Staying at Grandma’s house in wartime Whitehaven

Introduction

This article is submitted on behalf of Mr Franklin Derek Tyrer who originally comes from Preston, Lancashire. Franklin was born in October 1934, with much of his early childhood coinciding with years of World War Two.

Franklin’s parents were Harold and Sarah Jane Tyrer (née Savage) and he has a younger sister, Maureen, born in 1936. Sarah Jane Tyrer was one of the younger sisters of my own maternal Grandmother, Mrs Cecilia McCrickett (née Savage) and I have several photographs of the Tyrer family that come from my Grandmother’s photograph collection.

During the war, Franklin, Maureen and their parents regularly travelled from Preston to Whitehaven to stay with my Great Grandmother Mrs Sarah Jane Savage who is of course Franklin’s maternal Grandmother. This account concentrates on memories of Franklin’s wartime experiences while staying at his Grandma’s house in wartime Whitehaven, Cumberland (now Cumbria). The terms of the BBC “People’s War” website have been read and understood.

Family in West Cumberland

“My parents were Harold and Sarah Jane Tyrer (née Savage). Although I was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1934, when I was a child we made lots of visits to Whitehaven in West Cumberland to stay with my Grandma Savage. My younger sister Maureen is 18 months younger than me, born in 1936. My mother was originally from Whitehaven and a lot of her family lived there during the war years.

My Grandma Sarah Jane Savage had been widowed twice before the war and she was in her Seventies during the war. She lived at 58 Fell View Avenue on the Woodhouse estate and a lot of our other relatives also lived on Fell View Avenue. Uncle Frank Savage, Aunt Mary Ann Savage, Aunt Cecilia and Uncle Ned McCrickett, Uncle Michael and Aunt Mary McCrink all lived on Fell View Avenue. Grandma Savage’s brother Uncle George Kinsella lived next door to her at Number 57 with Aunt Cecilia, Uncle Ned and my cousins Sally and John. We usually stayed at 58 Fell View Avenue with Grandma Savage.

The magical train journey via Carnforth

Probably because I was a young lad, I remember the visits to Whitehaven with special fondness. They were happy and carefree days for me. Part of each summer was spent with my mother’s relatives. In those days, this involved a magic journey by train. We took the train from Preston Station and changed at Carnforth.

The railway station at Carnforth was made famous towards the end of the war by the Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson film called ‘Brief Encounter’. Finally, from Carnforth we took the next stage of the journey to Bransty Station, Whitehaven. The whole journey took us about five hours. This is just a ‘precise’ of course.

Some things we did

During our visits to Whitehaven, there was so much going on during this period, that it can only be recalled in 'flashes'. I do remember going to a place called Barrowmouth, which is next to the sea below the cliff path from Kells to St Bees. We went with all the relatives for a walk and perhaps a little picnic. A lot of other families did the same thing on nice days.

Especially, I remember one day going there and playing with my favourite cousin at the time, John Rogan, who was just a little younger than me. Then suddenly, my mother screamed for us to run. A goat had dislodged a rock and it was rolling down to where we were standing! Of course all was well, and we got out of the way of the rock.

John was the eldest of the three sons of Susannah and Hugh Rogan. Susannah was one of my mother’s sisters. John was the closest to my age, born in December 1936. His two younger brothers were Frank and Thomas. John and I were a couple of tearaways. One day, John climbed a lamp post, at the Greenbank estate where his family lived at the time. He was swinging from the arm at the top, when suddenly all the lights went out! He had inadvertently cut the power. I think this was must have been late on in the war, or just after VE Day when the lights were supposed to be back on again!

During the times I was staying in Whitehaven I can remember going swimming from the beach and in the harbour with my cousin John Rogan and the Gribbin brothers who lived across the road from my Grandma Sarah Jane. There were three lads: Tommy, Robert and Billy. They were all good friends of my cousin John McCrickett, especially Billy.

One of the beaches in Whitehaven is known as ‘The Golden Sands’. We used to swim in the sea from there. Then, we used to swim out from Wellington Pit Beach (South Beach) to what is known as Tom Hurd’s Rock. One day we encountered porpoises, although luckily not too close, though!

‘The Orange Men’ of Whitehaven

Aunt Betty (Philipson) was another of my mother’s sisters. She was married to Uncle Billy and they also lived in Lancashire during the war like us. On one occasion, Aunt Betty, Mother, my sister Maureen and myself had just arrived in Whitehaven for a holiday. We were walking down from the railway station to catch the bus to ‘Wooders’ (Woodhouse) at the Tangier Street Bus Depot. When suddenly Mother said, “Oh Biddy”, for that was her name for Aunt Betty, “here are 'The Orange Men' don't let the bairns see ‘The Orange Men’ !”

Whereupon, we were hurried towards the Quay, and lo and behold, we were soon rushed back down another alley. The reason was Grandma Savage was coming out of a pub which I think was called 'The Standard'. Occasionally she would buy a bottle or two of Milk Stout either for her brother George Kinsella who lived next door to her house on Fell View Avenue, or some of her other relatives. Dare I say Grandma Sarah Jane might even have a little taste of the Milk Stout herself!

It was many years later before I discovered who ‘The Orange Men’ were. They were a fantasy, that had lodged in my child's mind and it was a total anti-climax to find out their true identity!

Grandma Sarah Jane, a remarkable runner!

My Mother was named Sarah Jane after my Grandmother Savage, so I think they were very close. Mother used to send Grandma photographs of us as we grew up. Grandma Savage had a lot of photographs of all the family on the walls and around the house.

Across the road from Grandma Savage’s house was the Gribbin family’s house at Number 46. We used to use the Gribbin’s garden as a short cut to the fields at the back. This was in itself a short to the 'Brake' which was used for the Coal mines. This was situated at the top of the main road down to Whitehaven, known locally as the ‘New Road’. Its proper name is the ‘Ginns to Kells Road’.

The ‘New Road’ leading up the hill from the town centre was a steady hill and it was used by the buses to and from Kells and Woodhouse into the town. At the bottom of Fell View Avenue was a shop, which I think may have been called ‘Binns’. Grandma Savage, used to RUN down to this shop, faster than any of us. She was quite a lady! By then she was well into her seventies. She was definitely a remarkable runner

Celebrations for VE Day

We were in Whitehaven when it was VE Day, the 8th of May 1945. By then, Uncle Frank Savage had been married to Aunt Maud for a year or so and he was no longer living on Fell View Avenue. Uncle Frank and Aunt Maud had their own house at Kells by then. Grandma Sarah Jane and Aunt Mary Ann were still living at 58 Fell View Avenue, next door to where Aunt Cecilia, Uncle Ned, their children Sally and John and Great Uncle George lived.

I was at the bonfire on VE Day night to celebrate the end of the war. My cousin John McCrickett had built up the bonfire with his friends on the ‘Back Field’ behind houses the on the other side of Fell View Avenue. A lot of the family and neighbours went to it.

Tommy Gribbin, the father of the family who lived directly across from John's family home at 'Wooders' was the entertainment that night. He played the Piano Accordion. Young Tommy Gribbin, one of his sons, used my cousin John’s portable 'wind up' gramophone, on which he played what was probably the only record we possessed!. It was called 'Meet me in St. Louis, meet me at the Fair'. It was from the sound track of the film of the same name. Also, everybody sang to the accompaniment of Tommy's Accordion, the Vera Lynn songs like ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ etc.

The bonfire on VE Day night was a memorable occasion. You can not erase the fabulous memories that were enjoyed that night, or indeed during the whole of the war. Only years later did we come realise the price that others had paid so that we were able to enjoy that unforgettable night”.

Conclusion

I would like to thank Franklin for sharing some of his wartime memories of the times he spent with Grandma Sarah Jane. Hopefully, this article will help pass on memories of some of the happier times spent by children during the war years.

Personally, I found it really interesting to learn that Grandma Sarah Jane Savage was a such a good runner. As someone who became a middle and long distance runner, I had never known of any of my other relatives who had ever demonstrated an ability as a runner. Now I realise any limited ability as a runner I may have had derives from the legendary Grandma Sarah Jane! In fact, some of the earliest occasions I used to run for any distance was when I used to run down to the shops following the same route that Franklin mentions Grandma Sarah Jane used to take to the shops.

The shop that Grandma Sarah Jane used to run down Fell View Avenue to has had numerous names over the years. After checking with other relatives who remember the war years, I understand at that time the shop was known as “Watson’s” after the family who owned it.

Franklin is now happily retired in Spain with his dear wife Andé. His sister Maureen (now Mrs Lewin) still lives in Lancashire. Franklin, Andé and Maureen still visit Whitehaven to visit relatives and friends, and talk over many of the happy memories they have of the war years and other times. It has been a great honour to write this article on Franklin’s behalf, and especially to learn more about people and places I have known or heard about all my life.

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