Archive

26th January 2010
Mrs Elsie Kelcher who lived in Abthorpe all her life, died recently at the age of 84. Elsie the youngest of the four Kendall children was born in a cottage that formerly stood at the bottom end of Main Street in a part of the village that has been abandoned. Shortly after her birth the family moved to the blacksmith’s shop on the village green. She spent her childhood there and attended Abthorpe village school, transferring at eleven to Silverstone secondary school. On leaving school at the age of 14 her sister Rene recalls that she became a shop assistant at Woolworths in Northampton . Come sun or rain Elsie would cycle into Towcester to catch the bus and sometimes arrived at work soaked through. When the Second World War began Elsie was employed at a clothing factory that set up business in Abthorpe having been bombed out of London . She not only helped to manufacture ladies’ dresses but military clothing for the troops. Later in the war she transferred to Groom and Tattersalls foundry and engineering works close to Towcester railway station sited where Homebase stands today. It was very heavy work and Rene recalls that Elsie hated every minute of it.

When the war ended Truform took over Abthorpe’s factory so Elsie obtained a job there helping to make shoes.

In 1948 she married Blakesley man Eric Kelcher. They had a son named Stewart and Elsie was content to remain a proud housewife for the remainder of her life. She worked tirelessly for our parish church. Together with her friend Kath Evans she organised a cake stall for many years at both the summer fete and the Christmas bazaar. Later with her church warden sister Rene she devoted huge amounts of her spare time making items for a needlework stall that raised a large amount of money to repair and refurbish the church roof.

Elsie was buried in Abthorpe church yard extension. She was a very quiet and modest lady – a lovely person who is sorely missed.

26th January 2010
Mr John Bunting also died recently at the age of 84. John was born in Greens Norton and attended the village school. On leaving school he joined the family’s bakery business A. A. Bunting whose shop and bake house was located close to the current butcher’s shop. After service in the army during the second world war he returned to Greens Norton to work in the bakers. Unfortunately as this affected his health he was forced to cease baking and obtained a succession of jobs. John married Margaret Judge in Abthorpe parish church in 1961 and lived at a house in Brackley Lane where he remained until his death. John is remembered with affection and many local people recall his great prowess as a cook.

19th October 2009
Mr Charles Edmund Kendall, born and bred in Abthorpe, has sadly died at the age of 87. He was best known in the village simply as Shen, a nickname he acquired when he was a pupil at Silverstone Secondary School (now the Infants) and insisted on repeatedly singing a shanty entitled Shenandoah that had been made famous on the wireless by baritone Peter Dawson. Shen left school at the age of 14 and after farm labouring he was appointed as a junior porter for the London Midland and Scottish Railway company based at Helmdon station.

In 1940 after the Battle of Britain, although senior railway employees were in a protected occupation, Shen a junior was called up. Following an aptitude test he was recruited into the Royal Regiment of Signals and after an initial posting to Northern Ireland trained as a wireless operator at Catterick Camp in Yorkshire . After training he found himself on a troop ship that sailed down the River Clyde and out into mid-Atlantic in a bid to avoid German submarine patrols based in occupied France . Shen had little idea of where he was going. Some days later under cover of darkness, the convoy slipped through the Straits of Gibraltar and on the 8^th November 1942 it anchored in the Bay of Algiers . There, amazingly, he bumped into his Abthorpe friend Harry Hinton who was serving with the 5^th Northamptonshire Regiment. They remained life long friends and often shared a pint of Hooky in our pub. After his ship was dive-bombed by enemy aircraft he joined the American led 1^st Army that was pushing east whilst British General Montgomery ’s 8^th Army was pushing west from its base in Egypt in an attempt to encircle the Axis armies. After hospital treatment for dysentery Shen was attached as a signaller to a Royal Artillery ant-aircraft battery that landed on the Italian mainland to defend the port of Naples . The volcano Vesuvius promptly erupted! Although the Italians capitulated Shen always insisted that the Germans remained a potent fighting force right up to the date of their capitulation – 7^th May 1945.

The dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August 1945 signalled the end of the war and Shen and his comrades’ fears of being posted to the Far East never materialised. When reflecting on his war time experiences, Shen always insisted that he was no hero and was perhaps lucky because as a signaller he was often unaware of how close he was to the type of action experienced by infantrymen. His grateful country awarded him four medals that he wore with pride at parades of our local branch of the British Legion.

He was demobilised in February 1946 and returned to work for the LMS as a signalman at both Blakesley and Towcester boxes. When our local railways closed he obtained work with a road construction company. He studied for an advanced certificate in road works at Southfields College of Further Education in Leicester and became a Technical Engineer enrolled with the Engineers Registration Board. He worked on road maintenance in a supervisory capacity for both Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire County Councils and on his retirement in the late 1970’s he remained active.

Shen was born here in Abthorpe and except for his wartime service spent little time away from our locality. During his long life he acquired a huge amount of what can only be called country wisdom. Many local people have benefitted from his considered opinions. He was a bachelor and is survived by his sisters Mrs Rene Balderson and Mrs Elsie Kelcher plus his elder brother John – known locally as Bill.

Charles Edmund Kendall’s funeral service is at 3:00pm on Tuesday 27^th October in our parish church of St John the Baptist. 

6th November 2008
MR CHARLES EDMUND KENDALL (Shen.)
At the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month 1918, the fighting in World War One stopped. Although the German army was undefeated and virtually everywhere along its front line occupied foreign soil, the armistice was honoured and has been commemorated until the present day. Eighty-nine years later the Wappenham branch of the Royal British Legion is to hold its Remembrance Day parade at Abthorpe war memorial and afterwards at our parish church. Although veterans of the Great War have long since passed on, there are still many local people alive today who served in World War II. One of those veterans who intends to attend our commemoration to remember comrades who did not return, is 85 years old Abthorpe born and bred Mr Charles Edmund Kendall, known to everyone throughout the village simply as “Shen.” He insists that he is no hero but just one of the many local people who signed-up to protect their country. His nickname, he explains, was given to him when he was a  pupil at Silverstone Secondary School (now the Infants) that he attended for three years before he left at the age of 14. Shen was fond of singing a shanty entitled Shenandoah made famous on the wireless by the baritone Peter Dawson. After farm labouring he worked as a junior porter for the London Midland and Scottish Railway based at Helmdon station. In 1940 after the Battle of Britain, although senior railway staff were in a protected occupation, Shen was called-up. Following an aptitude test he was recruited into the Royal Regiment of Signals and after an initial posting to Northern Ireland trained as a wireless operator at Catterick Camp in Yorkshire . With little idea of where he was going he began active service on a convoy of troopships that sailed down the River Clyde and out into mid-Atlantic in a bid to avoid German submarine patrols based in occupied France. Some days later, under cover of darkness, the convoy slipped through the Straits of Gibraltar and on the 8^th November 1942 it anchored in the Bay of Algiers . Amazingly, there he bumped into his Abthorpe friend Harry Hinton who was serving with the 5^th Northamptonshire Regiment. They remain firm friends to this day and regularly chat about their memories over a pint in our pub The New Inn. After his ship was dive bombed by enemy aircraft he joined the American led 1^st Army that was pushing east whilst Monty’s 8^th Army was pushing west from its base in Egypt in an attempt to encircle the Axis armies. After hospital treatment for dysentery Shen was attached as a signaller to a Royal Artillery anti-aircraft battery that landed on the Italian mainland to defend the port of Naples . The volcano Vesuvius promptly erupted. Although the Italians capitulated he insisted that the German army remained a potent fighting force. He was very relieved when on 7^th May 1945 Germany surrendered unconditionally although he had fears that he would be posted to the Far East to help in the fight against the Japanese. In early August 1945 when atomic bombs were exploded over two Japanese cities and thus ended the war he and his comrades were very pleased. He was demobilised in February 1946 and returned to work for the LMS as a signalman at Blakesley and Towcester boxes. Reflecting on his wartime experiences Shen modestly said again that he was no hero and was perhaps lucky because as a signaller he was often unaware of how close he was to the type of action that was experienced by infantrymen. His grateful country awarded him with four medals and accompanied by other veterans he will wear them with pride at our Remembrance Day service at the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month 2007.

15th August 2006
The flag at our ancient village pub The New Inn is flying at half-mast in memory of Fred Huggins, who served us for 16 years as a much loved landlord. He died in Northampton General Hospital at the age of 63 and is sorely missed by our local community. Fred was educated at Reigate Grammar School in Surrey and at the age of 16 joined the Junior Leaders Regiment of the Royal Artillery as a boy soldier. He trained as a surveyor and rose through the ranks to become the Sergeant Major of 97 Field Battery Royal Artillery. His unit served in the Falklands War in 1982 where its 105mm light field guns proved highly effective. After spells in Germany and Northern Ireland Fred completed 24 years serving Queen and Country and retired to become landlord of Abthorpe's pub. He stayed for 16 years and became one of the Hook Norton Brewery's longest serving tenants. Whilst landlord, he was elected Church Warden at our parish church of St John the Baptist and it was during his tenure of office that Canon Bridget Smith was appointed Rector to become one of the very first female priests in the area. Villager Katie Townsend stated that Fred had run several London Marathons and when he came to the village in 1985 he was very fit and regularly ran the Slapton loop at an impressive speed. She remembers the wonderful regular themed parties that Fred and his wife Dianne arranged on Saturday evenings with such military precision. As he was passionately interested in the Zulu people it was no surprise that on one of these occasions customers were asked to dress up complete with hide shields and spears. Of course there were special celebrations in 1995 for the 50th anniversary of the D Day invasions when customers were asked to wear military uniforms. There was an interregnum at the church at that time and the stand-in priest had been an Army Chaplain at the Normandy landings. Half a century later he was due to lead services both at Arromanches and at a village further along the French coast but was unable to arrange himself transport between the two places. Fred, alert as ever, soon had one of his customers who owned a World War Two Jeep promising to take the vicar from one service to the next. Jane and Robbie Costall, current landlords of the New Inn, last welcomed Fred to the pub on Grand Prix weekend when he came to meet his many friends from BBC technical services who visit our pub whilst preparing to broadcast the race from nearby Silverstone Circuit. Jane stated that at the time of going to press the funeral arrangements are not known but it is hoped that a service will be held in our church with a wake in the pub to which Fred's very many friends will be invited. Katie Townsend summed up the feelings of all of us. Fred was a real local character who was at the centre of our community for many years. We'll miss him!  

12th July 2005
WILLIAM STEPHEN HOLLEY CBE.  
Steve Holley, probably Abthorpe's most famous resident, has sadly died at the age of 85. He was explaining only recently that he had lived in our village since 1980 - the longest he had lived anywhere.
Steve had a real Boys' Own hero type of life. At the age of 19 he left his native Isle of Man and served as a Lance Bombardier in the Manx Territorial unit of the Royal Artillery. In 1941 whilst his unit was stationed in Crete , the Germans launched the first parachute invasion in history. His regiment took terrible losses  but Steve was fortunate and was evacuated from the battle to North Africa where he fought against Rommell's Afrika Korps. He was commissioned  in Cairo in late 1941. When he returned to Britain he became a gunnery instructor in Wales but as he longed to see more action he volunteered to fight the Japanese in Borneo . Whilst crossing the Pacific on a troopship he was recruited into Special Forces and following training in Australia he was scheduled to be dropped by parachute behind enemy lines in central Borneo . When the allies dropped two atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima his plans rapidly changed and he was landed by Catalina flying boat on an up-country river. ten days before the Japanese surrendered.
Steve at once became a member of the North Borneo Military Government helping to get that colony back on its feet after the ravages of war. His recently published book about those times called "A White Headhunter in Borneo " describes many amusing and harrowing experiences. He helped the colony to achieve nationhood and actually signed the Malaysia Independence Agreement on behalf of North Borneo alongside British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan and Foreign Secretary Duncan Sandys.
Upon his return to the UK in 1965 Steve was appointed General Manager of the Washington Development Corporation that transformed a straggle of mining villages marred by over a century of industrial dereliction into a new town. He delighted in showing many famous people round his Corporation's creation including HM the Queen, The Princess Royal, United States President Jimmy Carter, Prime Minister James Callaghan and boxer Muhammed Ali. He was awarded a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for his achievements and retired in 1980 to move to Abthorpe.
He is survived by his wife Dinah and his three sons Patrick, Neville, Michael and their families. His funeral is scheduled to be at Northampton Crematorium at 9:45am on Thursday 14th July.  

Councillor Bill Kendall
Councillor Bill Kendall is proud to be the oldest man in our village and has served continuously on our Parish Council for 38 years. He was born and bred in the village and retains the lovely, attractively strong local accent that is sadly disappearing fast. When the houses along the western side of the parish's Brackley Lane were completed in 1946, Bill lived in the very first house to be occupied and has lived there ever since.    Sitting in his home with current copies of the British Railways Journal and Railnews scattered over the cushions, Bill explained that he was a railwayman virtually all his working life. He started work on 10th September1937 as a Lad Porter at Towcester Station. This stood where Tesco's store is now situated. He was employed by The London Midland and Scottish Railway, but all the older men who worked alongside him had been previously employed by the Stratford, Midland Junction Railway - the SMJ. A single track from Towcester Junction traversed the upper Tove Valley passing through Wappenham Station close by our village. Bill stated that even in those days before the war the railways were trying to economise. Ted Bosworth from Abthorpe was the Grade One Porter in charge of Wappenham Station and was naturally paid more than a boy. Thus when excursion trains returned to Wappenham Station around midnight after having taken local people for days out in Stratford upon Avon or Bedford, Bill would be transferred there from Towcester to collect the returnees' tickets.  Councillor Kendall can still remember the times of trains leaving and returning to Towcester Station and the times they called in at Wappenham. At 9:30am the train from Blisworth stopped en-route to Banbury. The same train then returned calling in at Wappenham at 11:11am. On a number of occasions he knew that goods engine crews had "tied down" their locomotive with chains in the sidings at Wappenham Station and walked the 200 yards to then The Royal Oak in nearby Slapton for a game of Northamptonshire skittles.  At the beginning of the Second World War Bill briefly served in The Royal Air Force but he was quickly demobbed and sent back to the Towcester area to do important war work on the railways that he loved.    Sitting close to a beautiful wooden chair with London North Western Railway stencilled beneath the seat, Bill explained that it had once been used in the Northampton Castle Station Master's office. In order to get away from the hassle of the platforms and booking hall, the station master would retreat to Bill's signal box for some peace and quiet. He brought his own chair and left it in Bill's box. Whilst the box was heated by coke stoves the chair was fine, but as soon as the railway was electrified the chair was placed too close to the newly installed electric fires and its glue melted and the chair disintegrated. When Bill apologised the Station Master told him to take it home for firewood. Bill took the pieces to a carpenter in Wappenham who repaired the chair and made it even better than new.  Bill can eloquently reminisce about days gone by for hours and a number of railway historians regularly ask him to recall his memories for the historical record. Abthorpe is proud to have such an interesting person as Bill Kendall as one of its Parish Councillors.

22nd October 2003
The Rt Revd Bishop Alan Rogers, who served as Priest in Charge of Abthorpe and Slapton between 1977 and 1980 died peacefully on 16th October aged 96 at Atfield House Nursing Home in West London. His widow Barbara has explained that he served as Vicar of St Mary's, the Parish Church of Twickenham in West London from 1949 to 1954.    As he was a linguist and spoke fluent French, he was appointed as the Anglican Bishop of Mauritius and Seychelles until his elevation to become Bishop of Fulham - effectively in those days the senior cleric responsible for all the Anglican congregations in mainland Europe. Abthorpe people remember the lovely self deprecating story he told of those times when he went to visit the Anglican churches in the Soviet capital Moscow. The Communist authorities, ever ones for protocol, rolled out a red carpet at the foot of the gangway leading from the aeroplane's first class exit. Bishop Alan left by the other steps with all the third class passengers and he was well into the customs hall before the authorities realised.    Later he served as Area Bishop of Edmonton in London Diocese. It was then that he and his wife late Millicent bought a cottage in Collswell Lane for their retirement. When he finally retired and moved to Blakesley, the then Bishop of Peterborough Dr Feaver asked him if he would become an Honorary Bishop and give help in the area round Northampton. He readily agreed and whilst living in Blakesley, acted as Priest in Charge of Abthorpe and Slapton. Despite his advancing years he was an inspiration and completely rejuvenated both parishes.  Sadly Millicent his wife died in 1984 shortly after they had celebrated their 51st Wedding Anniversary. In her memory Bishop Alan presented a set of much needed hymn books to Abthorpe Parish Church that are still in use today and are inscribed with her name. A year and a day after Millicent's death, he became engaged to Barbara, a family friend for many years. A coach load of parishioners from Abthorpe travelled to their wedding in St Mary’s, Twickenham and the sumptuous reception afterwards. As someone remarked at the time: "How often is it that you get the chance to go to the wedding of a Bishop?"    His wife Barbara misses him desperately as does his surviving twin son Bernard and his great grand children. Bishop Alan Roger's funeral will be on27th October at St Mary's Parish Church, Twickenham.  

6th December
Audrey Dancer and her daughter-in-law Janet were recently surprised but delighted to receive a letter from the National Chairman of the Royal British Legion Lieutenant General Sir John Kiszely KCB, MC. Sir John stated that it gave him great pleasure to award the Royal British Legion’s collectors medal to both ladies. Audrey for carrying out a house-to-house collection in Abthorpe for a continuous and amazing 50 years, whilst Janet has been collecting for 30 years. Sir John wrote that on behalf of all those people who have benefitted from the Legion’s benevolent work he offered a very sincere thank you.

The presentation was made to Audrey and Janet at the Christmas dinner of the Wappenham & District Royal British Legion by branch president Clyde Burbidge.

Janet said that it had been a great honour, privilege and pleasure. When she knocks on a door people are very pleased to see her as they know she’s coming. But modestly Janet emphasised that she really wanted to thank villagers for their generosity. They do the giving – I only collect.

The village is very proud of Audrey and Janet and thanks them for their magnificent work over such a long period of time.  

27th December 2009
Anthony Thomas Dancer RIP.

A roll of drums was played at the funeral of Tony Dancer a long term resident of Abthorpe who died recently at the age of 83. At the service held in our parish church just before Christmas, a large congregation of family and friends had struggled through freezing temperatures, snow and ice to pay their respects to a much loved and respected man. In his eulogy the Rev’d Vic Read stated that Tony and he were linked by their mutual love of rhythm as they were both drummers. The priest then produced a pair of drum sticks and very close to Tony’s coffin, played an impressive roll on the side of the pulpit that led to a crashing crescendo with the sticks hitting the brass of the pulpit’s lectern.

Tony was born at Overstone in 1926 the only boy in a family of 7 children. His 6 sisters, Mr Read was told, spoiled him rotten! From his childhood Tony’s great ambition was to be a lorry driver – an ambition that was interrupted by military service with a Scottish regiment the Highland Light Infantry. After service in Singapore Tony returned to civilian life and passed a Public Service Vehicle licence test and drove for Walt Lawrence’s company in nearby Wappenham. This allowed him to drive buses and coaches. He later worked for Jeff’s coaches of Helmdon and had the honour of driving children from Evenley Hall children’s home near Brackley to a reception at Buckingham Palace . A photograph of Tony and his coach emerging from the palace still holds a special place of honour at his home. Later, Tony became a driver with Northampton Transport the bus company previously operated by the Borough Council.

            For Tony his family was all important – especially his wife Audrey and children David and Rosemary. But it was as a drummer that he became very well known in the locality when he joined forces with Tony Allen on an organ to form a group called The Two Tony’s that Audrey recalled played at many local gigs and pubs. Rev Read concluded that now after 5 years of illness and 10 weeks in hospital leading up to his death, Tony is now at rest. He gave thanks for all that he was and all that he did over the years of his life. Amen to that!  

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