The Absent Gift: A Christmas Haunting

In the silence of the winter night,

A father weeps, without a sight

Of his beloved children, far away,

Their laughter gone, his heart astray.

No holly or ivy can ease his pain,

No carol or song can break his chain,

He longs to hold them close and tight,

To feel their love, their warmth and light.

His memories are all that remain,

Of the days they'd sing and dance in the rain,

Of the nights they'd gather by the tree,

With smiles and hugs so full of glee.

Now the shadows loom, the candles fade,

As he sits alone, in an empty glade,

Whispering their names into the dark,

Hoping his love can reach them, like a spark.

For in his heart they still reside,

A flame that burns, and will not subside,

A bond unbroken, through time and space,

A father's love, that none can replace.

Snowflakes and Memories: A Visit to London Road Cemetery in Winter

I'll take it nice and slow.

Each footprint pressed in snow.

I'll think of you,

Think of you,

As I take the long way home.

Miracles

Hope

"Hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torment of man."

Friedrich Nietzsche    

Lost Children

Lost Children by Adam Cann

The Turners of Kettering

The Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul, Kettering, viewed from Sheep Street. (2017) Photo: Chlo

In Kettering, Northamptonshire, the Turner family thrived for nine generations. The lineage began with the weaver, Edward Turner, born in the late 18th century. The Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul in Kettering holds records of Edward's marriage to Mary Underwood in 1782, marking the first known appearance of the Turners in the town. Their daughter Hannah was baptized there in 1785, but the fate of the girl remains unknown. Edward and Mary went on to have eight more children. The Turner surname lasted until the passing of my grandfather, Terence Walter Turner, in 2000, whose only child was a daughter that later took on a new name.

The Parish Church of SS Peter and Paul, Kettering, viewed from Market Walk. (2017) 

Chapel of Rest, London Road Cemetery, Kettering. Graveyard of SS Peter and Paul. (2017) 

Life Lessons From 100 Year Olds

The Stoics

Old Tom Miller 1876-1960

James (Tom) Thomas Miller (1876-1960) was born in Warrenby Redcar, North Yorkshire on October 30th 1876. Warrenby is a small town in present-day Redcar & Cleveland which was founded in 1873 to house workers at the nearby ironworks Downey & Co and Walker Maynard. It is believed that Tom’s father, Charles, was employed by one of these two companies.

By 1881, Tom, his parents, and his many siblings had returned to Burton Latimer, to Nichol’s Yard on the High Street. They were still at Nichol’s Yard in 1891 when a 14-year-old Tom worked as a riveter in the town’s shoe trade.

As a young man Tom was a keen and talented footballer. He was vice-captain of Burton’s oldest known football team - Burton Temperance FC. The picture below was taken at the end of the 1893/94 season. Tom is second left on the back row, to his right is goalkeeper and captain William (Billy) Henry Perkins (1876-?) who went on to play for Liverpool FC, Luton Town FC and Northampton Town FC amongst other teams.

A quote from Tom was printed alongside the team photo in a newspaper article in c.1934.

“Perhaps there was not the scope to show up in those days as there is today, as there were no League or Cups to play for. The only Cup, as far as I can remember, was one which Mr. Bill Cattell gave, and which was played at the Kettering North Park grounds, which he used to own. We reached the semi-final on one occasion, but were beaten by Finedon Excelsiors, who went on to win the cup, beating the then famous junior team, Kettering Vics. Probably the Finedon Excelsiors were the best junior team of all time. We had many strenuous games, and some exciting times, even in those days; but the Temperance eventually ceased to exist, and it became the Burton Vics., who took its place, and who also did well, winning the North Section of the Kettering United in the final by 1-0; and incidentally that goal came off my legs.”

Tom married Annie (Fanny) Manning James (1876–1963) at St Peter & Paul's Church in Kettering on April 19th 1897. Fanny was the daughter of  Edward James (1852-1881) and Mary Elson (1851-?) of Kettering.

On their marriage documents, Tom & Fanny are both listed as living at 37 Bayes Street in Kettering. This suggests that Tom and Fanny may have lived together as an unmarried couple for a short time, with Fanny’s parents. After their marriage, they moved to Duke Street in Burton Latimer, where they can be found living in 1901 with their first two daughters -  Winifred (Winnie) Ellen Miller (1898–1977) and Gladys Ada Miller (1899–1985).

By 1911 the family had moved to Finedon Street in Burton Latimer, Tom still worked in the shoe trade, but now as a ‘shoe-laster’. At the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Tom enlisted with the Royal Navy. He completed basic training at Crystal Palace Naval Depot in London; performed shore-based duties as an Aircraftsman in the Royal Naval Air Service at RNAS Wormwood Scrubs in London and RNAS Mullion in Cornwall.

Whilst stationed at Mullion, as a Private, he was absorbed into the newly formed Royal Air Force on April 1st 1918. His enlistment record reveals many details about his physical appearance at the time  - he was 5 ft 6 inches tall, had brown eyes and grey hair, and his complexion was described as ‘fresh’. Tom’s chest measurement was 39 inches and he had a birthmark on his left shoulder.

The record also shows that Tom was engaged in hostilities on five occasions between 1917 and 1918, three times aboard HMS President II and twice aboard HMS Daedalus. Tom’s younger brother Samuel also served aboard these vessels at the same time. In Burton Latimer’s electoral rolls of 1918 Tom’s home address is listed as Roseberry Street and he is recorded as an ‘absent voter’.

After the war Tom returned to his wife and family in Burton Latimer, and they continued to live on Roseberry Street until at least 1934. During this time Tom worked as a newsagent at 58 High Street in Burton Latimer.

By 1935 Tom and Fanny had bought 52/54 High Street - Burton Fish & Chip Shop - which they ran until 1940 when ownership of the chip shop was passed down to their youngest child, also called Tom. After leaving the chip shop the couple moved to 41 Queensway in Burton Latimer where they saw out their days. Whilst at this address the couple are known to have had a red setter called Jess, it is also known that Tom liked to smoke a pipe.

In later life Tom became known as Old Tom, partly to avoid confusion with his son who was also called Tom (James Thomas Miller). Old Tom died in Kettering on October 6th 1960, he was 83 years old. Fanny died nearly three years later in Wellingborough, together they had seven children: