BRIDE WORE A CHUM'S GOWN

Scunthorpe Telegraph Monday 19th December 2005

Victory in Europe set the happy scene for what became a lifelong partnership for one young couple caught up in Scunthorpe's street party celebrations.

Vera Fenwick joined hundreds of other revellers in the town centre to enjoy the party atmosphere, little knowing she would also meet Eric Jollands, the man who would become her husband. The couple, who live in Winteringham, have just celebrated their diamond wedding with family and friends at a special party of their own.

Vera, now aged 79, revealed she and Eric had known each other as young children when they both attended Gurnell Street School in Scunthorpe.

"Although we knew each other, in those days you didn't have boyfriends at school, so he was just someone I knew," said Vera.

When she completed her education, Vera went to work in the office at Cotto Products in the town as a time and stock clerk, and Eric got a job with a concrete making firm. Later, when he was old enough to have a driving licence, he became a long distance lorry driver with a local haulage firm.

At 18, Vera was given the choice of going into the forces or getting a job on the steelworks in the town. "So I went to Lysaght's as a stock-keeper," she said.

VE night in May, 1945, proved to be the changing point in Vera's life, when she joined others in the town centre celebrating the end of the war.

"There was street dancing outside the Oswald Hotel, and there were hundreds of people there. The pub had a bit of a bad reputation at that time, but we went in anyway. If my dad ever knew, I would have been in serious trouble."

Also enjoying himself inside the pub was Eric, who had teamed up that night with Fred Whittington, an old friend of Vera's.

"I had known Fred a very long time, and it was he I finished up with that night. But then both Fred and Eric walked me home, and I ended up making a date with Eric instead of Fred," she said.

She went on to explain Eric had served in the Army, and while he was away serving King and country, she wrote to him every day.

"He came home that August and suggested we got engaged. But I told him I had been engaged before, and the next ring I wanted was a wedding ring.

The couple were married in St John's Church, and Vera walked down the aisle in a wedding gown borrowed from her friend Peggy Ward, who had been married just a few weeks before.

"The dress had originally been made for someone else, but unhappily the young woman's airman sweetheart had been killed. So Peggy had bought the dress for £3 and after her wedding she loaned it out to six other brides.

"And I was one of those brides," said Vera, who went on to reveal she and Eric, like Peggy and her husband, had hosted their wedding reception at the Crown Inn at Ashby, where the landlord charged them a nominal £1 which, he said, they could pay after the war.

"When we came out of the reception at about 10.30pm we couldn't get a taxi, so I had to go home on the bus in my wedding dress."

The coupled lived with Eric's mum until 1950, when they moved into a council house in Abbey Road.

After a few years, they bought their own house in Long Road, and Vera went back to work as a stock clerk.

In her spare time, however, she became a youth worker, and later went to Hull University to gain a full qualification for the job.

"I was in charge of the youth centre on Doncaster Road, and at that time I used to teach youngsters how to cook," said Vera.

She also revealed how, in her capacity as a youth worker, she had worked closely with the probation service and helped them launch a 'meals on legs' scheme.

This saw Vera working with young offenders who, under her supervision, would prepare and cook meals for housebound people in the Crosby area of the town.

"There was only one other similar scheme running in the country, and I worked on that for three years without a day off, a holiday, or even Christmas day off," she said.

When she eventually retired at the age of 65, Vera and Eric took six months off to travel around the world, visiting Africa, India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, as well as America and Mexico.

The couple had five children - Tony, who lives in Liverpool; David, whose home is at Greetwell Crossroads; Susan, who now lives in High Wycombe; Andrew in Winteringham, and Vicky, who has set up home in London. They are also very proud of their 16 grandchildren and of their seven great-grandchildren, and are eagerly waiting to welcome two more members of the family whose arrival is expected before Christmas.

Now Vera spends her spare time fundraising for various charities, and during the past two-and-a-half years has raised more than £3,000 for local worthy causes.

Instead of gifts for their diamond wedding, Vera and Eric requested donations to boost the funds of local Macmillan Nurses.

 
OFFICER TO GET EMAIL

Scunthorpe Telegraph Saturday 17th December 2005

Coun Jackie Bateman was in the chair for the December meeting of Winteringham Parish Council.

Apologies had been received from two parish councillors and also the clerk, who was unable to attend due to illness. Pc Sewell joined the meeting. He explained the reorganisation of the local force, and also said at present he was the only officer in the Neighbourhood Team for the area.

The officer can be contacted by telephone, but very shortly will have his own email address. He said he was willing to attend any meetings or events if he had prior notice.

The minutes of the meeting held in November had been distributed to the councillors, and it was agreed these were a true record and the matters arising were discussed.

A letter of thanks was to be sent to the under-fives group for clearing up so quickly and thoroughly after their bonfire event.

Financial reports prepared by the clerk were presented, and council members agreed to the payments being made. The budget and precept for 2006/07 was to be discussed at the January meeting.

Highway matters were discussed, and the clerk was to contact the highways maintenance department about several existing problems, and new issues raised by the councillors.

The clerk was to ask for a clean-out of all road drains now all the leaves are off the trees.

Two new planning applications were discussed, and the councillors' comments were to be forwarded to the development control department.

Permission had been granted for alterations and an extension to 33 Cliff Road.The builder had said he would be starting work on erecting the additional wall at the teen shelter, and the youth project group had sent a letter saying they would be holding a fundraising event to help pay for this work.

A village newsletter had been distributed during November. This issue had included news of many village events taking part during the Christmas period.

The clerk was to reply to correspondence received, as instructed by councillors.

The next meeting of the parish council will be on Tuesday, January 3, at 7pm.

Mr Riggall from Winterton fire station will be present at this meeting.

All meetings of the parish council are open to members of the public, and time is allowed at the end of the meeting for those present to speak.

 
THANKS GIVEN FOR SUPPORT

Scunthorpe Telegraph Thursday 8th December 2005

Organisers want to thank everyone who helped with the Winterton Royal British Legion poppy appeal.

Sales of poppies for Remembrance Day by the charity raised almost £4,000 for the families of ex-servicemen. British Legion spokesman Richard Sills said: "This has been a record year for us.

"It's been excellent and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped, whether by selling poppies or buying one.

"The villages we cover are Appleby, Coleby, Alkborough, Winterton and Winteringham and the response has been great."

Mr Sills added: "The public has been extremely generous this year."

 
CAR WAS GOING TOO FAST FOR ROAD

Scunthorpe Telegraph Saturday 3rd December 2005

A Mother and daughter, who both died when their car smashed into an oncoming lorry, were travelling at 'an inappropriate speed' immediately prior to the accident, an inquest heard.

North Lincolnshire Coroner Stewart Atkinson was told Victoria Keel (39), of Main Street, Bonby, was driving her Daewoo Nubira estate along the A1077 towards Scunthorpe at about 12.30pm on January 8. Mrs Keel's mother, 61-year-old Wendy Hobbs, of Thirlmere Road, Millbrook, Southampton, was in the front passenger seat. They were driving into town with the intention of playing bingo.

However, Mrs Keel lost control of the car when negotiating a bend at the bottom of Sawcliffe Hill.

The vehicle then crossed the carriageway and collided with an HGV being driven by Ansar Mahmood (29), of Hopwood Lane, Halifax.

The accident took place about 200 metres north of the roundabout with Mannaberg Way, and both women received fractured skulls and other injuries to their upper bodies. They were certified dead at the scene.

A post-mortem was carried out and, in a written statement to the court, Dr Borg Grech reported the cause of death in both cases as 'multiple injuries'.

He further stated alcohol was not a factor.

Dr Clifford Wood, from Winteringham, told the hearing he had been driving behind Mr Mahmood's lorry and had seen the Daewoo approaching from a distance.

Dr Wood, an advanced motorist and experienced rally driver, said the lorry was travelling at 'a modest speed'.

But, he said, this was not the case with the Daewoo: "As it came around the corner, I could see the car in massive understeer," he said.

The front passenger side of the Daewoo impacted with the front offside corner of the lorry, and Dr Wood then got out of his car to see if he could assist anyone at the scene.

He approached the car and, he said: "I knew straightaway one of the ladies in the car was dead, and the other was in a mess."

When asked by Mr Atkinson about the speed of the Daewoo prior to the accident, Dr Wood replied: "I thought that it was travelling very fast."

Mr Mahmood, in a written statement, said he saw the car crossing over to his side of the road.

He said he braked, but the car continued travelling towards him and collided with the front of his vehicle.

"There was a massive noise," he said. "I couldn't bear to look." He concluded: "I don't believe there was anything I could do to avoid the accident."

Pc Timothy Clark, of the Collision Investigation Department of Humberside Police, said there was nothing wrong with either of the vehicles, and the road surface was in good condition at the scene.

He said, having looked at all the evidence in the case, it appeared the Daewoo was travelling at 'an inappropriate speed'.

Recording a verdict of accidental death on both women, the coroner said it appeared Mrs Keel had lost control of her vehicle going around the preceding bend.

He explained: "Having lost control, it was almost impossible to regain control."

He described Mr Mahmood as 'an innocent bystander', as there was nothing he could have done to avoid the collision.