Meet the Resident
Derrick
Can you tell us a little about where you grew up? A small town in centre of England. The milkman brought milk in a churn with dippers to put the milk into your jug at the road side. Until about 1935 you walked to the station to catch a train to literally anywhere. A bus service started after then and the world changed. But you still walked most local places. TV/television mast went up 1942 - years before locals had sets.
What are some of your fondest childhood memories? The freedom to walk and roam the surrounding countryside. Pick wild flowers and blackberries, watercress from the streams. Find and watch birds nesting. Helping Dad with the bees. Scrumping after choir practice (pinching apples from the Vicar’s orchard). Visiting grandparents by bus and train - a several hour journey. Discovering tennis and cricket - and girls! What kinds of work or hobbies have you enjoyed throughout your life? Hobbies, stamp collecting, reading anything and everything - still do. Sport, tennis, cricket, running, walking, rugby, theatricals, singing. Most until I was in my mid ‘80s. Writing, poetry, novels, memoirs. RAF in 1940s and also later, UK and overseas. As an Electrical Engineer, later specialising in Microwave Technology from my time in Radar in the RAF. Do you have any favourite pastimes or hobbies you still enjoy today? I still read anything I can lay my hands on. I enjoy using my computer for writing and to keep abreast of things worldwide and to keep in touch with friends and rellies. What is something you’ve learned that you’d like to share with others? That there are no strangers in this world. Only friends who you have not met yet. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Don’t believe everything you hear! What is a book, movie, or song that has made a big impact on you? A book. ‘The Life of Nelson Mandela’. What do you think has been the biggest change in the world during your lifetime? Ability to travel anywhere. Do you have a favourite place you’ve travelled to or lived in? Singapore. In the forces with the RAF and frequently since. What is something that always makes you smile? A picture of a baby laughing. Are there any clubs or activities you’re interested in joining here? I would love to join in more but finding time beyond what I have to do is almost impossible. What has been your proudest achievement? My children. Is there anything about your story you’d like to share with our community? Yes. Meet others halfway.
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