HI, I am Ken. A middle child of 3 and a proud Londoner. During the blitz we were bombed out 3 times and spent many hours in the tube station. My brother and I, after an air raid, dug up an unexploded incendiary bomb which we took it home. Mum put it in the toilet and dad was not at all pleased because the building was evacuated for obvious reasons. He was an ARP warden.
We moved to the Isle of Thanet where I had my secondary education, played football for Kent school boys and the local town first team. Leaving school, I became an apprentice electrician at RAF Manston. I was always late for work and my brother was not pleased as he was the foreman. According to my mother, I was a handful.
I was called up to the R.A.F. and at my first station, met my wife Joan on the Isle of Man. I knew her for 4 days then spent the next two and a half years in Egypt. We married in 1955 and was living in Blackburn, Lancashire. Christine, our first daughter, was born in 1956 and Helen was born in 1960.
After leaving the R.A.F. I became a maintenance electrician at Cherry Tree Machine Company. I was promoted to foreman and travelled all over the U.K and Ireland trouble shooting, mainly in mental hospitals! (I had trouble escaping sometimes).
My wife, Joan was known as the young widow with 2 young children. Why? Because I came and went in the dark, nicknamed by my mates as the owl. We moved to the Midlands which was the biggest mistake in my life - hated the place and the job.
I became installation supervisor for A.I.L a London firm, moving to Stowmarket in 1966. My work covered East Anglia, Essex and Kent. I joined PSA at RAF Wattisham as it was then, but that was dissolved by the government in 1993. Fed up being a ‘spark’, I applied and succeeded as caretaker at Old Stow health centre and ended up supervising 5 other health centres. I loved the job but eventually retired - phew!.
In 2006 I suffered a heart attack - how could this happen to me? I ended up at West Suffolk Hospital, where I met our lovely cardiac nurse Kate. Then on to Papworth where I had my operation. These are two wonderful hospitals - the staff of all grades, superb.
After 12 weeks of Rehab I was introduced to 'Upbeat' at Bury St Edmunds. How does one describe this excellent charity? Wonderful, friendly, fun and most important of all the companionship. One shouldn't wish their life away but Joan and I cannot wait for Wednesdays to take part. I have made many friends since joining 'Upbeat' and now I am a very proud member of our social and events committee.
To close can I say 'Hello' to my mate Don (door bouncer), Patrick (Fun man), Rick. Good to have you back, lovely Kate (cardiac nurse), Michelle our lovely drill instructor, the girls in the kitchen and many more I haven't mentioned. Last but not least George and Barbara.
HI, I am Ken. A middle child of 3 and a proud Londoner. During the blitz we were bombed out 3 times and spent many hours in the tube station. My brother and I, after an air raid, dug up an unexploded incendiary bomb which we took it home. Mum put it in the toilet and dad was not at all pleased because the building was evacuated for obvious reasons. He was an ARP warden.