Labours Rest

Frank Edwin Alfred Waterfield

July 31st, 1930 - July 7th,  2015

Stop the Clocks

by W. H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,

Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public

doves, 

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

~*~***~*~

My grandparents Reginald and Louisa on their wedding day March 15th, 1930 at Tyldsley Church.

Grandad was a plasterer and Nana was in domestic service.

Four generations:  Baby Frank on his christening day September 21st, 1930 in Ashford, Kent. Seated is his mother Louisa Emily (Aug. 3rd, 1907  - May 13th, 1996), her father directly behind her Edwin Barton (March 15th, 1882-1952) and his father, Alfred Barton ( Oct 19th 1848- Feb 28th, 1932) 

Hyde Park 1931

A perfect little gentleman  1931 or 1932

At the seashore 1932 (take note of the boat)

Nana with Dad on left, and unknown friend and her children 1932

Cub scout, with badminton racket

Joined HMS Ganges in Portsmouth, England as a 'boy seaman', age fourteen, approx 1944

A bit older. A real cutie

Home on leave from HMS Ganges.  Sister Diana in front, Louisa and Reginald, Uncle Albert, his wife Dorothy, Grandfather Edwin and Nan Elizabeth Barton. Circa 1946

Circa 1949

Then Dad served  in the far east: through the Suez Canal, around the horn of Africa,  Malaysia, Bangkok, Singapore and many smaller islands.  Circa 1954-1958

Dad worked with ordinance:  depth charges, mines etc.

Petty officer

Parent's back garden, posing with sister Diana

Chief Petty officer (two stripes!)

Dad in his civvies looking dapper, approx 1954.

Dad and Mum on their wedding day July 31st 1954 (which was also his birthday)

On their honeymoon in Bournemouth

Dad and me, March 1956

Four generations:  Me, Dad, his mother Louisa and my step great grandmother  Elizabeth

Dad loved his cars...

Me and my Dad, 1957-58

Then in September 1960, we emigrated to Canada. After a short stay in Timmins Ontario where Dad worked in a gold mine, we moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he became a police officer.

This was their first little house.

This is the same house in 2012.... my bedroom was the bottom right basement window!

Dad became a member of the Canadian Naval Reserve and below he is receiving an award.

We were in Canada 1960- 1970.  Then we emigrated to Dunedin,  New Zealand. We were there 1970- 1975.   I had also acquired a brother and two sisters by then too.

Dad enjoying the view and fresh air at a friend's beach cottage. Back of the house was on land and front of the house was on  supports in the ocean.

Dad, me at fourteen or so and Mum  approx 1975

Dad worked as a 'costing clerk' for Cadbury's (yes the chocolate people!)   This is a work social party for Christmas.

Dad returned to BC, Canada in 1974. Here he is posing beside a tree on the Malahat, just north of  Victoria, BC. 

Dad Christmas 1975

Dad early 1977

Dad and my siblings,  1975

Dad in his 'mole hole' as he called his computer room. He had won a Commodore 64 system and he learned to use it extensively! He loved computers....

After my mother died in 1995, Dad did some trips to England. Here he is standing outside Commander William Bligh's home (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame) some time between 1996 and 1999

Visiting with his sister Diana .... good, no... great friends!

Dad and Diana took a side trip to Tuscany. Here's Dad is enjoying his dinner and glass of wine.

Dad outside at Tyldsley Church where his parents were married in 1930.

Dad and Diana in Boulogne-sur- Mer

At Diana's home in Charleton Village, Middlesex, England

Sadly Diana passed away in 2012 at age 77.

Dad by a large Ponderosa pine in the Okanagan when he came to visit us there in 1998.

Dad would love to drive out to the Pitt Lake area and then take a long walk along the dyke. He would snap photographs of birds, scenery and enjoy the quiet.   A bit closer to his home was Lafarge Lake and he could reach it with his motorized scooter. 

Here's an example of his photographic work.

Dad, brother Kent and myself enjoying the gardens at the Crow and Gate Pub in Yellow Point, south of Nanaimo, BC. in 2011.  Its a traditional English pub out in the country side and a real delight. 

My snap of Dad as we waited for breakfast.  March 2012

Every Sunday, Dad and Kent would go out for supper. It was their weekly ritual with few exceptions.

Dad modelling his new silk and yak herringbone scarf woven by me. March 2013

Dad had more than his fair share of health issues, including two open heart surgeries, and a hip replacement, but he always bounced back and had a smile. Here he is goofing around with my sister Melinda.

... and here when out for supper, doing selfies. 

Big thumbs up after heart surgery at St Paul's hospital in Vancouver.

Dad became a great grandfather April 2012 when my son and his wife had our grandson Ethan.

Dad meeting Ethan for the first time. He did meet his new great grand daughter Madison but he was in the hospital when she was born and he couldn't hold her unfortunately.

In late 2013  Dad was back in hospital for a hip replacement and generally from that point onwards, his over all health took a slow decline with each return to hospital.

There is no doubt that my Dad had a huge influence on me.  Right from the very start as he raised me for the first six months of my life as my mother was ill.   I can remember coming to Canada as a four year old and walking the SS Empress of Britain with Dad holding my hand.... seeing the large train engine that took us west.    Dad as a police officer giving me rides to school in his patrol car in Saskatoon.  The journey to New Zealand and our later return.

What ever job Dad undertook:  Royal Navy officer, policeman, costing clerk, prison guard, Sheriff,  Fraud Investigator or just learning his new computer, Dad did it well.  His life long hobby of nature photography  meant some nice upgrades in camera equipment, but he would use it to its best performance. His love of computers meant that right until the end he had his iPad handy and he could read emails, and surf the web.

There's a big hole in my life that he used to fill. He didn't really understand my love of weaving but he enjoyed the pictures, handwoven gifts and was very supportive.  He always said it was a shame Mum never saw my weaving as she was an amazing sewer and she would have made beautiful garments from my cloth.  I agree.   It was my mother's love of fabric, and knitting that started me with cross stitch and crochet at age fourteen.   Parents shape you in so many ways. They are also the longest relationship you have with another person (even if you don't know them!)

 I have many memories of Dad to keep me company in the days and years ahead.  I have been working on the family's genealogy for the past year using my Dad's notes. My brother and I plan to do it together now. I think it will be good for both of us....