Peter

Male

London

United Kingdom

Comment Wall:

  • Hugh

    Hi Peter, welcome to the site. I hope you find it useful. Let me know if you have any questions.
    Hugh
  • Meryl O'Neal

    Peter, sorry I did not know anyone on Chesterfield. When I was there I lived on Stanhope Gardens.
  • Anette

    Hi Peter, thanks for letting me know re cattery, most useful!

  • tanya batstone

    Hi, just by chance I saw a message on the internet from 2014. I am the Shirley Woodhouse you were looking for. I have just joined this otherwise my message would not get to you. What next?

  • tanya batstone

    Hi again, not sure if you got my first message, a bit difficult finding my way around this. Just to let you know if you are still interested in the Woodhouses and their time at 57, Chesterfield Gdns. Will be pleased to answer any questions you may have, best regards, Shirley. (might sound a bit odd as i changed my name to Tanya many years ago)

  • ROY BOWKER

    Hi Peter, Sorry don't think I can help with your collecting info on Chesterfield Gardens. The only person I remember well is Brian Wikinson. However will maybe think of more at another time, as things do come into my mind at various times.

    Please reply if you have anything that may jog my brain cells"

     Cheers Roy.

  • tanya batstone

    Hi Peter, just seen your message. Yes I am happy to give you some info about me and Valerie. I will send you some info tomorrow and hope you wont find it too boring, best regards, Tanya

  • tanya batstone

    Hi again Peter, Shirley(Tanya) here. Some gen on my family at 57---they moved in around 1940,my grandparents lived upstairs till they died. Valerie was born in 1941 at St Ann's hospital, I was born at home in 1947. My dad left home in 1956 and we didn't see much of him after that. After various jobs Valerie settled into working for the tax office in Tottenham for many years. I married in 1968 and went to live in Iraq for over 30 years. Valerie moved into farming with her partner in the late 1980s up in Buckie, Aberdeenshire. Due to ill health mum moved up to Buckie with Val and she died in 2007. Valerie also became rather frail and she sadly dies in 2011. I hope these dates are correct as they are all coming off the top of my head at the moment, I might be out be a year or two!!

    This is a very brief account and if you want any other info please just ask

    best regards, Tanya (I changed my name from Shirley many years ago and took Batstone which was my grandmothers maiden name when I returned to UK and got divorced.

  • tanya batstone

    Hi Peter, sorry i havent replied I have been so busy. I'm ok with our communication  (actually I am not sure how to do the private one!!!) but this is fine . I was quite taken aback with the info about Valerie. It was such a terrible shock that after all those years of waiting and campaigning to find out about her son that she discovered he had died in an accident. I will contact you again tonight with some more info , best regards, Tanya(Shirley)(I actually have to smile about my name I changed it years ago but still everyone calls me Shirley!!)

  • tanya batstone

    Ok Peter, just to fill you in about Valerie. I reckon she must have been about 16 when she got pregnant (quite a stigma then) The baby boy was named Andrew and I think he kept that name. I remember skiving off school a couple of times to go to the mother and baby home in St Johns Wood to see them. He was fostered and then adopted (she had no say in it at that time). She begged to be allowed to see him occasionally but it was denied. She was very badly affected by it and she blocked it all out for many years. Of course discovering about his death many years later was devastating thank goodness she had some good friends to help her through it.

    As for Nick (we called him Nicky) I was shocked when they got together , he was very childish and very young 19 I think. So having listened to his 'peers' he agreed to go back to Cyprus for a year to see if he would still feel the same about Valerie! While there he got married to a young girl nearer his age and that was the last we heard of him. I do remember Valerie and he got on really well and were always laughing together. Did she forgive him? Possibly she never mentioned him much. She led a stormy life with lots of twists and turns and I hope she has at last found peace. As for me my life took on an entirely different route! I am nearing the end of a book I have been writing (my memoirs one could say) and hopefully I will get it published. Anything else you would like to know just ask me , best regards, Tanya