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Autumn / Winter 2018 Issue 90
website: https://tcpensioners.org.uk
email: [email protected]
From the Chairman I'm pleased to introduce the latest edition of our Bulletin, and would like to thank our Editor and all contributors for their efforts. I do hope you find much to interest you. I certainly found the reflections on Charles Parker’s life to be revealing. I'm sure many of you will recall Charles as the respected manager of our Norwich branch for many years and perhaps his times at various London locations. However you might not be aware of his earlier, distinguished career in the RAF. This year being the centenary of the RAF's founding, it’s an appropriate time to include this article. We also have some recollections about Maggie Hannant, whose career included a long stint in the branch we then operated within the House of Commons. Working there must have been very interesting but also challenging, as the often short notice travel requirements of MPs and their entourages were pretty demanding. It brought to mind an incident from my early days at Berkeley Street. A young, recently joined employee (not me!) received a dressing down after twice putting the phone down when a caller announced they were from the House of Commons. He couldn't believe we'd have a branch there, and thought they were hoax calls! We're also pleased to include shots from get togethers in the Southern and Midlands regions. Many thanks to Anne Connor and Ian Blackband for organising these. Hope all went well, they certainly look as if they're enjoying themselves. In our last edition we touched on the freezing weather, the "Beast from the East" and the like, little realising the contrast we'd experience during the summer. I suspect it brought memories of "the long hot summer" of 1976 to many of you. I spent a few days in July in Finland where, incredibly, it was even hotter than here! Long days at that time of year mean there's less time for temperatures to fall overnight, and I was experiencing a searing 34c despite being on the same latitude as the Shetlands. Best wishes Philip
Inside this edition
Diary Dates 2
William Charles Parker 3
Maggie Hannant 3
Thomas Cook South 4
House / Pet Sitting 5
John Francis reminisces 6
Midland Region Lunch 9
Staff Discounts 9
Georgetown Loop Railroad 10
In Memoriam 12
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Diary Dates
Scotland Region Coffee Morning first Thursday of every month
10.30am-12.30pm
Bill’s Restaurant, 22/24 West Nile Street, Glasgow,
G1 2PW.
Everyone is welcome including any members
visiting Scotland
Contact: Doreen Kingsbury 0141 237 1943
Email: [email protected]
Southern Region Contact: Anne Connor for any future activities.
Email: [email protected]
Thomas Cook Pensioners Association Annual General Meeting and Lunch Monday 26 November 2018
Venue: Masonic Centre, Peterborough.
Details below.
If you currently receive your copy via our website and you change your email address please let the Membership Secretary know at: [email protected] as we notify you by email when the Bulletin is available online. If you currently receive the Bulletin in hard copy but are able to receive future copies of the Bulletin online to help save on our postage costs, please let the Membership Secretary know your email address and you will be advised when the next edition is available. The next Bulletin - Spring / Summer 2019 - will be published in April 2019 (closing date for copy 30 March 2019). Hope you like the new look Bulletin. (Ed). BREAKING NEWS: For Peterborough based Pensioners the FE Bureau in Sainsbury’s at Bretton is now closed, (Sainsbury’s has opened it’s own bureau). Staff wishing to obtain currency can use either Hampton or Queensgate branches. Thomas Cook in Bretton can still take staff bookings as normal.
The Thomas Cook Pensioners Association AGM and Eastern Region Annual Lunch
This will be held on Monday 26 November 2018. If you attended last year you will receive an
invitation in this edition of the Bulletin, (for those that receive the Bulletin via email a separate
invitation will come by post). We will endeavour to contact all pensioners within a 50 mile
radius of Peterborough, however if you wish to join us and haven’t received an invitation by
Friday 26 October, please contact the Editor via email: [email protected]. Or by
telephone: 01778 394089 (answerphone available).
If you wish to add an item to the AGM Agenda for discussion please email the Secretary:
Middx, Herts, Beds, Berks, Bucks Region Lunch: All dates are on Wednesdays
14 Nov, 9 Jan, 13 Mar, 8 May, 10 July,
11 Sept, 13 Nov, 8 Jan 2020.
Venue: The Orchard, Ickenham Road, Ruislip,
HA4 7DR 11.30am for 12.00.
Contact: Marion Parry: 01920 466924
Email: [email protected]
Please let Marion know by the previous Sunday if
you are attending so numbers can be confirmed.
Eastern Region Coffee Morning first Monday in
the month 10.30am
Venue: Van Hage Garden Centre, Eye,
Peterborough PE1 4YZ.
Contact: Christine Philips: 07757 423905
Email: [email protected]
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William Parker DFM by Bob Parker
Subject: My Father - The Late William 'Charles' Parker DFM It is with great sadness that I write to advise the passing of my Father, a Thomas Cook pensioner of many years standing. Dad passed away on March 30th shortly after receiving the last sacrament. He was in his 95th year and had been bravely suffering with Vascular Dementia for a number of years, supported by his family he was able to live in his own home till August of last year when all had to accept that he needed full time care. Charles as he was known to all, was branch manger at the Marble Arch Hotel, Selfridges, Transport Officer at the House of Commons, finishing his long service with Thomas Cook at the Norwich Office. Cooks changed greatly during his service, and through many educational trips nourished his love of travel, something I have inherited from him. A member of The RAF's Pathfinder Force (128 & 163 Squadrons) during WW2, Dad flew 50 operations over Germany (half to the heavily defended city of Berlin) when the average life expectancy was 25 operations, receiving the Distinguished Flying Medal for his efforts. His funeral was honoured with visitors from RAF Marham and RAF Wyton (his wartime base) his coffin was draped in the RAF ensign and attended by a standard bearer. He is very greatly missed by myself, my brothers and all his family and friends.
My god-mother, Margaret Hannant, worked for Thomas Cook from 1956 to 1987! She started at the Berkeley Street office, moved onto Cheapside and then spent twenty very happy years at the House of Commons. I have always enjoyed hearing about her travels and the super time she had with Thomas Cook. On her retirement she was quite actively involved with the Pensioners Association and was representative of the Southwest region from 2002 to 2012.
Maggie has been in a care home since 2014 - following a fall in her home, shortly after surgery for breast cancer - that also coincided with the death of her husband. She has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and vascular dementia in the intervening years and has had to move into a nursing home now. She sadly doesn't know me now - but remains comfortable and always greets me with a lovely smile ! I have recently found some of her files from her time as South West rep - some old copies of the magazine and minutes from meetings. (Sarah has very kindly passed her files to the Association and they make very interesting reading. The first article from “Maggie’s” archives is on page 4. Ed).
Margaret Hannant by Sarah Tripp
This photo of Margaret Hannant nee Ward appeared in the House of Commons inhouse magazine of January 1977.
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Maggie Hannant
House of Commons Branch
Margaret was appointed Manager of the Thomas Cook office in the House of Commons in June 1974 having been there since February 1957.
The following has been reproduced from an article Margaret supplied to Thomas
Cook Publishing in June 1999.
In 1939 at the outbreak of war Thomas Cook were requested to arrange British travel for Members of Parliament.
In 1941 the House of Commons invited Thomas Cook to have a permanent
representative on two or three occasions a week. Thus the office actually started with one person (John Buchanan) a table and chair in the Central Lobby of the House
of Commons.
This was not officially known as a Thomas Cook office. It was the Transport Office, House of Commons and the Manager’s title was Transport Officer. Thomas Cook
were asked to continue this service after the year.
It was not until the early 1980’s that it became a Thomas Cook Branch with the customary logo and the Transport Officer became the Branch Manager.
John Buchanan retired in 1957 and Victor Thornton replaced him, and developed the
volume of business to include European and Overseas travel.
The members (both Houses—Commons and Lords) Officers and officials were now going on Parliamentary Delegations and business abroad, to the usual forums viz—
Nato meetings, EEC meetings, IPU Conferences, Speakers Conferences and similar.
In the late 70’s Foreign Exchange was introduced.
Also we would arrange the Leader of the Opposition’s travel arrangements, Ministerial travel e.g. Environment, Health and Social Security, Scottish Office and
Agriculture. The Committees of the House e.g. Foreign Affairs and Home Office. When Prime Ministers travelled by British Rail, this would also be our responsibility.
We were fully occupied throughout the year. Many of the major conferences would
be during our recess, particularly in the summer. There was an exciting atmosphere, and to receive the thanks and appreciation from Harold Wilson, Tony Benn and Sir
Keith Joseph and many others was most rewarding. The members were friendly and always considerate.
Those who over the years worked in the Office were most fortunate in that they met
leading politicians, Hansard representatives, the Press and other influential persons, and were able to discuss, plan and arrange their travel requests.
More memories to follow in the Spring / Summer edition of 2019.
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Thomas Cook South - Pensioners Lunch from Anne Connor
We were blessed with a beautiful day and 23 attendees at Bartley Lodge in July. Colleagues, partners and family gathered for another delicious lunch in the New Forest. There was lots of chatter and reminiscing going on and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
This time we thought we would capture the moment with a photo. If you would like to attend any future lunches Anne can be contacted via email: anne.connor777@googlemail
Do you have a story to tell? Many thanks to Ian Blackband, John Francis, Jill Lomer and Sarah Tripp, for their contributions to this edition. Do you have memories of an enjoyable time with Thomas Cook or a happy time spent on holiday. Do you have a story to tell? We would love to hear about your exploits with Thomas Cook. Any odd experiences. Did you get something wrong and and got told off by head office. Have you a story about a difficult customer - we promise to change the names to protect the guilty! Supporting photographs are also very welcome but should be sent as JPG ’s and at least 300ppi (pixels per inch). If possible send these via email to: [email protected].
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The joys of Pet / House sitting by Jill Lomer
Since I retired from full time employment 11 years ago I have found a new
'occupation'. Whilst still working I read a magazine article about petsitting/housesitting where it said that only older people need apply and they were
particularly looking for retired, professional people over 48 so I would qualify.
I started with an agency in 2007 who asked how often I would like to petsit as many people only want to do it two or three times a year but at that time I said I would do
it as often as they wanted me as I had no commitments. The agency usually offer housesits
within a 50 mile radius of where you live but as I have family in Surrey I said I would be happy to go further
than the 50 mile limit. Initially you go for an interview with the potential clients to see if you like the animals
and the house where you are going to stay and also the clients like you! So over the years I have looked
after many dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, goldfish, parrots and even tarantulas! I have stayed in many
houses of various sizes and ages from a Tudor Manor House in Suffolk to a modern semi-detached bungalow
in Bourn, Cambridgeshire and everything in between. In Surrey I have looked after dogs and cats in three
houses with swimming pools and have also stayed in people's 'holiday homes' on the North Norfolk coast.
It's a great way to see different parts of the country.
The agency's terms are that you can go out for three hour periods whilst you are housesitting so it gives
you a chance to explore places of interest nearby.
Also it's the joy of looking after animals without the costs of having one i.e. the vet bills, the food bills
and the insurance.
The pay isn't substantial but it is like having a paid holiday doing something that for me is very
enjoyable and of course I do save on some of my household bills like the gas, electricity and the water
when I am away which is probably about a dozen housesits a year although a lot of these are repeat clients.
As well as single people my agency has many married couples on its books who
obviously housesit together although only one of you gets paid.
For me it's been a wonderful experience and I hope to continue doing it for as long as I can.
Anyone for 'walkies'???
Indy and Coco
Fluffle
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John Francis reminisces
The back page of the Bulletin always brings back memories of working with those who
are no longer with us. A particular person this time was John Lyes. I had known John for some time but it was not until I was appointed Branch Manager
at Gracechurch Street in the City where he was Chief Clerk that I got to really know him. As well as being very popular with customers and all the staff it was a pleasure
to work with such a hard working person. I emphasise hard working as there was a side to his working day which many people would not have known about. Let me
explain how I learned about it. One day a passenger (we called them passengers in those days, not clients) came into the branch and asked for John. When a fellow staff
member asked if he could help, the man said “I have called to collect my tomatoes!” I subsequently learned from John that as well as working for Thomas Cook all day in
the City he also had a smallholding at his home in Hamstreet near Ashford in Kent which he tended before going to London in the morning and again in the evening
when he got home. As a result his working day was a long one. He would normally get up at five in the morning, do some work outside before cycling five miles into
Ashford to catch the train to London just after 7am. After a day’s work he did the same journey in reverse arriving back home about half past seven in the evening. As
to the tomatoes and other seasonal crops he brought these with him to London and sold them to his regulars. Another line he had was to breed turkeys which you had to
order in advance and John would have them ready for collection from the office just before Christmas. How different life was in Thomas Cook in those long gone days.
Such happenings now would breach not only company rules, but the Health and Safety people would have a field day. Yes, John was a very hard worker in more ways
than one, and as a reward for both his wife and himself they always had a P & O cruise each year, no doubt to have a well earned rest.
John sent me this photo—He wrote on the
reverse saying Salamanca June 1995
(despite arthritis)
Reading Ian Yearsley’s article on the life and work of the late John Price brought
back many memories as I got to know John very well over the years. As well as
the often daily contact through work I too have always had a lifelong interest in
railways, buses and trams. Having said that John was far more knowledgeable
than I ever will be. I remember he arranged a trip on the Brighton Belle for
railway club members which was well supported.
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I found Philip Odell’s article on the CTT of great interest, particularly so as I have always been fascinated by timetables and still collect older editions whenever
possible. The oldest I have is for December 1947, it is a Post Order Department copy and was the one my father used as he was in that department
John Francis reminisces continued
Selling holiday insurance in the 60s and 70s usually meant the issue of a series 85a. I recently found one that I had kept. It is a rare specimen as it has no serial number.
Power of Attorney—Claim a Refund (Full details on the website below).
Power of Attorneys done between 2013 an 2017 are eligible for a rebate
see https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney-refund
You can get part of your application fee back if you applied to register a power of
attorney from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2017.
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Midlands Region Lunch—Ian Blackband
Attached are some photographs taken at our Christmas Fayre Lunch last December,
courtesy of Michael Allsop, (arrived after publication of Winter Bulletin. Ed).
L to R Michael Allsop, Orlando & Wendy
Agius, Stafford Garthwaite Peter Reay Ian and Patricia Blackband
David Halmshaw, Bill Cornes and friend Peter Reay and Michael Allsop
STAFF DISCOUNTS—(This is subject to review) If you are based in Peterborough please make your booking through Thomas Cook travel shop c/o Sainsbury, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 8DA. Their telephone number is 01733 669153, email: [email protected]. For retired staff not living in the Peterborough area, your local Thomas Cook shop should be able to offer you a discount. There is a budget code that the store can debit for any retired staff discount given, this code is 4081. Please advise the store of this code if they are unsure of the process. If you are still having problems with your local store, or prefer to book by phone with a store that is happy to give you the best discount possible, the Sainsbury Bretton store mentioned above is happy to take bookings from all retired staff members regardless of where you live. The amount of discount will be confirmed at time of asking depending on what is being booked.
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Georgetown Loop Railroad by Ian Blackband
Colorado is home to seven of the finest scenic railroads in the USA. They range from narrow gauge steam trains that traverse the Rocky Mountains to classic luxury liners
of the 1950s era. I’m no railway buff, and nowadays I ride the rails strictly for pleasure, as a tourist with camera in hand, but you can be sure of one thing, they will
each evoke memories of bygone times, and provide a little taste of Colorado history, heritage and stunning scenery.
It was not so long ago that, my wife and I enjoyed travelling on the impressive
Durango to Silverton Railroad, and I suppose that exhilarating experience was in our minds when, on a very hot Colorado July day in 2017, we decided to visit the
Georgetown Loop Historic Mining and Railroad Park.
Situated some 45 miles west of the State Capital Denver, Georgetown lies hemmed
in by the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of 8530 feet above sea level. Established
around 1859, the town quickly became a thriving centre of commerce and
entertainment for the prospectors and workers of the silver mining industry in the
nearby mountains. Rapid growth and prosperity followed, and Georgetown soon
became known as the “Silver Queen of Colorado”.
Originally a subsidiary of the Union Pacific
to serve the region’s booming mining industry, the construction of a narrow gauge railway in 1870, further enhanced the importance of the town. Following the
bankruptcy of Union Pacific in 1893, the line was operated by the Colorado and Southern Railroad, but the years that followed the
turn of the century, witnessed the continual decline and subsequent collapse of the mining industry,
which culminated in the abandonment of the railroad in 1938.
As a consequence, over the years the population
of Georgetown dwindled and much of the rail track was eventually removed. Today, the small section
that remains between the towns of Silver Plume and Georgetown, has been painstakingly restored
by the Colorado Historic Society. The two towns lie only two miles apart in a steep, narrow mountain
canyon and are connected by a 4.5 mile, 3-foot narrow gauge rail track, which ascends 640 feet
and incorporates grades of up to 4%, horseshoe curves, large cuts, and trestle bridges, along a
corkscrew route of impressive engineering and spectacular scenery.
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We boarded our train at Silver Plume, and
because of the extreme heat of the day, elected to sit in the fully enclosed first class
Parlor Car, with light refreshments included, rather than the bench seats of an open
gondola. The more adventurous can enhance their train experience, by taking one of three
optional walking tours of either a gold or silver mine. These trips go underground and
involve walking on uneven surfaces, so they are not recommended for people with
impaired mobility, and no longer being as agile as once we were, we decided a tour was
not for us.
For the aficionado, the reference books tell us that, our locomotive number 111, was built in
1926 for the International Railway of Central
America in El Salvador. It was later
returned to the USA and was put on display at Breckenridge, a well known
Colorado ski resort, until being moved to Silver Plume where it was
rebuilt. It has been used on the Loop since 2016.
As the locomotive slowly chugged its way up the canyon, we passed what
remains of the gold and silver mines, and with our car allowing
unobstructed views along the line, we were provided with ample
opportunities to take those precious photographs.
Although, the trip is relatively short,
approximately one hour and fifteen minutes, the Georgetown Loop
Railroad nonetheless proved to be a fun day out, a thrilling experience
and, with the help of those photographs, a visit that will live in
the memory.
Georgetown Loop Railroad by Ian Blackband
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January 2018 8th Valerie Ann Frost Bath 79 February 22nd Janice Ella Mills Carmarthen 76 March 20th John Michael Beard West Yorkshire 80 31st William Charles Parker Norfolk 94 31st Madge Elaine Wilson Kent 95 31st Lisa Hallam London 90 April 16th Dorothy Setchfield Peterborough 87 24th Muriel Barker Carlisle 83 May 20th Lily Joan Payne Sidmouth, Devon 95 June 2nd Veronica Evans Keighley 89 4th Edna May Dorothy Hodge Torquay, Devon 93 5th Peter William Dowse Bourne, Lincolnshire 68 8th Tina Welch Farnborough 63 9th Sean Creak Devon 73 10th David Cecil Woodcock Grimsby 72 22nd Eric Charles Miller Benfleet, Essex 90 25th Joan Elizabeth Drake Worthing 88 July 4th Edna Grindrod Leeds 92 7th Dennis Victor Wright March, Cambridgeshire 89 14th Antony Paul Smith Peterborough 52 18th Naasa Dedes Chesham, Buckinghamshire 78 22nd Honor Joan Cowell Victoria, Australia 98 24th Edward Albert Saunders London 92 26th Timothy John Cook Hastings, East Sussex 75 Aug 2nd Marjorie Adina Cunningham Bangor 91 7th Robert Donald Orwin Whittlesey, Cambridgeshire 89 23rd Linda Chumbley Stevenage, Hertfordshire 66 24th Antony William Sweeney Co. Westmeath 88 26th Donald Ivor Kellas Peterborough 84 26th Doreen Davies Leeds 90 Sept 17th Marion Raeside McCrae Peterborough 94 25th Audrey Beryl Holmes Bath 87
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