Life Story

William grew up in the mining village of Kinsley. Life was tough and “Bill” and his two brothers had to stick together and protect each other. Stories of the brothers having to fight their way to pass through a neighbouring village on the way to the swimming baths, and then fight again on the way back summed up the territorial nature of bands of local kids with not much else to do.

Bill, was a fun loving, lively kid playing for the school football team. Bill told with a smile, the time he and his friends put their teachers bike on the school roof for a prank, having been told to leave the class for rowdyism. But then studying was not a love of many kids in the system at that time. Although eligible, he could not go to grammar school due to the cost of the uniform, so he left school.

He started his working life at Fitzwilliam Coke Ovens/ Hemsworth Colliery where he managed to get into an apprenticeship program. Some hard work, a sharp mind, and night school studies after work and courses at Sheffield University in Engineering, led eventually to a Deputies position, and then on to Assistant Engineer. Bill changed pits from Hemsworth to South Kirby, to Upton and finally Frickley collieries where he made major contributions in modernization and their expansion

Bill met his wife Veronica Bate at the age of 31 and they were married in 1951. They purchased a house on Grove Lane where they lived for 5 years, raising 3 children, moving after the birth of a fourth child to a new council property in West Croft Road, Hemsworth as the family grew. They moved again to an even larger family house, Geraldine on Langthwaite Lane in South Kirkby.

Bill and Ron were one of the first families to own a family car, a not too reliable Standard 10, followed by a black Bedford Van or workbus. At that time less expensive cars could be any colour you wanted as long as it was black. They also purchased a caravan, and spent weekends as a family at Flamboro Head, north of Bridlington. Following the tragic death falling from the dangerous cliffs of cousin Freddie’s friend, they moved it to Mablethorpe, and added a second larger caravan. Bill and Ron took their children to the coast most weekends for several years, probably to keep their boys who were real tearaways when not in school from getting into weekend mischief.

Bill always yearned to work for himself finding many times having to follow the directions of younger less experienced more educationally qualified “bosses”. His chance came when moving to Geraldine ,an old chicken farm property with a large garden and room to build a garage and start a scrap car dealership. This was put to a stop once a number of old cars in various stages of demolition were spread across half the property. Ron put her foot down and put an end to the scrap car business. He never did achieve his lifelong dream, being persuaded that his secure NCB job was more appropriate when he had 5 children all with University potential. All five children did attend colleges and Universities and gained university degrees.

The building of the garage and operating “Geraldine Motors” , dabbling part time buying ,repairing, repainting and selling passing on his knowledge to his two eldest sons, set them up to follow in his engineering roots.

He could be a tough man and was an amateur boxer as a young man,. He had a reputation of being willing to trade fisticuffs to settle arguments or when protecting his family. He only stood five feet four but had the reach of a man of over six feet with fists that moved almost as fast as Mohamed Ali who was his boxing hero. He took his two eldest sons to London to witness Mohamed Ali fight Henry Cooper ,the best British boxer of the day.

Once the children had completed their education and moved on , William and Ron sold the large property and moved into a smaller bungalow in Hemsworth around the corner from Ron’s parents to allow Ron to visit every day and ensure they were managing o.k.. Bill like wise visited his mother every day except when away on vacations till the day she passed away.

Bill had a strong sense of family, and expressed it to his children the importance of keeping an eye on each other and preached to his boys, “no one else but your family gives a damn about you.” The men of the family must keep everyone in a family safe, and look after mothers fathers and sisters. He practised what he preached his whole life and his boys have followed his example.