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| Eric Spencer Body
[PGS 1923/1928] |
St Patrick’s Day is the
birthday of my Uncle Eric who died a
couple of years ago in his 90s. He was
born at 6pm on 17th March 1912.
This is Uncle Eric as cheeky-looking
schoolboy at Prescot Grammar, which he
attended between 1923 and 1928
After school he worked for Meccano where
his picture was used in an advertising
poster, see below
Like Dad, Uncle Eric was a motorbike
enthusiast.
He then moved to Vauxhall Motors in Luton
before the War interrupted his employment
and sent him to N Africa and Italy. After
the War he returned to Vauxhall where he
continued to work until his retirement.
He kept a diary for part of the war years
and I have spent many a ‘happy’
hour translating them from his notorious
scribble to English. So far I am about
two thirds of the way through but as the
war went on and paper got in shorter
supply his writing got smaller and
smaller and even more unintelligible. |
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In my mother’s eyes
Eric and his wife Doris were notorious
for moving house though they probably
didn’t move much more than many
people. Mum, having only lived in two
houses her whole life, could not
understand their desire to find pastures
new. His
last few months were spent in the
Hebrides where GB looked after him but
prior to that he had lived on Anglesey
and he is pictured above in his ninetieth
year with Mum.
A number of younger folk knew Mum and Dad
and will remember them after GB and I
have gone but it seems a real shame to me
that once GB and I have passed on there
will remain no one who really knew Uncle
Eric. Such is life....
[John
Edwards]
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