing the area where the church hall once stood. (this was on going throughout the eight days)
Planting the hedge (2nd week)
Clearing and tidying up graves and resetting a great number of head stones. (On going throughout the eight days).
Grass cutting (2nd week)
Filling graves with soil and planting bulbs and primroses.
Racking the long grass where it had previously been cut and clipping back all the brambles and dog rose that had grown around the graves during the previous year.

It was a very successful eight days and they achieved a considerable amount, but I have to say Stuart, Peter and I were exhausted at the end of it. We still had one concern and that was how dry it had been this summer and whether the new hedge would get enough water while it was trying to establish itself. We need not have worried, three days of rain out of the next five followed.

It is a 12 week course, which finishes with them giving a presentation at Wat Tyler Park on the 9th December at 1pm.

Scouts

The 8th Basildon Scouts Troop visited the church on Saturday afternoon of the 7th November and cleaned the eighteen war graves we have in the church yard and placed a poppy by each of them in remembrance of the sacrifice these heroes made. It is an annual event and their Scoutmaster Ernie Easterby has been bringing scouts up to the church to pay their respect for over thirty years.

He used to be with the 6th Laindon that operated out of the church hall. The 6th Laindon was the amalgamation of the 2nd and 4th troop. He told me that at one stage the scout movement tried to buy the hall. The 8th Basildon's headquarters is Lee Chapel South Junior School.

Reading Matter

In the porch under the conservation board are a number of publications covering a variety of conservation, environmental subjects, you are more than welcome to take them home to read.

I understand that many of you do not get a delivery of the weekly Yellow Advertiser or Basildon Recorder. I will endeavour to recycle mine and leave them in the porch for anybody to take home. I will also leave Friday night's Evening Echo in the porch.

SEECAN

Essex Libraries and the Essex Record Office are creating six new community archives for the South East of Essex following an award of Heritage Lottery funding. The archives to be situated in Benfleet, Billericay, Hadleigh, Laindon, Rayleigh/Rochford and Wickford will be known as the South East Essex Community Archive Network or SEECAN.

The archives will be run by groups of volunteers who will collect photographs and documents relating to their local area. These will then be uploaded onto an interactive website which allows website visitors to comment on the items and add their own memories, so the site grows into an organic collage of personal and factual history. Because the collection is stored online, important documents and treasured items are copied and never have to leave the keeper.

Are you interested in getting involved? We need people from the local community to take part in this wonderful project and training will be given. For further information we are holding a short presentation at Laindon Library on 3rd December at 2pm come along and be part of it!

Contact the library on 01268 542065

Ken Porter.

Our Search for the Baker Family

At the end of May, an intriguing email popped into the church website inbox. It was from Lawrence McGlynn and reads as follows:
I hope you don't mind me contacting you, but I found your email address on the St Nicholas Church website.
A while ago I found an old photo album containing photos taken between 1938- 1940.
The photos are of a family who lived in a house called "The Anchorage" which was close to the Church (the album also had a photo of the church taken at the time).
Most of the photos have Christian names underneath, but the only mention of a surname is under a photo of 2 small boys (Reggie and Ronnie Baker) taken in July 1938, who might be in their early 70's now.
I'd love to be able to return the album to the family if they are still in
the area, therefore, I thought I'd contact you in the first instance in case
you or anyone you know might know of the family.
I've attached a few photos of the album in case they might jog some
memories.
Some wonderful photographs accompanied the email and I circulated them to as many people as I could think of, who have links with Laindon from the 1930s and 1940s. I contacted Basildon Council, to find out if they kept records of house names but sadly, they couldn't help me.
Stuart Popplewell thought that he might have a lead, as he used to work with a Ron Baker and he tried to get the contact details for me.
Additionally, I contacted Angela Lodge at Radio BBC Essex's help line.

Lawrence very kindly brought the album to my house, so that I could take it to church on Sunday to show but no one recognised any of the family.
However, on Monday 12th June, I was surprised to receive an email from Angela Lodge, from the radio help line, informing me that Ron Baker had been found!
I phoned him and it was arranged that he would come to the church on Sunday 18th June to collect the album and when I contacted Lawrence to tell him the good news, he decided that he would come to meet Ron at the church.

How lovely it was to meet Lawrence and wife, Helen as well as Ron and his wife, Marilyn and to reunite the album with the Baker family.
It also transpires that Stewart had been correct in his suggestion that the Ron Baker that he used to work with was the one that we were seeking.
How's this for a coincidence? Ron told us that he had only tuned his car radio in to BBC Essex, the day before he heard the appeal, so it looks as though it was really meant to be!

See the photos of the album

Dawn

Histories, Memories...

War time memories continued: -

Before embarking on a few more personal memories a number of people have asked whether the church was ever damaged. The answer is yes, on at least two occasions late in the war. Fortunately not sufficiently for services to be cancelled.

The first occasion was on August 10th 1944 when a flying bomb (V1-Doodlebug) landed in a wheat field off Dickens Drive. It seriously damaged 36 bungalows and St. Nicholas Church and its hall. Seventeen people were injured.

Then in January 1945 a V2 again landed in the fields off Dickens Drive, damaging 250 bungalows including many that had only just been repaired from the previous V1 blast. Again St. Nicholas Church and the hall were damaged. It was possible that it was this occasion that my mother threw herself on the bed to protect me as the windows were blown in and the roof blown off our bungalow in Pound Lane.

Saving Private Ryan

Helen in her sermon on Remembrance Sunday made reference to the film 'Saving Private Ryan' based on bringing the fourth son of an American family home after their previous three had been killed in World War II. It reminded me of Laindon's own 'Saving Private Ryan' story, which unfortunately did not have such a happy ending.

Albert William and Jessie Emma Palmer lived in "Lyndhurst", Wash Road, Laindon and at the outbreak of war, three of their sons were in the Navy.

Charles John was an Able Seaman on the H.M.S. Royal Oak when it was sunk by a U-Boat, U-47 at Scapa Flow on the 14th October 1939 with the loss of 833 men. It was hit by four torpedoes and it went down inside ten minutes. Daisy II a trawler rescued 386 survivors from the icy, oily sea; unfortunately Charles was not one of them. He is honoured at the Portsmouth Navel Memorial. Many years later Mike Merrison a nephew was touring Lancashire when he dropped into the Royal Oak pub in the little village of Hornby and saw his uncle's name on the pub's memory board.
On the 9th May 1940, H.M.S. Kelly commanded by Lord Louis Mountbatten was torpedoed by the German E-Boat S-31 during the Battle of Norway. Somehow Lord Mountbatten managed to get the severely damaged destroyer back to Hebburn shipyard, Tyneside. Leading telegraphist Albert William Palmer was amongst the 27 men who lost their lives. His memorial is in Hebburn Cemetery. He was 33 years of age.

Then on the 14th October 1941, the second anniversary of the sinking of the Royal Oak, Corvette 'H.M.S. Fleur de Lys' was sunk off the Straits of Gibraltar by U-boat, U-206. Among those that died was Leading Seaman Edward Stanley Palmer, aged 31. He is honoured, like his brother Charles, on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

So within the space of two years three bothers had died in active service, unfortunately Edward was on the way home. Edward had in fact volunteered to sail with Fleur de Lys.

Their father Albert died in December 1941 and their mother in September 1945. We will never know whether their deaths were attributable to the loss of their three sons. They are buried in St. Nicholas Church yard.

Jim Townsend

Jim Townsend's family moved to Laindon in 1937 to a bungalow in Hotwater Lane called 'Liberty Hall', he was fourteen at the time. His father opened up a greengrocer's shop near the station on the opposite side of the road to Churchill Johnson's. Two years later he was sitting listening to the wireless on that fateful day with the family, including his grandparents, when the announcement was broadcast that we were at war. Jim's immediate response was 'What do we do now?'. His grandfather replied, 'carry on as normal, we will be told what to do, it will be over by Christmas, you will not have to go in the army'.

The siren went off but everybody just ignored it, nobody knew what to do, there were no immediate neighbours to discus the situation with, the nearest was several hundred yards away. Though the family had been given gas masks in 1938, they were still in the cupboard. They did not bother with the air-raid shelter until nine months later when the Battle of Britain commenced.

Jim, at the time, was employed working in his father's greengrocer's shop in Laindon High Road near the station. Within a few days of the government request on the 14th May 1940 for men to join the Local Defence Volunteers (L.D.V.) Jim went along to Laindon Police Station which was a wooden building at the top of Victoria Road near the High Road and signed up. He was one of six young lads who joined up; they were under age and not really allowed to join but as he had a bicycle he was taken on as a messenger boy. Two months later in July 1940 they became known as 'The Home Guard'. Laindon's Home Guard head quarters were at the New Fortune of War Pub. Initially they were only provided with wooden rifles to train with but later rifles with ammunition became available.

He remembers watching the dog fights along the Thames during the Battle of Britain. Laindon, unfortunately, was in a direct path to many front line airfields and, of course, London.

Then on the 6th August 1942 at the age of eighteen he was called up and told to report to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Bodmin in Cornwall. On going to Laindon station to get his railway ticket, Mr Sims, the Station Master (father of Joan Sims) remarked how lucky he was to be going to Cornwall. To which Jim replied he wasn't going on holiday, he was going to war.

Jim was at Bodmin for six weeks basic training and he and the other recruits were put through the mill. Square bashing, assault courses etc. While there, they were machine gunned by a German plane, so by the time six weeks were up they felt like commandos. However other formal training such as unarmed combat was carried out in the Home Guard and not the regular army.

He was then transferred to the Royal Armoured Corp and became a Tank Driver. Official title Driver Mechanic, he believes the reason he got this position is because he could not shoot straight with a rifle. Although he volunteered for active duty he was refused on the basis that he was required to train others, so he never left England. He trained at Catterick and was stationed in Hornsea, East Yorkshire and Warcop, Westmorland (now Cumbria). Although he never left these shores he was in fact wounded twice. The first occasion when a gun being towed swung round and knocked him over, breaking his shoulder, he spent six weeks in Sheffield hospital. On another occasion he was working on a tank when a sprocket dropped, smashing his fingers.

Later in the war, close to D. Day, Jim was involved with the floating tanks and in theory he had to learn to swim, which in fact he never did. The floating tanks were known as DD tanks, for Duplex Drive, nicknamed Donald Duck tanks. They were a type of amphibious swimming tank developed by the British during the Second World War to be mainly used for the Normandy Landings.

On VE day, Jim was in Penrith with his regiment waiting to be demobbed-they celebrated with a bonfire with the locals. It was another two years before he arrived back home. He took up where he left off, working in one of the shops. The family had purchased another a little further along the High Road near Sheppard's the restaurant.

It was only a few years ago that Jim applied and received his defence medal for his time in the Home Guard. He had already been awarded the 1939 - 45 War medal.

More war stories next month: -

Ken Porter.

contact Ken

I am also currently researching the following 19th and 20th century rectors of Laindon, if there is anybody who is aware of any of their descendents I would be please to hear from you. Beaumaurice Stracey Clarke, Herbert Carpenter, Michael Nevill Lake, Frederick W J Winfield, Arthur J Dunlop, Peter Stuart Grimwood.
Ken Porter

Mothers' Union Report

We had quite a large attendance this month, thank you Diane for letting us use your lounge for our gathering.

Carol Goddard from Bullwood Hall Prison came to give us a very interesting talk. She is involved with a group of ladies who help at Bullwood Hall and Brentwood Prisons. Some of the ladies give additional help with the permission of the authorities as they are both low grade institutions. But mainly they run the crèche so that the spouses of the inmates can have a suitable amount of time to themselves. She brought a slide show and went into great detail, to give us an understanding that we had never had before.

We shall not be meeting as such, this month of December, as we are all going out for Christmas luncheon at The Quays.

So may I take this opportunity to wish each and everyone a peaceful and joyous Christmas.

God Bless - Val

Notable Monthly Feast Days

This month's article will be somewhat different, instead of discussing a named saint it describes an event - even though it is listed in the Calendar of Saints, it is still celebrated every year - Christmas Eve.

I'm going to take you on a quick trip to several countries around the world to see how they traditionally celebrate this time of year. More often than not many Roman Catholics and Anglicans around the world celebrate Midnight Mass or service which generally commences before midnight. I recall when our family prepared for Midnight Mass, just before we left for the church we watched a carol service broadcast on TV from Kings College, Cambridge. To me then, that was when Christmas really began, it still does to this day but there is not as much impact now as there was then; the opening carol was always 'Once in Royal David's City', the first opening verse being sung solo by a young chorister.

We start at home, traditionally in the household with young children preparing for a visitation by 'Father Christmas' (Saint Nicholas really, as it was through his generosity of giving much needed money to the poor which set the scene as we know it today) by hanging up stockings; but nowadays it's a larger bag (presents have gotten a little bit bigger). Then there was the leaving of a mince pie, a glass of sherry for dear old Santa (although milk has since been the norm - don't want Santa drunk in charge of reindeer!) and of course, carrots for his deer. Then off to bed before Santa called, as we knew then that if he found you still awake you would get nothing.
Hop across the water (English Channel) to Europe. In France the Christmas tree has never been popular instead they make a traditional Yule logged-shaped cake called Bûche de Nöel (Christmas log) and with other food in abundance it is served up in a great feast called Le Reveillon held after midnight on Christmas Eve. And of course the families get together and attend services in beautifully lit churches and cathedrals. French children leave out their shoes or their clogs in the hope that the Christ Child will fill them with small gifts.
In Spain, Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena, as well as in Latin America, and like us they attend their Christmas Mass then they have a meal with friends and family. It is common for the meal to start with a seafood dish like prawns or salmon, followed by home made soup. The main meal may consist of roast lamb or a sea food dish of cod or shell fish and for dessert there are all sorts of delicacies such as Turron (made of honey eggs and almonds)
In Germany they celebrate Heiligabend (Holy Eve) when a Christmas tree is put up and decorated with the usual trimmings of electric or decorative candle lights and garlands, all this is done whilst the children are attending Christmas Service. When the family come back the room is locked and the children must wait till a little bell is rung (this represents the leaving of the Christ Child, according to tradition, bringing the presents). Revealing the decorative tree is one big surprise.
Scandinavian countries have their own special tradition, in Sweden Christmas Eve is known as Julafton and after the festive Christmas Eve dinner someone dresses up as a gnome (Tomte) who is suppose to live under the floor boards looking like a little Santa Claus they hand out presents. In Norway and Denmark they pretty much share the same theme of an elf called Nisse. He is mischievous in Denmark often playing pranks on people but on the whole he generally helps them; on the other hand in Norway it was frowned upon by the Christians and consequently forbidden.
In Russia, did you know that Christmas was banned after the 1917 revolution and it wasn't till 75 years later that it was openly observed. Today it is celebrated in the grandest of fashion with the participation of all night mass in incense-filled cathedrals. Family members gather to share a special meal, usually meatless and it's a type of porridge and somewhat symbolic, in that its ingredients of various grains symbolise hope and its honey and poppy seeds symbolise happiness and peace.
Step aboard my time machine and I will whisk you back to the years of 1914 and 1915 when the nations were all at war. On Christmas Eve December 24th 1914 an unofficial truce took place amongst the trenches, Germans began to decorate their area by placing candles on trees and singing carols most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops responded from their area with English carols and before long they shouted Christmas greetings to each other. There were calls for visits across No-Man's-Land where small gifts were exchanged and then they played football.
On December 24th 1968, way out in space, astronauts William Anders, Jim Lovell and Frank Borman, onboard Apollo 8 surprised the world by reading the story of creation from the book of Genesis.
We have our traditions on Christmas Eve but we all celebrate the forthcoming event, the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ. How he was brought into the world in a stable and his gifts were from the three Magi Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and see you all in the New Year.

John Kingsley

The Friends of St Nicholas

Paul Hickman has been very busy reviving the Friends of St Nicholas (FOSN). He has designed a
badge for members. Additionally, Angela Smith, M.P. for Basildon, has kindly accepted his
invitation to become the honorary chairperson.
What does it involve?
As little or as much as you are prepared to offer.
In his information leaflet, Paul suggests the following but if you feel that you have
something different to offer, please contact Paul (01268 459124)
• Visiting the church grounds every now and again just to make sure that all is well
• Helping the conservation team with the nature reserve aspect
• Gardening
• Litter picking, confetti clearing, etc
• Giving feedback on church activities
• Offering specialist help at discount rates
• Showing others that the values of the church are worthwhile and appreciated
• Small leaflet drops
• Generating ideas for events
• Aiding the understanding of our local history
• Sharing concern for local people, children, issues so that the church can effectively pray for those involved
So many ways that people can help without being regular church goers. All the above add greatly to the church’s value in the parish. The Friends of St Nicholas enables people to get involved in whatever part of church life
appeals to them.
There is a suggested charge of £5.00 or a minimum, one-off charge of £2.50, which will cover the cost of a badge but if you feel that you are unable to offer any help, as listed above, you are still invited to join as a St Nicholas Church wellwisher with no special commitments.
http://www.friendsofsnc.co.uk

Search for Elizabeth King - (Search is over!)

I have been contacted by Lawrence Pullen, who lives in USA. He would like to trace the relatives of Elizabeth King, who lives or lived in Laindon. This is the email that I received from Lawrence:

Lawrence H. Pullen
Contact Lawrence

I hope you can help me. I am trying to contact the relatives of Elizabeth King whose last known address was 19 Gulverdown, Basildon. That was in 1981. I'm sure Mrs. King has passed away because of her age at that time. We do have another address which we cannot date since all the players are deceased. The address was: 85 Helmares Court, Durham Road, Laindon. Sometime in 1981 Elizabeth was confined to St. Andrews Hospital after having an operation on her arm. I have a wedding photo which indicates that Elizabeth's daughter, Betty was married on September 29, 1956. I have no information about Betty's married name. The wedding photographer was Hamlet Court Studios, Westcliff-On-Sea, Essex. Betty at that time was "a tailoress in the town of Laindon Essex" and would probably be about 76. It is conceivable that Betty was married at St. Nicholas Church. Any information or help that you can provide in my quest to contact Elizabeth's relatives would be greatly appreciated. I assume that that they are my relatives who, like me, are descendants of my great grandfather, Benjamin Davenport who was born in Shortige Parish, London on April 2, 1837.

Sincerely, Lawrence H. Pullen.

Betty had a brother, James King who was about three years younger and who worked on a farm in Laindon. She was also the eldest of three sisters. Betty's grandmother, Frances Fordree came to live with the family in Laindon in approximately 1948. Their address at the time was 'Haystack', Lower Dunton Road, Bulphan, Essex

Found! Relatives of Lawrence have been found!!

Belief in the Journey

Know
In our souls our hearts our minds
That we thirst for large
Spoonfuls of knowledge,
As is the case
With Love, with Friendship.
Only through our life's
Quest for knowledge,
May we balance
A beautiful
Sense of purpose, of the real, of truth.
Our limits
Measured only by our
Capacity
To count the stars

This poem is by Dominic Mason and has been published in a collection of poems, entitled 'Still Life' , published by United Press.

Here is another poem by Dominic Mason

Light, Love and Other Attractions

Morning light sits
Upright
Like an elephant
Flexing his muscles
From the memory of a heavy sleep.
Sunlight
Splashes
Across
Our faces with
Delightful warmth.
In the days, weeks, months,
Years which lie ahead
We know
Know
Our love, our friendship,
Our warmth of understanding
Shall grow stronger.
Sometimes, harder words
Learned during the longer hours
Shall ease Us through
The troubled rhythm of the rains.
How beautiful,
How wonderful,
Our love,
Our lives,
Our smiles,
As in this dark, deep overcoat
Of complete silence,
I, light a candle for you,
You,
With delicate touch,
Light a candle for me.