Nearly-Midnight The genealogy website relating to the family. A tangled web of people all related to one another, explore!
Robert Clark The Father of Henry Martyn-Clark - A missionary out in the North-West Frontier of India. One of the first Europeans to set foot in Afganistan
Affetside Census
A small village north of Bury, Lancashire, I can trace many of my immediate ancestors from there. On the Roman Road, Watling Street
Andrew Martyn-Clark My Father and his part in my World. Also my mother and his parents too.
Henry Martyn-Clark My Great Grandfather, his roots and his achievements. Discusses malaria but also his confrontations with Islam.

Update!


Many photographs have been added! LazylikeSunday.net home page lists them Please copy and reuse them - a link to LazylikeSunday will be much appreciated!

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Blackpool Police Sea Tragedy

This is an update:

Looking north up the prom. There is another level below this path. Fishermen and the emergency services use this level. This panoramic view shows the Police memorial on the right post. The new memorial is almost invisible infront of the hotel on the right. More pictures below.

I worked at the South end of Blackpool and reports were on the radio of this unfolding event. I remember some very bad gales at this time. The promenade was frequently flooded and on a couple of occasions I was on "sandbag" duty. I am not sure that this day was one of those. I do recall the horror of it all, because my wife went to school with one of the officers who died. There was a fourth officer that was pulled out of the sea by his neck - he survived. The tragedy was caused by Alistair Antony attempting to rescue his Jack Russell dog which had gone into the 20 ft waves. Mr Antony also perished in the waves. Typing in "Blackpool Sea Tragedy" into Google will give you over 5000 results. Regrettably the lure of the sea will tempt even the most cautious especially when their defences are down. This memorial is at Gynn Square at the lower end of the gardens. 


Inscription facing South down the promenade


The inscription is mounted on this pillar.
The pillar was here before the plaque
The inscription reads :

P.C.COLIN MORRISON
AGED 38 YEARS.

W.P.C. ANGELA BRADLEY
AGED 23 YEARS.

P.C. GORDON CONNOLLY
AGED 24 YEARS

THIS PLAQUE WAS DONATED BY
ENTERTAINERS AND PEOPLE OF
THE FYLDE AND DISTRICT 
IN MEMORY OF THE 
THREE BRAVE POLICE OFFICERS 
WHO LOST THEIR LIVES 
IN A SEA RESCUE ATTEMPT 
ON 5TH OF JANUARY 1983.

WE WILL NEVER                 
                 FORGET THEM

Twenty-five years (2008) on there was a memorial service and "The Evening Gazette" published this: 

Trio lost at sea 25 years ago remembered

"THEY are a beacon of inspiration to us all."
A quarter of a century on from Blackpool police's worst sea tragedy, the words of the resort's top officer summed up a day of emotion for many.
Three Blackpool officers, PC's Colin Morrison, Gordon Connolly and Angela Bradley, died while trying to save the life of holidaymaker Alistair Anthony in the sea off Gynn Square. All four died.
This weekend, hundreds of residents joined serving and retired emergency service staff to pay their respects to the brave men and women who gave their lives in order to save others.
The families of the officers who died on that fateful day in 1983 were in attendance.
Braving freezing temperatures at the cliffs of the landmark, Chief Supt Russ Weaver said their bravery shone brightest of all at this emotional time.
He added: "This is a day of mixed emotions for many people here. There are people here who will remember it all too clearly and there are those who will cherish the memories of their loved ones forever.
"The officers lost here are a credit to Lancashire Constabulary. They died trying to save a person who they did not know.
"They knew the risks involved but were prepared to go into the sea and help a man who had gone into to rescue his pet.
"Their names are on the walls of meeting rooms in memory and their pictures still adorn the walls of their family homes.
"We will never forget them and it is because of their bravery so many other people have been saved from the sea in the 25 years since that tragic day."
Chief Constable of Lancashire Steve Finnigan laid the first of many wreaths below the plague bearing the names of the officers following a minutes silence on Queens Promenade.
PC Morrison's body was recovered by a winchman lowered from a helicopter while PC Bradley's body was recovered from a sandbank at Preesall. The remains of PC Connolly were not found until January 27.

I am not sure if the memorial is on the UK National inventory of War Memorials - I feel it should be.

However there is information about police who have  died in service here. This was not the only tragedy to a serving policeman in blackpool.

The cenotaph is approximately one mile south of this memorial at Talbot Square and the Mexico Memorial is another 3 miles down the coast in St Annes. There are actually three Mexico memorials - they have been photographed and will be discussed at some point.

This below is the update, mostly photographic. There seems to be a point to add those who died doing service. There is little link to the police memorial. I will try and find Gerry Richardson's grave here too. I feel that the memorial should include the names of those who gave their lives to the community - All though it is significant without that information it means less - My thoughts - that's all.

From across the promenade road.
The tram tracks are visible

The black slab showing the four services
"To those of the emergency services who give all or part of their lives serving
others with bravery and commitment"

Closer view of the 4 services highlighted in white

Lancashire Constabulary      Lancashire Fire and Rescue
The Coast Guard        The North West Ambulance Service


View from the path at Jubilee Gardens.
This looks from the sea side towards the car-park.

Showing the Police Memorial on the column and
the Services memorial in front of the tram

The 2 memorials from the north

Looking South towards Gynn Square.
The tram track turns up round the front of the hotel in the background.
I feel there is more information to be added to this page.

There is more information at the page:
 http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/crime/tribute-to-999-services-1-5048734



Wednesday 7 September 2011

St Peter's Chorley

Visited St Peter's Parish church last summer.
I was quite disappointed with the condition of the memorial. It will only be a short while before the letters of the names on the memorial will be erased. Hopefully I have all the transcription right. The actual dedication is a little unusual with the wording. The memorial itself is quite robust. The weather varied from overcast to quite sunny. It does appear that the photos were taken on different days  - but not so. The church grounds are quite big. The style of the memorial suits the church.



The path to the right leads to the South Entrance

The rear of the church.
The tip of the bell tower is just seen at the left corner of the roof



Edge on. The cross faces the road and the rear faces the church




This is the inscription on the memorial. Hopefully it is correct.

TO THE GLORY OF GOD
AND IN MEMORY OF
THOSE CONNECTED WITH THE 
PARISH OF ST PETER CHORLEY
WHO HAVE FALLEN IN THE
GREAT WAR 1914 - 1919

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

 Underneath on the bottom plinth is the legend

WORLD WAR 1939 - 1945

The remainder of the photos as well as closeups of the memorial as well as a list of the fallen are in the Datastore.
This is the identity from the National Inventry of War Memorials

ST PETERS PARISH

UKNIWM Ref: 51404




Saturday 3 September 2011

Hampstead Norris or Norreys

This was almost a false trail. My wife's family history pointed once more towards this lovely small village close to Little Bedwyn and Great Bedwyn. It is situated in West Berkshire. There were Mills here as agricultural labourers, Pococks, Lovelocks. However I found none in the graveyard and none on the memorial. These are the other two churchyards I visited Little Bedwyn and Great Bedwyn.  Even my SatNav "lost" the road to Little Bedwyn.
From the South entrance

Looking towards the Alter

Closer still

The Tower

I had trouble managing the lighting. I knew this was interesting
There was no info beneath it and no one to ask! Sorry about the quality - an excuse to go back. This is quite large and can be seen in another of the pictures just to the left of the south door.

Plaster. A really elegant bas-relief of a knight with a lance.
I did photograph the inside of the church and and a couple of interesting objects there. The church can trace its roots back to Norman times. It certainly has that low squat appearance that these churches can have. There seems to be little information on the web at all. Quite odd really. It was really quiet in the church but I just felt the need to hurry.

My intention was to photograph the memorial and transcribe the names. There was a framed roll of honour oddly titled "European War, 1914 - 1918" The 8 has been changed. This is shown below:

20 Names in all- the same names as the stone memorial below.

The fallen from the Second World War are added below in the bottom panel.


The inscription and the names are recorded below:

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE
+TO THE HONOUR OF ALMIGHTY GOD AND IN MEMORY OF 
MEN OF HAMPSTEAD NORRIS. WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED
HERE. THEY GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE
GREAT WAR. 1914  - 1919 PASSING FROM THE WARFARE OF 
THE WORLD INTO THE PEACE OF GOD.+

ALBERT ADAMS.      JOHN MORTON.
ALFRED ALLEN.      PERCY MORTON.
CHARLES ALLEN.      DENIS MAY.
ERNEST BARLOW.      THOMAS NEWTON. 
ARTHUR GILES.      PERCIVAL NYE.
GEORGE GREENOUGH.      CHARLES PIKE.
GEORGE HOLMES.      GEORGE STEVENS.
STEPHEN JEFFREY.      ERNEST WELCH.
GEORGE LAWRENCE.      ARTHUR WHEELER.
DANIEL LAWRENCE.      ERNEST WYLD.

ALSOTHE FOLLOWING WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR. 1939 - 1945

SAMUEL ARTHUR BARRETT.      LESLIE FRANCIS BLAKE.
ROBERT NORMAN MEDWAY.      ROBERT PHILIP NEATE.
EDWARD NEAL
CHARLES WILLIAM KITCHENER WHITE

This memorial is also recorded on the UK Inventory of War Memorials as

HAMPSTEAD NORREYS

UKNIWM Ref: 9075