“Born
a Norfolk lad Bill left school at
sixteen and went to work as a
railway clerk at Thorpe Station,
serving during the Second World War
in the Royal Corps of Signals as a
despatch rider (but the Army never
knew his only driving experience
had been a small milk float!).
Indeed, Bill never took a driving
test either in the army or back in
civilian life. His wartime service
in France and in Germany was
uneventful except when, out with
his friends in a Jeep on something
of a jolly, he was blown up but
luckily escaped with a broken nose.
After the war, Bill returned to his
work at Thorpe Station. His sister,
Evelyn, introduced him to her good
friend, another Evelyn, who first
encountered Bill as he carried out
essential maintenance lying
underneath his motorbike. Bill’s
great love of motorbikes was soon
joined by a great love for Evelyn
and they married. Now able to
combine both loves, he took Evelyn
for many rides on his BSA motorbike
- their biking adventures became
legendary in the family, who have
visions of them sailing down hills
and vales, the wind playing merrily
with Bill’s silk scarf and blowing
through Evelyn’s hair.
Railway work took him to Lowestoft,
Walthamstow, Basingstoke, Waterloo
and finally Aldershot. He was
conscientious and hardworking -
exemplified by the fact that one
Christmas, rather than tucking into
his own Christmas lunch, Bill was
down at the depot, looking for a
customer’s undelivered turkey so
that she could enjoy her Christmas
lunch. Instrumental in setting up
his local branch of the NFC
pensioners support association, he
arranged outings and Christmas
lunches for his retired colleagues,
something which gave him immense
pleasure. Deeply committed to this
Church, Bill was a keen tenor in the
choir and served on the PCC.
Retiring at the age of 59, he became
a volunteer hospital driver, helper
at Park Prewitt psychiatric hospital
and, with Evelyn, assisted in the
Help the Aged Day Centre. Bill also
set up and helped to run the Harrow
Way Neighbourhood Care Group
undertaking all manner of tasks for
members of the community. But Bill
was not simply a “do-gooder“, he
undertook all his tasks with great
cheerfulness and it was a huge
pleasure to him to be with other
people and to be helping them.”
Bill
and I would sing and chat our way
through our bagging times at the
mill and my grateful thanks go to
Basil Hunt for bringing his fellow
Norfolk chum to the mill when Evelyn
had died. He was fond of the mill,
keenly carrying out his chores and
so Linda had a brass plate
inscribed to commemorate him which
Basil has fixed close to Bill’s work
corner. We shall continue to miss
him, but will fondly remember him
and ponder about the many things
this unassuming man filled his life
with and his cheerful contribution
to the lives of so many others.
Composed,
with grateful thanks to Bill’s
family, by Sheila Miles Viner.
