Joseph Weston's Autobiography, written in 1982

Copy of a typed document in Cyril's files - 22 Feb 2006

Born 23 June 1895, but registered on 24th of a large family, 6 boys and 4 girls at 107 Salmon Lane, Limehouse, and christened at Limehouse Parish Church. Three weeks after my arrival we moved to Upton Park where we remained for seven years, then moving to east ham where, at the age of eleven, my mother died suddenly. This meant another move, this time to Manor Park. Then, at the age of thirteen, I passed what was called the Labour Exam, which enabled me to leave school in 1908.

A cousin, who was a cook on the General Steam Navigation Co. Ship Nautilus, took me with him for a short trip. On this journey the Engineer's Steward failed to join the ship, so I was recruited to become his steward for the voyage, which lasted a little over a week.

My father then found me a job as messenger boy on the Baltic, Mercantile and Shipping Exchange, but I only stayed a few months before moving on to the London Corn Exchange.

It was always my ambition to become an electrician like my eldest brother, so while in this employment I attended evening classes to learn electrical engineering.

Working on the Corn Exchange entailed visiting the docks and wharves of the River Thames, therefore learning much about the river.

Realising that my chances of becoming an electrician were very slight I took private lessons in shorthand and typewriting with a view to better employment. So, at the end of the year, I was able to obtain a post as a typist in the shipping office of a wholesale house in the City of London. A very stuffy office containing several other clerks, but they had a boat house at Putney, also a swimming club. One outstanding memory is that while out practising on afternoon on the river in a light skiff, I was warned of a barge just ahead resulting in what is in rowing circles is 'catching a crab'. This meant that I was tipped into the river. This was just above Hammersmith bridge. Fortunately, another rower was close by, so there was no difficulty as I grabbed the stern of his skiff and, holding on to the bow of mine, he towed me to the bank.

After about a year in this office war broke out which, of course, was August 1914. Returning from camp with the Cadets at Eastbourne my pal and I joined the army. Wanting some work to do and, having done plenty of marching and rifle practice, we chose the artillery.

As we had both learnt signalling in the Cadets we were immediately put on the staff and sent to the Horse Artillery for, what might be called, a 'polish up'.

After about eight months' training with the 12th Division Royal Field Artillery, we were sent off to France, where we were placed in a nice quiet part of the line until September when the Battle of Loos started and I became an early casualty. A heavy shell burst overhead, badly damaging my hearing.

Home to England to be patched up, then to join a newly formed battery of the 41st Division as an instructor and was, once again, put in charge of staff consisting of Signallers, Range Finders, Observers etc.

To France again in the early part of 1916 until the end of the war. I will not recount my war-time experiences as that would entail a book in itself.

Home again in 1919 and, after demobilisation, I returned to the office which was a terrible place to be in after four and a half years of open air so, after a couple of weeks, I left the stuffy place when invited to go up to Lincoln to be with my beloved Minnie, who was a District Nurse there.

After the war unemployment was rife, but I was very fortunate in getting work as a progress clerk in one of the large engineering works.

So, being in work, and everything looking rosy, Minnie and I were married. I would not consider the idea during the war as so many men had done when on leave, then returning to France to be killed shortly afterwards.

After a year redundancy claimed its victim again, but I was fortunate in being engaged in another office, this time to the Cost office of the same company.

Not long after arriving in Lincoln my ears began to give considerable trouble so after visiting the specialist and having a small, but exceedingly painful operation, I was given a small pension which proved to be the stepping stone to my belated ambition to become an electrician.

I applied to the government for a change of employment and training in electrical engineering. This was granted and I enrolled at Loughborough College for a course lasting two years.

I then returned to London and had a long spell of unemployment, eventually obtaining work as an improver with a local firm.

Then it was 1926 and the General Strike and loss of employment with the local firm. This, perhaps, was a blessing in disguise, as I was able to gain experience with other electrical companies, which included work on the new Post Office automatic underground railway, and then to the P and O ships in the Royal Albert Docks.

After this, and while working a long way away, the local firm asked me to return and I readily accepted. I remained with them until 1930, when my ambition was fully realised. The opportunity came to apply for a vacancy with the local council. Succesful in this I remained until retiring age and was given a small pension which has been very useful since.

This is 1982 and I have been retired for 22 years and enjoyed it all, doing the odd jobs about the places we have occupied.

Tragedy came in 1943 when my beloved died, from that dreadful cancer disease, in Aldersbrook Hospital, where she had been a voluntary nurse from the beginning of hostilities.

While our ‘Mum’ was working voluntarily at the hospital a new Assistant matron arrived, and our ‘Mum’ was very thrilled to see her tiny bodily structure. So small and such tiny hands. A lovely person, so sweet.

Soon after this I was detailed to become the maintenance electrician at the Hospital and, in the course of doing this duty, I came into contact with this dear little Assistant Matron on many occasions and this led to a closer friendship which eventually led to our marriage in 1944.

Cyril was called up for service in the Navy in 1943 and had only been away a couple of weeks when our dear ‘Mum’ passed away.

Then, in 1944, another blow. A german landmine exploded in the next street and very badly damaged our house. One redeeming feature was that our ‘Mum’ was not to see her house and home wrecked as it was.

After the house was repaired it was sold. Gladys and I married and rented part of a bungalow at Southend-on-Sea. There, Cyril joined us in 1946, after he was demobilised from the navy, until 1950, when we bought a wooden bungalow at Laindon in Essex, and there we remained until 1960. During this time we saved a little and were able to have a house built in the High Road, close by [?Seal Lodge].

Our next move was in 1963, when Gladys suggested joining up with her two sisters and buying a larger house. We were fortunate in getting a beautiful well-built house in three quarters of an acre of ground [at Feering].

Gladys' sister, Florence, died in 1965.

Shortly after this [1964, actually] Cyril married, so Gladys, Vi and I carried on until 1970, when Vi left to live in her own house in Ipswich [she inherited it from an elderly gentleman, for who she used to care]. Although she used to return for one day each week to help with the garden it was too much for Gladys and I, so we bought a new house on an estate in Colchester, but never again will we live on an estate. Fortunately the house sold very quickly and Vi found our present bungalow, which we bought and settled down in the nicest County and a most friendly village [Great Bealings]. We hope now to spend the rest of our days in this quiet and peaceful place.

Joseph E Weston, 1982