The Gowing Family

 Winifred and Donald Gowing

Page Four

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

To the right of the page I have drawn up the relevant miniature family tree. In the case of a subject marrying more than once, only the marriage relevant to our family is shown.

Winifred May Gowing
1917-1986

During the summer of 1986 Winifred May's health gradually deteriorated, and finally on December 26th, Boxing day 1986, she died. This picture was taken in her final year, with the only granddaughter she was to know, Jennifer Lisa Victoria Gowing.

 

 

It is very difficult to try and describe how it feels when one of the cornerstones of your life has suddenly been taken away. The family knew she was not in the best of health but nothing can ever prepare you for what one day comes to us all. It was still a tremendous shock.

During their visit to Australia in 1986, Win and Don had promised to return in 1988, and Don decided to keep that promise and took Tina with him in her mother's place. It was both sad and wonderful at the same time and Tina was, of course, made to feel very welcome.

1988 was also the year Terry married Lena Archer at the Bishops College in Cheshunt. A September wedding, the grounds and the building itself made a lovely backdrop to the wedding photographs. Lena and Terry had met at the college course Terry had been teaching on in London and in 1989 their first child, Christopher, was born.

The last part I shall leave in Donald Jack's own words. He refers to Ian Martin (Fay Tina's partner), and Arthur Slater, an old friend who spent much of the war with Donald Jack and, with whom, he had lost touch over the subsequent years.

"I have to mention that over all the years, I had continued to try and locate Arthur without success so far. Also in 1992/3 or thereabouts, Ian Martin joined us, and I took steps to set about purchasing the house from the Council. It seemed the obvious move at the time, as it meant that Tina would always have a roof over her head! It was about this time that I located Arthur, and Ian (who hailed from Sheffield) offered to take me up to Bridlington to find him, which he did on 3Oth July 1995. It was then that I first saw Clarice. We spent a Sunday with Arthur and Clarice. It was surprising really, we got on so well together. I had last seen Arthur around 1947, but that is how it was. We all got on and arranged to get together again and stay longer in the near future. On returning home, I fixed it to stay a week with them in the spring of the following year, which was accepted and so the weeks rolled by. In the early part of 1996 I visited Arthur and Clarice again for the week's holiday. We spent the whole time riding around Yorkshire and visiting little countryside pubs the odd meal and drink and it was a pleasure. I was made welcome everywhere and I thought 'I could get used to this!' I went again in the Autumn of '96 and once again it was a real pleasure. In 1997 I was about to visit them again when Clarice telephoned me to say that Arthur was ill and so I cancelled my proposed visit. Later I got the message that he had died from heart failure. That was August 23rd 1997. I wanted to go to the funeral, but it was impossible to get there in time, it was a difficult place to get to. The funeral was early in the day, and bed and breakfast accommodation impossible to find at the height of the holiday season. So, I had to wait until I heard from Clarice and after the funeral, Clarice did let me know how it went and from then on, it was awkward to know what situation could be maintained. The weeks rolled by and Clarice and I kept in touch and after three months, I suggested that I was prepared to come up and see her, if she was agreeable and she did agree, much to my delight. The rest of the story is still being written.!!!"

Taken during 2003, also at the Seabirds in Flamborough. One of Don's favourite watering holes in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Donald Jack and his youngest son, Colin Richard.