Charlie & Alan
AMANDA JANE WAKELY ‘MANDY’ 1962-2017
The following two reflections on Mandy’s life were read by Reverend Canon Stephen Batty at her funeral on the 9th of April 2017. By her children Paige, Robyn and Lloyd:
She was known to many people as Mandy but to us she was always Mum. Not only was she Mum, she was also our best friend. As far as Mums go we got pretty lucky. Whether it was taking us to football or work, or picking us up from Weymouth at 4am she would always be there. If she was on time or not was a different story. To carry on tradition all three of us went to Thorner's school as Mum did. In fact most people know that she never really left. She had many roles at Thorner's be it a student, parent, fundraiser or beloved member of staff. It always held a very special place in her heart. For many children growing up in the middle of nowhere, we imagine summer holidays could have been slightly dull, but not us! Mum was always just as excited for the summer holidays as we were. She was the only parent we ever heard wishing the holidays lasted 12 weeks instead of 6. We always loved our days out, especially the times Mum, Dad and Nan would take us to the amusements we always knew as "Granny's". Still to this day we're not sure why. Mum was never much of a gambler, but she wouldn't think twice about changing up a week's wages into 2p's just to get her hands on that last "Hello Kitty Keyring". It was the simple things in life Mum loved the most. A day spent with her husband, children and parents couldn't have made her any happier. She had many loves, animals being one. There wasn't any time in our childhood that we remember not having a household pet. Dad unfortunately was allergic to cats, so this limited us to only having two at a time. Even as a Mum she never lost her mischievous side. Everyone and everything had a nickname, whether it was a "Badger named Brian" or a sister named "DW". She herself had the nick name "Bonzo", unfortunately for most there was no escape. She always loved driving, especially her Discoveries. Although, to Dad’s despair, there would always be new scratches that she wouldn't know anything about apart from that one time the hedge jumped out at her. Despite this she still managed to teach us all how to drive and pass first time. Well 2 out of 3 ain’t bad! For Mum family holidays were a must. She always said "I refuse to work hard all year without a holiday at the end of it" and we couldn't have agreed more. Our holidays, however, always seemed to result in a scene from one of Mum’s favourite shows, Benidorm. For starters Dad made sure we got to the airport 6 hours early so not to be at the back of the check-in queue. to this day we've still never been seated together. This was merely a taster of what was to come. Some of our fondest memories are of being on holiday be it Portugal, Canary Islands or Mum’s personal favourite Cyprus. Cyprus is full of some of our best memories. Mum would always partake in what any country would have to offer be it drinking cocktails, cheap fags, swimming, banana boats or learning the local language. Unsurprisingly she would never like to travel around on a conventional mode of transport, camels, horses, quad bikes, tuk tuk's just to name a few. On one of our most recent holidays she decided that Segways would be a good way to see the sights. This was a disaster waiting to happen. 5 people with no balance what-so-ever was only going to end one way. Things got off to a shaky start when one of us crashed into a parked van and so the tour was almost cut short. Mum, as she always did, took charge and led the group. Confidence began to grow quite quickly, certainly in some more than others (Dad). Unfortunately this would be short lived as a steep slope and a busy cafe now stood in our way. Nearly all at the top, we started to grind to a halt. Mum looked behind her to check we were all safe and sound. Unfortunately Dad hadn't quite mastered reverse. The sight that followed was Dad being run over by his own Segway then chasing after it until it crashed into a wall. Meanwhile, without warning, Mum tried to step off with too much force, sending the Segway straight into the tour guide and the busy cafe, causing the chef to recook many dishes. Needless to say our deposits were not returned. Most people grow out of family holidays with their parents but not us. There was nothing more we enjoyed than our yearly holidays and we’re sure you can all see why. If you were to ask Mum for her biggest achievement in life, she would have said her children. For us she couldn't have picked a better thing to focus on. Her family really was her life. She was the most loving, caring and beautiful woman imaginable. She couldn't have done any more for us. Even towards the end, when she became ill, she was always trying to look after us and make sure that we were happy. She will be forever missed but will live on through her family. We love you Mum and we'll see you again one day. Paige, Robyn and Lloyd
By her sister Sandra: Mandy was born at Bridgewater hospital on the 20th May 1962, the first-born child to Ray and Beryl Peach and the first grandchild to arrive for the Peach and Gaines families. When Mandy was born she was baptised immediately as she was very poorly and not expected to live but, because of her strength, courage and determination, she survived. Mandy grew into a bright, healthy and very happy child. She loved being around her family, helping her mother and father. Mandy particularly enjoyed spending time with her Auntie Janet and Uncle John and enjoyed going on holidays with them. In her later life Mandy, Richard and the rest of the family would spend wonderful holidays with her Uncle Bob in Cyprus. Mandy spent many a good time with her much loved Nanny Peach, Uncle Ivor and Auntie Gerry at their Melbury Osmond ‘Walnut Cottage’. Playing in the park, using old push chairs to wheel her younger siblings and cousins Alison, Rachel and Rebeca down though the winding hills, then back to Nanny Peach’s for a bath in front of the fire in a big copper tub. This would be finished off with a delicious piece of homemade cake and a special seat in Nanny’s best lounge to stare in awe at (but not to touch) Grandad Peach’s great dome clock. That beautiful dome clock never failed to amaze Mandy and the rest of us. We would all sit transfixed by the way it would sway and rotate. Mandy attended Thorner’s Primary School where she was a good student and loved her sports and art. She also attended the village Sunday school which she very much loved. Older sister to Sandra and Andrew, (DW and Snorkey as she fondly called them), she had nicknames for most of us, some of us not being aware, Snake, Tina Teaspoon and Phillip Pheasant just to name a few. Sandra and Andrew always looked up to Mandy and she often put both of them in their places, but she was very protective of both of them and they both loved her very much. Many good days as children were spent blackberry picking, searching for mushrooms and paddling in the village stream on a warm summer’s afternoon looking to tickle the trout, provided that the silence wasn't broken by the terrified screams coming from the mouths of Mandy and Sandra as their younger brother Andrew chased them down stream with a bag of live eels (presumably that he had mischievously caught as his two older sisters had their backs turned). It wouldn't be uncommon for days like these to be finished off with some scrumping. To all of you this is a term meaning to help yourself to someone else's fruit, that’s if you are able to climb a tree or two. This was something Mandy prided herself in being the best at although, if you asked her brother Andrew, he would be likely to disagree. Mandy brought much laughter and fun into our lives every day, usually accompanied by cousins David, Stuart and Nicola and, of course, she was very fond of their father Uncle Roger. Mandy grew into a beautiful and talented young woman. She then attended the Sir John Colfox School in Bridport. This was something Mandy had little time for as she had more important things to attend to but, in between studying and giving the boys in her year a good hiding, she managed to achieve many ‘O’ levels. She particularly shone in art and cookery. Mandy was a strong character in mind and body. She was loyal and trustworthy. Tell her a secret and it would never be told. She was always ready to back you up and support you in every way. Her mother was her best friend and her father was her hero. She always looked up to them and loved us all. Speaking of love, Richard, the first and only love of Mandy's life, loved Mandy from the first day they met. She loved him even though he was always in trouble with Mandy, always taking the blame for everything even if he was not there, but Richard took it in his stride. Mandy’s greatest success was her three beautiful children Lloyd, Robyn and Paige. She was so proud of them all and, in later years, granddaughter Isla, first born child to Lloyd and Leonine. What more can any of us ask for? They were her life and her world, she needed no more. Now our love, sorry you had to leave so soon. Please don't wait, just be waiting when we come to look for you. For now go on as we will follow, but just not yet. Shine your light and we will find you. On earth there was no tree too tall for you to climb, no river to wide for you to cross.no flame too dim to burn for you, go on. Sandra
ANDREW & PEGGY PATERSON
Andrew was born in 1918 as Andre Vizier at St Claud in the Charente Departement of the Nouvelle Aquitaine region of France. His father was a member of the Maquis (the French Resistance) and was made a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion D’honneur having lost an arm during the first world war. At the outbreak of the second world war Andre joined the French Navy as a stoker. Following the scuttling of the French fleet in November 1942 he eventually managed to join the British Navy. At the end of the war Andre found himself in Liverpool as a Chief Petty Officer and, together with a friend, was offered British nationality provided he changed his name. Looking out of the window they saw a Carter Paterson (road haulage) lorry so Andre became Mr Andrew Paterson and his friend Mr Carter! Peggy was born on the 6 th of June 1925. Her connection with Litton Cheney arises from her father George Tompkins taking a dairy job with Col Wordsworth at Baglake – Peggy says he got the job having told the Colonel that “he had been milking cows since he was 8, once before school and once after”. The family lived at Riverside, Puddlehole as it was then known and Peggy’s Mum and Dad continued to live there in retirement the arrangement with Col Wordsworth being that the cottage was theirs for life plus 2 pints of milk a day and as much firewood as was needed. Maybe the excitement of Litton Cheney during the war was insufficient for young Peggy as she took herself off to Weymouth where she lived with Gordon Moxom’s parents helping Gordon’s mother with the running of her guest house there. This move proved a shrewd one for Peggy as one of the lodgers turned out to be a dashing young French sailor by the name of Andrew Paterson, recently transferred to the Royal Navy from the French Navy. Despite the heavy bombing of Weymouth and consequent move of Peggy back to Litton the entente cordiale clearly survived the war and Peggy and Andrew were married in 1945. For the remaining 6 years of Andrew’s naval service they lived in Portsmouth and then for a short while in Yeovil where Andrew got a job with Westlands where he spent the rest of his working life. In 1956 they moved to 1 Townsend Cottages, Litton Cheney, where they lived together until Andrew’s death on the 6 th of July 2007 aged 89 years. His memorial service was held at St Mary’s Church on the 13 th of July. Peggy died on the 19 th of February 2018. Her memorial service was held at St Mary’s Church on the 16 th of March.
60th Anniversary Party
IN MEMORIAM - CONTEMPORARY
RAY PEACH 1941-2020
Eulogy given by Bob Peach 10 th February 2020: As Ray's brother, I recognised three big aspects of Ray: First - Ray the family man Family was all and everything to Ray. His family came first. He loved being in a family; his parents' family, Beryl's family and his own close, Litton Cheney, family. Second - Ray the Dorset man Ray the rural man. In all his years he never lived in a town. He lived almost all his life in this part of Dorset. Like a stick of rock, Ray had "Dorset" running through him. Third - Ray's skills and personality He could turn his hand to anything and, goodness knows, he was a personality. That saintly smile. His skills with kids – I know my three children so loved their Uncle Raymond - he was full of clever “nonsense”. Ray was born in Melbury Osmond, just a dozen miles from here, the third child of Bert and Kath Peach. He had a brother Ivor and sister Janet. In the first five years of his life a million Americans left the south of England bound for the Continent. Many were based in and around Melbury Osmond and Melbury Park. His smiles gained him a lot of American cookies and candy. I was born when Ray was four, a home birth. When the midwife announced my arrival Ray expressed his disappointment by saying "I wanted a Jeep". Dad and school Our dad, Bert, was well known in the area. He was a carpenter; a sawsmith and mender of watches and clocks. Of the four of us Ray was the only one to inherit Bert's ability to make and mend things. Dad was a hero to Ray. They even looked alike. Initially Ray attended the village school in Melbury then, at age 11, moved on to the school in Evershot. After a spell working on a farm Ray was apprenticed as a welder in far off Sherborne. This was his introduction to motor bikes. So many motorcycle stories could be told! Late one night a police car arrived at our house. Minutes afterwards Ray arrived, freewheeling his motor bike, no engine noise. The police knocked on the door; Mother was raised from her bed. She was less than amused at the policeman even suggesting that Ray had been riding a motor-cycle, no L-plates, lights missing, not taxed and not in a road-worthy condition. She told the police Ray was in bed, wrapped up and warm, she had no intention to wake him. He had been there for hours. The police left. He was indeed in bed, still wearing a large coat and a crash helmet, but he was in bed. I was watching from the next bed, amazed. He had got away with things again! He smiled at me, pulled his goggles down over his eyes and pretended to go to sleep. The marriage At age 20 Ray married Miss Beryl Gaines, from the village of Aller, Langport, Somerset. Beryl - the love of his life. After a short courtship Ray and Beryl were married and stayed together for 59 years. Mum and Dad came to love Beryl a lot - she was welcomed into their family. This was ultra-important to Ray - Family again. Of course Ray also joined the Gaines family and stayed close to them to his end. Apart from her parents, Beryl had nine siblings. Many a story can be told of Raymond and the Gaines family - especially with Roger who moved to Dorset to be near his sister. Ray and Roger once rather famously got lost at sea - but that's a story for another time. The wedding The wedding reception was in a public house in Langport. My memory includes the landlord drinking more than all the guest put together. He did a drunken monologue - all about Gran's yellow hat and how, in his opinion, she thought she was the Queen Mother. Dear Gran was not amused, but Ray had his arm around her saying, "don't listen to him Gran - it's a lovely, lovely hat". Ray always had a way with the ladies. All was well. It was a very memorable wedding. The first child Then the arrival of Miss Mandy Peach – the first grandchild on either side of the family. What an event - four dotting grandparents and twelve aunts and uncles. Mandy was not too well when she arrived and whole family held their breath for several days until finally the all-clear was sounded. Ray was the proudest and happiest dad. Litton Cheney After a while of living and working in Aller, Ray joined his brother, Ivor, working as an artificial inseminator for the Milk Marketing Board. Ray was based in Bridport; Ivor was at the main centre in Sturminster Newton. Some good fortune smiled on Ray when he met Major Golding, a farmer in Litton. The major offered some part-time work together with a house Ray and his family could rent. Ray, Beryl and Mandy moved into School Lane, Litton Cheney, in 1964. Mandy eventually being joined by Sandra and Andrew. Later they bought the house from the Major. Ray and his family lived there for 56 years, raising a family in that happy house. Of course things didn't stop there and over the years Ray's family grew by the addition of two husbands, a wife, eight grandchildren and a great grandchild. Ray and his family in beautiful Dorset. It's impossible to say how much he loved his children and their children. He loved being Dad, Gups and Granddad. Dorset I said at the start how much Dorset featured in Ray's life. I wonder if there's anyone who knows this neck of the woods better than Ray. His exploits on his motor-cycles in his bachelor days. His many years with the MMB driving up every farm track. His days driving a cattle lorry for South-West Farmers (again working with his brother Ivor). His years with his news-agent business, delivering papers all over this part of Dorset, often ably assisted his own children and nephews David and Stuart. Ray the Pied Piper. Happy memories. He spent many years at Bagwell Farm where his ability to do a multitude of tasks made him a holiday park celebrity - many of the regular visitors were charmed by Ray's good humour and his ability to fix anything. The children loved visiting the petting farm with him, marvelling at the donkeys and highland cattle - Ray the Pied Piper again. Added to this he still had his entrepreneurial exploits dehorning, branding, welding and the heating/boiler trade. My memories of Ray in Dorset A battered Land-Rover, Percy the Jack Russell acting as navigator, arm out the window, a cigarette on the go. Ray about as happy as a man can be. Yes - every nook and cranny of this end of Dorset has seen Raymond Peach and all Ray's roads led to Litton Cheney, to his home, to his family. How appropriate that we are gathered here today in Litton where Ray loved to be. His final resting place, close to Mandy, both of them together in peace.
Next Page Previous Page Next Page Previous Page a village in the Bride Valley Litton Cheney Dorset
Village Information v
Local Amenities v
Village Amenities v
About Litton Cheney v
Dorset Council v
Parish Council v