Life Stories

Jonothan hunt

GeorGina WeStLake

GeorGina WeStLake

Life Stories

as told to and written by

Jonothan hunt

Georgina Westlake, April 2016

from

GeorGina WeStLake

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Contents

About: Bridging Ages-----------------------page 7

About: The Biography Project-------------page 11

Chapter 1: Early Years------------------------page 17

Chapter 2: Teacher Training------------------page 25

Chapter 3: Life In The Army Part I------------page 31

Chapter 4: Life In The Army Part II-----------page 37

Chapter 5: Life In The Army Part III-----------page 47

Epilogue------------------------page 55

Jonothan Hunt Bio-----------page 59

The Biography Project: Stories from Georgina WestlakeAs told to and written by Jonothan Hunt

Author: Jonothan HuntDesign: Hannah FinchamPrinted and published by: epubli GmbH, BerlinCopyright: © 2016 Bridging Ages, CIC

Bridging Ages, CIC develops programs to encourage social contact between the elderly and youth. We are based in Sussex, UK.www.bridgingages.co.uk

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Bridging Ages

Bridging Ages is a community interest company formed in 2014. Our mission is to develop social contact between generations in the belief that these relationships are mutually beneficial for the individuals and fundamental to a healthy society.

Increasingly today, the generations are isolated from each other. Young people have little interaction with the older generation. They may not live near grandparents or extended family members and visits are often infrequent. More and more older people live in retirement flats or care homes and so there are few opportunities for the two generations

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to meet. This can lead to ageist attitudes in the young and its subsequent negative effects on the older members of society. Both also lose the opportunity to have a rich intergenerational relationship that can be of benefit to their development or quality of life.

A relationship with an older person can provide a young person with a link with the historical narrative of our country. The government has identified that this link may strengthen a young person’s sense of citizenship and commitment to future civic engagement. As it is possible to vote at the age of eighteen, this is especially relevant for students today. Interactions with older residents can also contribute to a student’s social maturity. Exposure to the issues associated with ageing develops a student’s empathy, patience, compassion, and an enduring consideration for the elderly.

Across cultures, older people have played a vital role in guiding the young. An older person’s life stories provide living history and can help a young person gain perspective. Wisdom is passed along and the circle of life is revealed through experiences and reflections. In the absence of intergenerational contact, older people cannot fulfill this valuable role.

Loneliness in the older generation has been identified as a major issue in our society. It has a negative impact on a person’s mental and physical well-being. Isolation can often prevent a person from accessing the services they may need and additionally contribute to deterioration in quality of life. A relationship with a young person can ease loneliness. The vitality of youth is reviving. The anticipation of a visit gives purpose to a week. If the listener is respectful, the speaker feels valued. Anticipation, stimulation, and appreciation repel loneliness and can be provided by a connection with a young person.

Bridging Ages is committed to integrating young and old. Both benefit from the experience and its effects are positive for society as a whole. Intergenerational relationships develop mutual respect and give both parties a sense of community and shared humanity.

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The Biography Project

The Biography Project was first developed in 2014 in Forest Row, East Sussex. The programme’s objective is to create meaningful social contact between generations.

In four training sessions, students learn about ageism and its negative affects on those who are older. They learn about the physical and sensory decline associated with ageing and how to adapt their behaviour to accommodate an older person’s limitations. They also receive training on interview and writing techniques, safeguarding and emergency procedures and are provided with an Interview Workbook created by Bridging Ages.

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Older participants are referred to us by other Forest Row community groups. Bridging Ages meets with them individually to evaluate their suitability for the project. We aim to work with 75+ years old, independently living individuals. Participants sign the project agreement that includes our code of conduct and safeguarding policy. Each participant is paired with a student and both parties are given a short printed biography of the other.

The students visit their partner in their homes 6 - 8 times over 2 months. The workbook is used to stimulate memories, reflection, and discussion. At the conclusion of the visits, the students have roughly 10 weeks to write their book and a draft is given to the older participants for review. These are then formatted by Bridging Ages and professionally printed. The students present the books to the older participants at a public celebration attended by family and friends.

The Biography Project books are not strictly biographies. They reveal the characters of both the student and older person with a subtle alchemy. For the student, the books represent meeting a difficult social and scholastic challenge and taking civic responsibility. For the older person, they give honour for a life lived and are a valuable

historical and family document. For all participants and as an objective of the Bridging Ages project, the book’s importance lies in the process of creation and the new relationships developed between generations.

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StoriesFrom Georgina Westlake

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Early Years

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I was born in Felpham in 1935 to my parents Gwendoline and Arthur Ewart. I don’t remember much from this time until I was about 5, but from my father’s records, I do know that on the 6th May 1938, we moved to a house on Clifton Road, Parkstone. My memories really begin at my third house in Bournemouth, which we moved into, just four months later on the 21st of September. We lived there until I was 11. I went to nursery and then started school and attended dancing lessons as well.

The war broke out, so in 1943, I was sent to a boarding school in Wales. I remember carrying my Gas mask and trunk onto the train with half

“I remember that our sweet allowance for one week was two ounces. I would always buy the two ounce Fry’s chocolate bar!”

1Early Years

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Georgina Westlake

Early Years

a dozen other kids and our teacher. We would all go home for holidays and I remember telling my parents about the big bath in the boarding house which we called Atlantic; it was set in wood and you had to walk up stairs to get in it! In the evening there were only paraffin lamps for light. We would also collect strips of a tin-foil ribbons which were dropped by German planes to put of English Radar. That was very exciting!

Of course, because of the war, we had rations that governed the amount of food we could buy. I remember that our sweet allowance for one week was two ounces. I would always buy the 2 ounce Fry’s chocolate bar! It was very good; It had this lovely white, creamy inside. It’s funny the things you remember! But the chocolate bar was not the only sweet I would get; I had a pen-friend in Canada who would send me many more sweets in parcels. Other than the sweets which I loved and looked forward to each week, the food was not so nice; an example of this, is the bright, bright yellow scrambled egg fused somehow together from the powder that made it up – but we were still healthy and in those harder times, you just ate everything, whether you liked it or not. Another rather amusing memory is when my father was brought to court over the buying of illegal clothing coupons!

Me with my parents

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Me and my friends at boarding school in Wales

Early Years

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I remember having measles which meant I missed the celebrations for VJ day when England and other allied nations celebrated after Japan surrendered after almost six years of war.

On the 29th February 1946 we went back to Felpham, but this time to a different house. We moved so often as my father was in stocks and shares and looking at his records, it’s rather amusing to see that this house cost only £4500!

I was 13 years old when we moved to a rather nice house in West Worthing after my father made a profit on the last house, selling it for a healthy £6850. Here we were quite close the beach to which there was a lovely little road that a few friends and I would often go down. We then went on to live in three houses in Hove, one of which was part of the Albany Villas collection.

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Teacher Training

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I’ve taught in many schools during my life and Maria Grey teacher training college is what started it all. At the college, you had to learn something for your own benefit too. I chose the violin as I was already playing the piano. I completed a 3 year training there as opposed to a two year one which meant you had higher pay to start off with. Then I went back home to my parents. In September 1956, I started teaching at Hurstpierpoint primary school with my salary of £45 per month, £2 of which I gave my father each week. I taught music for the whole school and also had my own a class of second year juniors. I remember I entered the school into the annual East Sussex schools music festival.

“I was interviewed by a London reporter who asked me what I thought about the rumours that Jack was to propose to me, to which I replied ‘That’s news to me!’”

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Georgina Westlake

It was in 1959 that I met Jack. My incredible husband. I remember that night we met in the Coffee Pot club and then afterwards me driving with him and his friend, tearing through the streets (and red lights) in his car! I was surprised the morning after, to see him at the bus stop at St. Peters in Brighton ready to take me to work! We got to know each other better and soon enough our romance blossomed. It wasn’t long after, though, that Jack went to Germany with the army.

In July, he came back for the air races to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft. Jack was selected by the Royal Signals to be a competitor and I was allowed off school duty to meet him at Marble Arch. While I was there, I was interviewed by a London reporter who asked me what I thought about the rumours that Jack was to propose to me, to which I replied “That’s news to me!”

A few weeks after that, we got engaged and then later that year Jack went back to Germany and I went to America. I travelled with the family to New York. We went first class on the old Queen Elizabeth. I worked for Giles and Emily Mills as a governess for their children; Carola who was 10 and Hallam, who was 8. I worked for them for a year and didn’t see Jack for six months after that.

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First class on the Queen elizabeth

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Teacher Training

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Life In The Army Part I

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In July 1959, we got engaged and then on April 20th, 1960, we married. We started our honeymoon at the Spread Eagle Hotel in Midhurst and then went to North Wales. After our honeymoon, I took a plane to Belfast to finish my job and soon after that joined Jack in Catterick where in July he joined the School of Signals there and we lived in our first army quarter: No. 5, Harley Crescent. I got a job at Richmond Methodist primary school where I taught 8 year old children and once again was head music teacher for the school. Jack and I adopted a spaniel and got a kitten.

“I saved up and bought Jack a lovely pair of gold cufflinks for £7.00!”

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Signals Squadron. On March 22nd 1964 Timothy was born. In July Jack’s mother stayed over for 2 weeks to look after the kids and we had our first holiday alone together, which we spent in Austria. Jack was selected to go to Staff College. He went off for three months to Shrivenham and was only back weekends to help me with the three children!

Next in 1965, we moved to Kings Ride, Camberley into a very nice semi-detached army quarter. We stayed there for a year while Jack was at Staff College. Next, we moved to a house in Caterham and Jack commuted to London each day. I wasn’t so fond of this quarter with its un-matching curtains and wallpaper, but we did acquire a rabbit who we called Peter after Beatrix Potter’s tales.

Once again, I became a music teacher at the local school. The boys were two, two and a half and three and a half at this point- and what a bundle they were! It wasn’t soon however, before we were sent back to Colchester where Jack commanded 19 Brigade Signals Squadron. Here, I joined the church choir. Son four was born on 29 October, 1969, which was a bit of a surprise! In September that year, we also sent Martin to boarding school.

While he did that, I took up the job as a part time teacher in 1965 where I saved up and bought Jack a lovely pair of gold cufflinks for £7.00!

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In 1961 we moved to Blandford where I became pregnant with our first son. Martin was born on the 20th October, 1961. At the time, Jack was a captain at the Royal Signals HQ.

A year later, we moved to a rented house in Torquay. Here, for the first time in my life, I got my own washing machine. But that wasn’t all! We also bought a double bed with no legs. We compensated by using bricks. I became pregnant with my second son Hugh. Also while we were here, Jack helped manage Ten Tors which is a hiking competition for sixth formers together with his colleague at the Royal Signals Junior Leaders Regt. Denbury.

Every day as Jack drove to work, he went past a collection of houses he liked the look of. One day, he went to an estate agent and there was a lovely house with a large garden available to rent in East Ogwell. We took a liking to it and so we moved in.

It was 1963. In January the snow came, which meant the water mains froze. And let me tell you, water looks a lot bigger as snow. It’s quarter the size as a cup of tea! Even the bath had to be reused and so eventually, I moved out for a while until things cleared up a little.

In the autumn, we moved to another army quarter in Colchester. It was like going home again. Jack was now second in command of 19 brigade

Life In The Army Part I

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Life In The Army Part II

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I have been talking to Mrs.Westlake for 5 weeks now. It’s truly amazing to hear about all these incredible things that she has done. With them, I have experienced a brilliant personality and all the little extras like the HP sauce ad from back then sung out for me “Di-di-di-dit-di-da-da-dit”. I have also enjoyed a range of confectionery and my favourite ginger tea each time I come round! Last week, she showed me a gas mask that her husband used to wear during the war and I have been shown so many incredible photos of all the places that she and

“A big wagon stopped suddenly as they were going and they hit it, smashing their windscreen. On the bright side, however, they found the rest of the cars – at a ‘for sale’ lot!”

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Georgina Westlake

Jack went to and lived! One particular one, is a picture of them playing golf in the desert, which is rather comical as you cannot imagine how someone could possibly have anything to aim towards!Mrs. Westlake’s grandfather designed one of the first cars in Britain and it is magical to see pictures of her in it then, as a little girl and her in it. In 1996 she was invited to be in it to take part in the centenary of the London to Brighton veteran car run.

Jack was posted to Minden in Germany the next February. I didn’t follow until Easter, before which I was living with my father in Hove in 1970. At the end of 1970, Jack was promoted to Lt. Col. And we were posted to Camberley. At the end of 1972, Jack took command of 4 Div. HQ & Sig. Regt. In Germany where we stayed until October 1976.

In 1976 we left Germany and set ourselves up in Kingston and Jack went back to work at the MoD (Ministry of Defence).

We found a house to buy in Chipstead near Sevenoaks. Andrew went to a local school up the road for two terms before we moved him to Kent College boarding school with his brothers. That summer we took our car with our boat on top on

Life In The Army Part II

We were excited to be in the car!

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holiday to Scotland. We left at 3am. That evening Jack said yes to the invitation from the army to go to Nigeria, which we’d been talking over on the way.

Jack left for Nigeria in the Autumn. He came back for Christmas and we had a wonderful time – Jack always loved the festivities! Then after christmas he went back. I soon followed him and said a fond farewell to our dog and left him with friends in Worthing. The kids were all at boarding school. I took the plane to Kano where I met Jack. We stayed a night in a nice hotel there before we drove to Kaduna. We didn’t have our own car as it had been shipped to Lagos.

At the time, Nigeria was under military rule. We were only the second team to go there, so no one had been to collect their cars yet and as we couldn’t drive, Jack decided to fly. He also decided that I should come which came as a shock to the others who said “You’re taking Georgina with you?!”

Down to Lagos we flew. There we stayed with someone called Mr. Lamble. The first morning there, the chaps went off to find the cars. Funnily enough, there was a law that banned cars with odd/even number plates from driving on some days. That day, they only found four out of the six cars. The search was continued, however, but one of our friends got arrested for having the wrong number plate.

Life In The Army Part II

this was our house in nigeria

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nets weren’t very good, however, as they had holes all over them!

Soon enough, we got home again, where we had the car repaired.

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The next day they were on their way again in our minibus. I heard later that a big wagon stopped suddenly as they were going and they hit it, smashing their windscreen. On the bright side, however, they found the rest of the cars – at a ‘for sale’ lot! While they were finding the cars, I was kindly shown around the place by a woman I met on our flight down. When the chaps came back, I asked our friend Arnold if we could go to Bar Beach to which he replied “I’m not driving anywhere until we leave this place! I’ve been arrested once already”.

The next day we set off in convoy to drive back to Kaduna which was at least 600 kilometres away – without a windscreen! I sat in the first bench seat, looking out for anything troublesome as we made our way. Jack drove in uniform with his cap and a turban around his head. At one point we nearly ended up in a hedge after a vehicle came hurtling towards us on a narrow road! We stopped on the way to buy fruit which was grown in this small area and that was really special. We did eventually get to our first town stop, Ilorin which that night had the head of state visiting which meant there weren’t any free rooms, however Jack found a Military Policemen who took us to the brigade guesthouse. We were given a VIP suite and mosquito nets to sleep beneath. The mosquito

Life In The Army Part II

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Life In The Army Part III

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The boys came out for the Easter and Summer holidays, which was really wonderful. I also took them back to England during the summer and spent some time back in the colder climate.

In Nigeria, if you wanted soft drinks, you had to collect two-dozen bottles and have them filled up, so that is what we did, and they were a real treat!

I taught in two schools, one of which was International and one of which was Nigerian. I really loved teaching there. The children were very fond of learning, and we got on very well.

For nine months no one had electricity

“Before we left, I went to an Arabic language school for a week and somehow mastered the Arabic alphabet”

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except for us; we were given generators for refrigerators. We spared some space for the others to use. We had a houseboy called Ferdinand, who was around 18, black as the ace of spades! He loved the children. We got on very well.

By now Nigeria had become civilian ruled. I remember a very funny day – three of us were butchering some meat we had bought and who went past the window – but Ya-ya, one of our servants with Jack’s old M&S bottoms that had been thrown away on!

Our time in Nigeria came to an end in 1980 after a wonderful 2 years there. We went back to England and moved into our house in Chipstead. I had got quite into golf in Nigeria, so I started again at Woodland Manor.

Martin and Hugh were now at University and Timothy was still finishing school.

In 1985 we leapt at the opportunity to go to Saudi Arabia for Jack to manage a communications project with the Saudi Arabian National Guard as a brigadier. We were both very excited and ready to be off again on a new adventure. Before we left, I went to an Arabic language school for a week and somehow mastered the Arabic alphabet. Jack went off to Saudi early. I got Andrew to school (the others were all at Uni).

We had a rather large house there with three servants: a cook, a houseboy and a driver, as

Life In The Army Part III

the choir from army Command Children’s School, kaduna 1979

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I couldn’t drive there. We played lots of golf and tennis. I gave piano lessons too.

We were rather lucky because we were attached to the embassy and had passports that allowed us to freely move between different countries. We traveled widely around the Kingdom, seeing some incredible locations and sites. We went and camped in the desert quite often and we would play golf and do some incredible walks together. We made several big expeditions. Our Thursdays and Fridays were our weekend there and so we did golf on Thursdays and on Fridays we made our expeditions.

We moved back to England in 1989. Jack was looking for a job for a while and at last he found one at the RSPCA in Croydon in January 1990. We also found the house I live in now, in Forest Row. As we couldn’t sell the one in Chipstead, we came here for weekends. We moved in permanently in November 1991.

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Life In The Army Part III

Winter wear: Camping in Saudi arabia

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Epilogue

Epilogue

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It’s been awhile since we made our move to Forest Row. We’ve really enjoyed our garden next to our beautiful house. I still play golf and very much enjoy walking the dog around our beautiful countryside.

Until recently I gave piano lessons here to a collection of pupils from the surrounding area and I also ran the junior music club at church. I shared the organ playing at the church for 18 months too. I really love the community here and I’m still very much involved with music at the church.

As of 2016, my sons live in Jakarta, Houston, Manchester and Athens. I try to visit them as much as I can!

“Before we left, I went to an Arabic language school for a week and somehow mastered the Arabic alphabet”

Epilogue

Epilogue

the family in 1985: our silver wedding anniversary

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Jonothan Hunt,April, 2016

It’s 17 years now that I have lived within East Sussex. At the moment I live with my parents and three younger siblings in Forest Row. The village is very diverse in many different ways – especially people-wise; as much as there is an abundant younger population flourishing here, there is also an ageing one. I have always been interested in our past and there could never be a better way to learn about it then to talk to those who have experienced it.

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