AUTOBIOGRAPHY
THE LIFE OF WILLIAM JAMES HUNT: TOWARDS LATER YEARS
CHAPTER 10
My younger brother Arthur was a right show off person, he had got my mother a great big cross of Flowers. It would have been a lot better while she was alive, if he had done right to her as he had promised my Dad, I would have appreciated Arthur much more. After the funeral Edith and I went up to her sister's for tea (supper in Canada). Then we went back about two hours later to my brother George's home. When I knocked on the door, Eric, my brother George's eldest boy, met us. He told us, "Oh! Uncle Bill, you have missed the terrible thing that uncle Arthur did." He went on to tell us that while we were up with Nancy, a man from the British Legion came to ask for Mrs. Parkinson (that was our Win's married name), Eric called on uncle Arthur, as Aunty Win did not come to the funeral.
When Arthur asked him what did he want her for, the man said, "I want to give her the money due from the Legion." Apparently, Arthur thought that our Mam had signed for Win to claim the money. Arthur went really mad, because the man would not give him the money! He told the Agent that he was the one that had paid the payments of the insurance each month after our Dad died. What he did, after this discussion, was to go down to the cemetery, where he picked up his big Flower Cross, he had for his mother, took it back to the house and in front of everyone there he tore it to bits. I could not believe, what they told me I was really disgusted with him, he should have found out first instead of doing such a discussing thing in front of everyone.
He did not know that I found out what our Win had done with the Insurance Money. I did not happen to know, at that time, what she had done with the British Legion funds. If I had been there, I could have told him. When we arrived there, after getting back from Nancy's, it was all over and cleaned up, I told all of them that were still there, what Win had done about the Life Insurance Policy, I had never told anyone what our Win had done, But some one must have told him, I heard later that when our Win went down the next time to Wales, he went out of his way to find her, he broke her nose, and she took him to court and he got six months in prison. This is what I was told later by my brother George, I have never been in touch with Arthur since, and never will. When I visit Wales I always ask Nancy if she has any news of him each time her answer has been "NO". (I sure was disguised with him after I heard what had gone on,) and do not know if he is still living! To this day (2005).
(Arthur was basically dis-owned even by his own children, such was his bad nature. Dad and I found out after 2005 he had died of Alzheimer's decease. Only one of his daughters would look after him during his last months of life - Keith Hunt)
After my Mother passed away on May 14th 1967, we still had a few years going down to Wales, for our holidays. Then, we started saving as much money as we could, for us to be able to start preparing for our retirement, either back to Wales or Canada, as I said before. Every other year we started having our main holiday to stay with our Son, for all our future Canadian holidays. Keith went out in April 1960. On September 11th of that year, he was eighteen years old.
(Dad had the dates wrong. I left for Canada in May 1961 at age 18. I still have the original passport - Keith Hunt)
Our first holiday in Canada was in 1968. Keith was by that time 26 years of age. A long time away from us! Still we had our Lord God bringing children to us, as he knew we loved all children and enjoyed their company but it would have been better if our Keith had stayed at home and married his school girl friend Pauline. Edith and I still enjoyed our holidays in Canada with all his children we kept in touch with.
We went to Canada every two years after that. We had a nice time in 1970. We met a lot of Keith's friends, they were very nice people, and at that time they all belonged to, "The Worldwide Church of God"……
(My life with the Worldwide Church of God is all stated on my website…..a bitter sweet relationship - Keith Hunt)
Now we are back U.K. and back to work once more, and trying to save as much as we could ready for our trip to Canada in 1972. Till then we would visit our home village in Wales. We went down to Wales every other year for our holidays, after Keith left us to go to Canada we never went anywhere except Wales, we were happy doing that, we saw our family as much as we could. I remember that year well as I was now in a position at work to afford to buy an Organ instead of my dream of playing a piano. I have loved music. From my young days but money was very small in my time and my parents could not afford to buy me any instrument, my first choice would have been at that time a set of Drums which I loved playing.
(Dad had exceptional "rhythm" - he played the spoons like magic to the beat of songs on the radio; yes he would have been a great drum player - Keith Hunt)
When I was much older and able to buy one for myself things had changed in my life now I loved the sound of the Organ, there were a lot more instruments on the market and much smaller ones, I went to the shop to look at them I ended up by purchasing one in Halifax. I had been practicing for a few months with the organ as a long card came with the numbers of the keys on it and a book with songs you could play, the one I liked best was "Spanish Eyes." (If you have read my story up to this point you will realize that when I worked in the coal-mines and had all that extra money, I could have used it to buy what instruments I always wanted in the music line, instead I knew my mother needed money so I gave it all to my Mother).
(Dad was indeed always a generous man; he gave me pocket money all through my school years; but also taught me to use it wisely, i.e. when I wanted my first guitar at age 11, he told me to save up for it out of my pocket money, and I did - Keith Hunt)
We were going down to Wales on holiday in 1971 we made a visit to Nancy's son and daughter in law Barbara on the farm. They had a daughter Lesley I think she was around 10 years old at the time, and I soon found that she had got an organ just like the one I had. Just purchased. Well it did not take us long to get together and start playing a tune, it was Spanish Eyes and one that Lesley liked. I was really happy, we spent a lot of time together, she was a lovely little girl, we both enjoyed playing the organ for hours.
It was a nice warm day outside, later we went up the top field with all the other children, I really enjoyed that day, I was hoping that the next time we had a holiday in Wales, Lesley and I would be able to have time together once again, I still kept my organ until we emigrated to Canada. I can't remember why Lesley and I never had the opportunity to get together again, still, I never will forget Lesley to this day, I enjoyed playing with her, and that was a very nice day and the time I had with her, I enjoyed very much.
We only had a week to go before we went back home, we did travel around like we always do, and as usual I went down to see to my Mam and Dad's grave. I always put flowers on and cleaned it up.
Now we are on our way back to Halifax. We stayed to have dinner at the "Little Chef" then it was a non stop all the way home. We had a nice day all the way for a change. The next day we had plenty to do in the garden. We both worked really hard throughout those years, and our home in Elland was a "picture" when we got to the end of those first eight years it took us to complete it, the way we had planned it from the very beginning.
(Oh indeed it was quite the home. Dad did his skilled "paint graining" that I've never seen anyone do better; and he build a fish pond of concrete that could have been used as a swimming pool, it was so large and deep. Dad had what they call a "green thumb" in the garden - just made gardens most beautiful - Keith Hunt)
We made a very big profit when we eventually sold the Rancher in April 1972. It cost us 3,000 pounds with extras and sold it for 13,500 pounds. We bought a Street house for 1600 pounds. The idea was to get big money behind us, our choice was Wales or immigrate to Canada. We still had not made our minds up when I retired. We fell in love with Canada during our visits there, that was our aim in life, and with all God's help we have had through those years we knew we would make it to one or the other, eventually we kept swishing from one to the other, as we couldn't make our minds up.
Before we decided to immigrate to Canada and during our one week Easter or spring holidays, we went to look at nice small county places all over England and Wales. We had found one down in Wales and I bought the land to build a home there, I put a thousand pounds down with the Lawyer, and he did not know at that time that there was no building plans on that ground, so six weeks later we ended up having our money back. Then it was definitely for us now to immigrating to Canada. This was again the work of the Lord God guiding us to where he really wanted us to be. God was guiding me to Canada, it's all in my story!
We are in our last week working before leaving for our holidays to Canada in 1972. We had every thing booked and were leaving Saturday morning from Manchester…..
Your Mother worked in the mill and that was not an easy job. That was why I had been receiving all my life the Guidance of God. Because I always give my best and that was how God give us a good life, and we tried to pass it on to you….
Perhaps you sometimes wonder how you came to like music so much. Well, I was the same, when I was growing up I wanted to learn to play the drums. Later on, I also wanted to play the organ, as my Dad (your Grandpa) was very musical, also. He played the mouth organ, and was "stone deaf" from an early age. But, my Mam and Dad could not afford to buy me a drum kit or pay to have lessons. You were lucky that you could save to buy what you wanted. I know I could have saved when I went into the coal mains, (which was a very-very hard job), I did not save money to buy a Drum set, instead I give all my extra money to my Mother because I knew she needed it. I also knew how good a Mother I had.
I realized that money was very small in those days, and our parents could not help us, when your mother and I got married, we had to buy one thing at a time. This was the way we lived for most of our early years together. That also continued for a long while after we got married. And I never did get my Drum set. It was after you went to Canada I could afford a small Organ.
I also loved singing and I was very good at that time, many a time I was told I had a very good voice. That will come up again when I was in Australia. Just look how God gives to children that are disabled, and to grow up like my Dad who was "stone deaf' in the early years of his married life and could play so good. I have seen so many case's on the T.V. God always gives them something that they are good at doing in their life (that's why God gave me a long time memory). To be able to remember my life story because I did not have collage Education.
Our holiday in Canada is over. Now we are at the Airport, ready to set off back to Halifax. We were going back to the same old routine, day after day. We did have nights out with our close friends at the weekend, and went dancing a lot, in those days. This was the "icing on our cake" of our mundane life. Still we were very happy working at our jobs. Our good Lord God was looking after us, and our life got better and better. We also believe in helping others whenever we had a chance and I still do that today. When I was faced with all the good and bad things in life, I always came out on top with the guidance of our Lord God Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 11.
We were due to come out to Canada in 1973. That is the time in our life that Edith and I decided to come out every year if we had the money. Keith surprised us, in or around April 1973, when he rang us to ask if he and Dean with their new baby named Kaiola could come over to stay with us. He wanted to work over here. We were so happy to think that our Keith was finally coming home. They arrived soon after. The next day he asked me to take him to the Labour exchange to look for work, (I did not know that he could claim unemployment money.) Anyway, he did find a job in his trade it was a long way to travel. I set him up with a small car, as Keith got a job in the next town. He would have to travel each day, it was in his trade of "shoe making." In the meantime, I got Dean an easy job at the place where I worked, through Joyce, who was running the factory with me. We did not need a girl, but we decided to hire her anyway, all she had to do was sit at the end of the machine, and make sure wrapped sweets were in good packets coming off.
When I told Dean, she would not hear of it. "I will not work in a factory. I never have, and I never will!" So Dean stayed home and Keith worked. I had to get Keith a loan from my bank (as you were from Canada, they could not give you a loan). Keith would pay me back, when he started working. After working only three weeks with that job, Dean gave me the news, that Keith was finishing at the end of the third week. This is how she told me. "What do you think Dad, Keith is packing that job up on Friday." I asked her, "Why?" Her answer was, "They have old machinery." I then asked her, "Are they expecting his work out quicker?" "No," she said. That's when Dean showed her "true colours," as she got me into trouble with Keith because she told him a lie. You know Keith, I was never the same to her after that, no more was she going to "load a gun for me to fire."
This is what I said to her, "But that's not the way to do it; he should stay in that job until he finds another one." I was right, and tried to teach my son, the right way all my life. But at the time, it seemed that I was wasting my time, as you can't put an old head on young shoulders.
He decided to go down to Wales, we did not know what his idea was, we found out later he was trying to find work down there, they stayed with Aunty Nancy until she told them if they found work they would also have to find a house to live as she was not going to have them staying with her, but uncle Len could not find him a house so they returned back to us. If we had stayed in Wales where there was no work to suit me, you sure would not have had as nice a living as you did have in Halifax believe me!
One afternoon we got a van arrived at our door with some furniture, to drop of for Keith hunt. We had no room to store it so we had to send it back to the store and told the driver to store it for them.
The next thing we knew, Keith had found a job down in Newmarket, on the Racehorse "stud farm." He was working with the horses for breeding and selling. Keith and his family did move down there. We still did not hold it against them for not keeping us in the picture they had a very nice cottage on the farm.
Edith and I went down to see them every holiday that they were there. The second time we went to visit them and little Kaiola they were not at home. They had asked their neighbour to "watch" for us, and so we were at the neighbour's house having a cup of tea, when Keith and his family came home with the dearest little puppy in Keith's pocket, and also a tiny kitten. The puppies little head was sticking out, and he was sure an adorable puppy. "We saw it in the window and it was the only one there, so we couldn't pass him up Dad," he said, smiling. Edith and I had a good time with the puppy, too. They called her "Trixey" how did we end up with her will come into the story later.
Keith worked there for about eight months. The long hours of work were finally "catching up" with him and so he sought work at another Horse Farm, at Newmarket. This time, one that had "show" horses. Keith worked there and was in charge of five other men to keep the place "running." The horses won Three Trophies as a result of his efforts. They received Two Firsts and a Second on their first showing. Dean helped Keith get the horses ready for "showing." It was here, that I decided to put in a cement porch and rain gutter for them, as the mud was bad. I'm sure they appreciated my efforts. Keith still remembers that today.
Each time, we were able to get away from work and visit Keith, Dean, and little Kaiola we had a really good time we really fell in love with Newmarket and we went down to see every holiday. Kaiola had grown and grown it seemed, each time we saw her. We did enjoy our visits with them. We also liked Newmarket as it was out in the country and it was the first place we ever found that had the fish that Raymond told us about, it was called Rock salmon, I really liked that and we went to the little town and when we called into the Fish and Chip shop there was a notice saying: "Rock salmon cooked to order." I ordered some and believe me it was very nice. We went in a few times while we were with Keith and Dean and we never told them we had our dinner out.
When Dean's one year was up they sent a letter from the Immigration Office to find out if she was staying or going back to Canada. Keith and Dean made their minds up to go back to Canada for whatever reason. This was late 1974. Edith and I found out when they returned to Canada that it was Dean that did not like living in England. We had a nice two weeks with them up at our home in Clover Hill, Savile Park in Halifax, before they left for Canada. "Trixey" became our dog then, as they couldn't take her with them.
Trixey was a definite "welcome addition" to our lives, to help fill the spot of emptiness at all of them leaving England. It was first intended that "Trixey" be sent for, at a later date. However, this proved too costly, and after a few months, Edith and I wanted to keep her anyway. No way did we really want to give her up. So everything worked out fine for us. We really enjoyed having her she made a big change to our life and turned out to be so faithful to both of us, she turned out to be our wonderful dog. We had her until we immigrated to Canada.
CHAPTER 12
In November that year just after Keith and Dean had returned to Canada in December 1974. They eventually settled in Whitby, Ontario. Keith began again teaching "music" as his main job. However, he was working for another person's Music Academy. This is where he would only be making a small part of the actual Music Fee. Therefore he would not be making enough money to "keep" his family. He did not know that he should teach music for himself and take the full Music Fee. It only pays, when you have the students come to your home. This way, it is less expense and time for you and more money. He didn't want to stop teaching music, so he continued to work for the Music Academy at a very low wage.
Keith and Dean had another child the next year a baby boy. Born in Oshawa, Ontario. This was in the year of 1975. They called him Ty Roy. When Edith and I came for a holiday in (1976), we saw them then. He was just a little toddler. We really enjoyed being in Whitby, as we have often told Keith, it was like living in Wales, out in the country. We also enjoyed that holiday. Every day we went out somewhere. I took lots of photos of the beautiful places Keith and Dean had taken us to. I ended up with three rolls of film with 36 pictures in each
roll. I always had a camera with me. I have lots of pictures.
We had a beautiful photo of that big canal (Welland canal) one the largest Lift Locks in the world, what a beautiful sight that was. I can't remember the names of all the places we visited. That was the best time we had with them. The weather was so lovely, too. Sun day after day. We enjoyed our time there. But all good things must come to an end. Sadly, we were in our last few days before returning home. That was the first time we did not look forward to returning to England. This time I was looking forward to having those films developed as we were hoping to show our friends what lovely places we had been to.
We had another good flight to Manchester and again our friends were waiting to take us home. The first thing I did was getting my rolls of film out, and posting them off to have them "developed." I was looking forward to receiving them back. I must tell you right low the bad news. After waiting a month, they still had not been returned to us. I got in touch with the company and they sent back to say they had moved and never received the three rolls of film. We were in touch with them a few times. I again, wrote to them, and told them without doubt they had been stolen. It was either at their place or at the post office. Later on they wrote to us and said they had been in touch with the post office and sent the copy of their letter. They would check all the bags to make sure the films were not missed. They had my address and would let me know.
After a three months wait, they sent us a letter to say, there was no trace of them. However, they would keep on checking. Politely, they suggested, "If you do send any more film, would you please register them." It was not my fault, I did ask the guy in our post office in Halifax if I needed to "register" them, but he told me they would be okay. You can imagine Edith and my disappointment that we went through; I will never send my films away again.
We came out for our next holiday in l978. As I already said we loved that place at Whitby our last holiday we spent there. I found that one of my supervisors, Walt, had a sister-in-law living in Ajax, which was only five miles away from Whitby. Walt and Mary were also coming over the same time as Edith and I was planning to go. We arranged to visit them, at the home of their sister-in-law, over in Ajax. I had the phone # from Walt and arranged to give him a ring and make arrangements to visit him for the day.
We set off to Ajax, by bus, and Walt was there to meet us, and take us to his sister-in-laws. We had a full day with them, and had a walk around to see the whole little town and it was a very nice sunny day. We enjoyed the barbecue, when we had all our holidays in Canada. Walt and Mary only had a months holiday. We had six weeks that year. Before we left that night, we wished them a very pleasant journey home. I told Walt I would see him at work in two weeks. We thanked them all for a wonderful day, and said our goodbyes. Walt took us to the bus station to get our bus back to Whitby. The next two weeks we had a nice time travelling around shopping and doing other things to finish our holiday in Whitby.
We are now on our way to the Airport to fly back to Manchester. We again had a good flight all the way to Manchester Airport, our friends were there to pick us up and takes us home to Halifax. So, now we are back to our regular life in Halifax. Edith and I were working, and enjoying our leisure time together. Trixey, our dog, was still with us, and I was still taking her for walks and we both enjoyed her company. We went down to Wales for our two weeks holiday in the summer of 1977. Time passed, our bank account grew, and we began to look forward to our next trip to Canada.
It was 1978 our long awaited trip to Canada had arrived. We had now made all arrangements to leave for Canada, Walt and Mary had driven us to Manchester Airport, we had a little to eat before boarding and to give Walt and Mary payment for taking us and made arrangements for them to pick us up on our return. We boarded the plane with great anticipation and excitement!
The rest of that year we just stayed around Halifax doing our usual things around our home working and we still had our Trixey with us, and who could have wished for anything better.
When we got back to work after our holidays, I got the news that the firm was asking, in a letter sent to all staff, there was a letter waiting for me asking me to let the personal office know how many people I had within two years of Retirement that would like to retire early. The letter had been sent to all the stuff. I sent the list of those that would like early retirement. They would be paid two years wages. When I read that, I rang personal up, and inquired if that was including the staff, as I was within eighteen months of retirement. Miss. Farrar, the Personal Officer (manager) told me that it did not cover the staff. She asked if I wanted to leave them. When I gave my reply, she laughed and said, "I will see what I can do for you, as you have been with us a very long time. As soon as I have any information, I will let you know." I said my prayers at night and asked God to help me to get early retirement.
It was two weeks later, when our personnel officer came to see me with the good news that the management had given me permission to retire. I had been so good working all those years with Rowntree-Mackintosh that they had no hesitation in granting me permission to retire early. I only had eighteen months to the end of my time, anyway. I got paid right up to my official Retirement Date, without any usual stoppages. This suited me very much, as we could now go to Canada, for twelve months holiday, to stay in Kelowna B.C. as we had been told to visit there if deciding where we wanted to settle in that vast country. I was so pleased and surprised that I had been successful. It was March 1st 1984. I told you that that date came into my life a lot in the service and my working days. I finished work and went into Retirement straight away.
When I came home that night, Edith there, as she had retired two years earlier, She was upstairs. When I came home that night, I shouted to her, "I got very good news today! What do you think, love? They're retiring me early!" At first Edith was delighted, but unbelieving. I had to tell 2 or 3 times. Finally, the good news sunk in. We decided to get the wheels turning to plan a twelve months holiday in Canada to see how we liked it. I got straight in touch with Mr and Mrs White, the people we had met before in Canada, I asked if I need any advice from them. I wrote to them to ask them if it would be possible for them to find us some rooms for us to stay for twelve months. They sent straight back to let us know that it would not be a problem.
We had made our booking to go to Canada for our twelve months holiday to see if we liked living in Kelowna B.C. We were going to be very busy getting things sorted out ready for leaving. All my friends came to see us and give us any help they could, I told them when we return from our long holiday we may need help but at the moment we're only going on holiday to see if we like the place, I had already told them what Randy had told us about his place in Kelowna. We were very busy sorting everything out to set off. I kept in touch with Mr and Mrs White asking about different things that I still wanted to know about, they put us in the picture and stated that they knew of the place where we could stay, and also said that we did not have to be worried as there was lots of places to pick from. Now all we had to do was get ready to go. We kept corresponding to Canada, until we had booked to fly out to Kelowna. We were very busy getting our home all set up for the time we would be away. We had our neighbour across from us looking after our home while we were away. Our friends came to help us to get our place right, we gave her the keys to keep everything nice and clean until we came back home, we kept in touch by phone.
The White's found us a nice place to stay for the twelve months, for us to see if we liked it there. When we arrived in Canada, we had no problem at Vancouver When we went to the immigration office to ask for twelve months stay, we had it granted. We first stayed with, Wilfred and Doris for the first week. Boy! That was enough time to stay with Wilfred. They took us to visit the apartment that they had got for us. We met Mary and Lorne, our new Landlords. We paid the rent from the 1st of July 1984.
We enjoyed saying with Lorne and Mary. They took us all over the place to visit different towns and sites around Kelowna. They even took us for a trip to the United States! They gave us a loan of a little car, just for putting gas in it, so we were able to be independent, during the week as they were both working. Wilfred and Doris could not have found us a better couple to live with, they were both wonderful to Edith and I. We still had Doris and Wilfred as close friends and visited them often to play cards during the day.
We enjoyed staying by ourselves in the Apartment some days during the winter. Edith and I were used to being able to do whatever we wanted. With Mary and Lorne we could do that any time. Our stay with Wilfred and Doris, although, quite bearable, it was Wilfred that was the awkward one, he did not like us up early in the morning making a cup of tea before he got up, the trouble was they did not go to bed until after 2 a.m.
We were glad to get away from Wilfred, I know he did not like us there because we did not live the same as himself and when he was with us earlier he said before he left to go back to London the first week with us will be free, that did not materialize, Doris was so different to him and we liked being with her. We still kept in touch when we returned to Kelowna and often we went over to visit them and play cards, with their friends.
Edith and I ended up deciding that this was the place we wanted to settle down in - Kelowna. The year passed quickly, then it was getting close to Christmas 1984. We again had a wonderful time over the holiday with Mary and Lorne. We enjoyed ourselves and had lots of fun with Mary doing the Indian Dance. We were with Mary and Lorne the rest of that year 1985, and we had a very nice Christmas period with them. Mary was quite a "comedian" and entertained us with her impersonations of different people. Edith and I enjoyed that time Mary had off from work. At that time she worked in Woolworth's Stores, in downtown, Kelowna.
January in the New Year, 1986 we saw in the paper, a home for rent by the collage, on the way to the mission, south of Kelowna. We went to see it with Mary, and we liked it very much. The rent was $535 a month, which we could afford. We planned to stay there until we could buy our own place. We moved in at the end of January 1986. The house was just a little way out from town centre, and it was on the way to our friends, Wilfred and Doris, who lived in the Mission, that was only ten minutes away by car from our friends Mary and Lorne and closer to Wilfred and Doris, so we could keep in touch with them, and only a few minutes from town centre. I could nip into town to do our shopping it was very handy.
Mary and Lome helped us to move in and by that time I had got my own car. It did not take us long to visit either of our friends, so we were in a nice home. We used to visit them in turn, and then they would come to us the next week and so on. It was nice to be out in the country. We loved it there and I looked after that place like I would my own! I have a lot of pictures of our time there, especially in winter, when the ducks used to come to us for food. We very frequently visited our friends, Mary and Lorne……..
(Dad missed out completely how they had to go back to England, sell their house, pack things to be shipped over to Canada; and that I had to sign them into Canada, meaning they would not be allowed to go on any "social service" money for 10 years, if hard times came. It would all fall on me to care for them. Of course I knew that would not happen as Dad was getting a very good company pension as well as a British pension when he turned 65. They came then as landed immigrants, and 5 years later they became Canadian citizens. They did buy a new built bungalow and Dad made the garden as beautiful as always, with his "green thumb." I was in the Toronto area during those first years my parents were in Kelowna - Keith Hunt)
WE ARE NOW INTO THE NEW YEAR 1993.
Edith and I had a very quiet celebration as usual we stayed up to welcome in the New Year. Edith was not very well so we did not go or have our friends over to celebrate this time. We had a church just across the road from us, I was still hoping we could go to church on Sunday but each time I asked her she did not want to go, she said to me many a time "You go Dad, I will be okay" - but I would not go without her. I was hoping that Edith will soon be back to her normal health as we are planning to go over that summer to U.K. You know we had been looking around for a nice country place to move in 1994 (June) when come into the Canadian pension, we are looking forward to that year also. We still were back bowling until the end of April. We were busy getting things ready to go over to U.K. We were hoping to stay 3 months this time as you never know what can happen as you get older.
I believed that with God's help we would get to U.K. for three months.
During the summer of 1992 we had been looking around a few places out in the country of the Okanagan. One day when we were bowling I was talking to one of the players on the other team (he was also from England) and I mentioned that we had been looking around for a nice place to spend the rest of our time here when he asked me if I had been to Keremeos as he thought how nice a place it was, and he would like to live there. I went on to tell him we had been to look around and we liked it very much and had already decided that was where we would go, out of all the places we had seen, we did fancy Keremeos, and so, we made arrangements to go there, even before Dorothy told us about it.
I noticed that Edith was getting worse in health, so I did not talk about moving to her.
When Dorothy told us she was moving to Keremeos, we were surprised, but now we never mentioned anything about us definitely going for sure! We did not unpack a lot of things at Westview Village, as we were not expecting to stay there. Later on, things did not materialize, the way we had planned it. Edith's health was not very good and had started to deteriorate, I asked God to keep her going as I wanted to take her to U.K. as it might be the last time we could make it. Well we did manage to get Edith over there for a holiday. I was saying my prayers quietly and thanked God for keeping her well enough to make it.
Our planes were to have a long holiday in England and Wales, Edith and I went over for three months, and we had a great holiday! We did not know at that time it would be Edith's last holiday in England and Wales. In Crynant our home village in Wales, we visited all our old friends as we usually do, I was so glad we got around okay, although the weather was not all that great, but we enjoyed ourselves. We made a nice video in the garden at Len and Peg's place. I think that was the best week we had all the time we were there! We did travel round most days to the old spots we used to visit when we lived there, over those years. We were there three weeks, and then it was time to say goodbye to all our families, and hope to see them, all being well the following year. We left to go back to Halifax, England.
On our way back to Halifax, we did stop to look around Knighton and Presteign. This was where Edith and I worked before I got called up for the Services. We often called, to see if our work friends were still around. We did not stop more than a few days in the hotel. Edith and I didn't get much success this time, in trying to see a lot of our friends the last day we were there, I was outside the hotel, when a man was walking his dog. I stopped him, and asked him if he was there during the war. He was there! When I told him my time there, he remembered it, and knew my Boss! I mentioned to him that I was trying to fine him or others that worked there, I asked him if the boss stayed in Knighton, or whether he went back to Coventry. The man said that my Boss, Rob Boardman, married a woman who lived in Knighton, I told him, I knew her, as well. He said that my Boss had retired and that he lived, just the other side of town, but did not know his address. He told me to call at the post office. They did not find my Boss's address, I guess he had moved to the next village. So we set off back to Halifax Yorkshire, as I knew Edith was not up to it. I was thinking I would make our stay there longer, the next time we came over if Edith got better. I always called to see if I could find someone that could help me, as one never knows who they will run into, and so I would keep trying.
But as time went on Edith got worse and I did not want to travel around too much in England or Wales.
That gave us more time to spend with our work mates in Halifax. We were more successful in contacting our friends here! We had a right good time with them. Edith was trying to hide the fact that she had gotten worse in health. She didn't want her friends in England, to see her "sick." She was very good on our holidays. She stayed home lots of times, though.
Every good thing must come to an end, and now, it got to the time to pack our cases to go back to Canada. We arrived back around about the end of August. I had lots to catch up with my work around the house. Our neighbours next door had looked after the garden for us. We started going bowling again at the beginning of September. I was the one bowling, now, Edith just came and watched. She got a Trophy that year for being our "Greatest Fan."
Our team got the "Championship" Trophy! The winter that year was quite mild, and our health was about the same as usual. I started having fibrillation, but I hadn't time to go to the Doctor, and see about it, because I was looking after Edith. I noticed that she was complaining about being cold I put the heater up and I told her to let me know if she needed the heat up because I was so warm. Edith started with a "bad" ear, two weeks before Christmas Day. She told me it was wax trouble that she had before, and asked me to put some warm Olive Oil in it for her. This is what we have done in the past so, I did not think much about it. I kept doing that every day, for a while, and then she did not complain about it anymore. We were on our own over the Christmas period, and as usual enjoyed ourselves, together the very best way we knew, we did have some invitations from Mary and Lorne and other friends but again Edith did not want to go. I was beginning to get a little worried but I did not want to show her how I felt.
NOW INTO THE YEAR 1994.
Now we are celebrating the first day of the New Year 1994. Little did we know then, that it was going to be the worse year of my life! Edith was still having trouble with her ear. I kept putting the warm oil in each day. After two more weeks, I told her she should go to the doctor. She kept insisting, "It was just hard wax." Well this went on until the end of February. I asked Edith, "Isn't that ear any better?" She said, "No, not really." I told her she would have to go to see our doctor. She would not go. In the end, I made an appointment for both of us to see him, the first week of March. And that was that! I made her come with me.
When he checked her ear, this is what he said, "Edith, you have had an infection in your ear, now it's too late for antibiotics, as it is getting better." I told him that I wanted to bring her to him, sooner, but you know what she has been like, not wanting to visit you. I was just the opposite if I find something wrong with me I'm going straight to visit the Doctor. Still, now, I thought she was going to be okay!
I noticed after the end of April, that Edith was getting worse every day. She was hardly eating, and she was very tired all the time. Sometimes, she even fell asleep while she was eating! Then during the second week I noticed when she went to the toilet that she was getting very weak. I had to carry her otherwise she would fall. I sat her on the Toilet, this day, and I told her to give me a call when she was finished, but the next thing I heard was a "bang." I went to see what it was, and she was on the floor! "I have to try and walk, otherwise I never will," she said.
I got her back into bed, and she was comfortable, once more. Then, I went into the bathroom and was going to pull the chain on the toilet, when I noticed that there was blood in her waste. I took her to the doctor, and he had her stomach checked, and doctor Koss was standing in for our regular Doctor, checking her over he said he would make an appointment for her to be x-rayed. We followed that up and they found she had an ulcer! He gave her medicine, and after six weeks, she was cured! Which just goes to show you, that you should not be "afraid" to go to the Doctor at any time in your life! Lots of things that we make ourselves "go through" in sickness and endure, are not necessary at all. Doctors can help! Sometimes. So, use their expertise to your own health's benefit. I did try to get her to eat more and said to her if you fancy any thing to let me know and I will get it for you, still I know she was like that even when we first got married.
We had been ten years in Canada this year, 1994, as the "holiday" year was counted in as well. So, in July, we got our "old age" Canada Pensions for the first time! We were surprised to find that we each got one. Edith asked me if she could spend hers money on new earrings. I said, "Of course you could!" As the days passed, Edith kept putting off going to the store to get her earrings. Because she was now getting weaker, but trying to keep it away from me She would always say, "Tomorrow, Dad, I'm not feeling well enough today."
So, finally, I went out and bought her earrings, as it was her (Birthday on Sunday, August the 7th. Edith would be 73 years of age). I kept saying my prayers and asking our Lord to make her better. We slept in separate beds now as I was disturbing her sleep, as at that time I was in and out of bed a lot every night.
It was Edith's Birthday, on the Sunday. I brought her into the Lounge and set her on the Settee. I said, "Here Love, look what I've 'got you for your Birthday". She opened up the card, and I had the I earrings attached to it. The earrings had a Ruby in the middle and a lot of little Diamonds in a circle round it. "OOOh Dad, what did you have to get such a good set for me?" She said. She thought they were so beautiful. Too Beautiful for her! I didn't think that. She was my "all in all, my Sweetheart!" Nothing was too good for her!
As we progressed into the month of August, Edith's health was getting worse. I noticed that her chest was very bad! I had to carry her around, even in the house. I took her to the doctor. She was too sick to protest. Our Doctor was still on holiday, so it was doctor Koss. When he saw her, and examined her, he said she had ronchitis. He gave her the very best antibiotics. I went straight out after I got her home, then went and got her the medicine for her to take, straight away!
However, four days later, she was worse! I rang the emergency at K. G. Hospital as it was a Sunday and told the doctor what had happened, and that she was worse. I asked the doctor. "Should I stop the medication?" He told me. "No, bring her straight down to the Hospital." He believed it was more then Bronchitis, I also thought it was Pneumonia. The Doctor on the phone said it sounds to him to be more like Pneumonia. "Do you need the ambulance?" he said. I said no, I would drive her there straight away.
I told Edith that I had to take her straight to K.G Hospital; she did not want to go. As I got her ready, she said to me " I don't think I will be coming back home Dad!" When we were outside, getting into the car, she turned towards our home and said, "Good-bye home, I won't see you, again." I told her not to say things like that. It upset me a lot. But when I look back to other things she had said, I do believe she knew this was her final goodbye. It still upsets me even now, to think that she knew she was dying! I certainly wasn't thinking that way, and I would give anything to have been able to stop this event from happening. I stayed with her in the emergency from 3:00 pm. till 10:00 pm.
First, they did blood checks, and various other checks. By 6:00 pm the doctor came to tell Edith and I that they would have to keep her in, as she had no "potassium" whatsoever, in her blood. They did not know why, and needed a lot more "checks," to find out what was wrong with her. But Edith just wanted to go home. "No, I want to go home. I'm not going to stay!" I did not want her to stay either but the doctor knew it was very serious, he looked at me, I gave him a nod he left.
The Doctor said nothing and turned around and walked out. I said to her, "You should stay, otherwise, they will never find out what is wrong with you I want you to get better, love." After a while, about half an hour, really, I coaxed her to stay in for them to do the checks. She finally agreed to stay and have all the checks done. I went straight away, to let the doctor know, and he set the "wheels in motion" to get her a bed. I stayed until they had her bed ready and she was up in the ward. I said goodnight to her and told her, I will be waiting for them to let me in the next day.
I was back there for 2:00 pm. They let me in, straight away, to see Edith. Edith told me that I could be there in the morning, as they let people in for 2 hours. I asked the Nurse if that was right? She said, "Yes! We started it six months ago." While I was there in the afternoon, that day, a Specialist on Cancer came to see Edith. He said he wanted to take some cells from the small lump in her neck. (I had never even noticed it before.) He told her she would not feel a thing because he froze around the area. He got a big needle about three inches long, and took several samples of cells. He had is equipment out in the corridor, doing the testing.
After a little while, he came back to the bed, "Would you like to come out in the corridor and see what I'm doing?" He asked me. The Specialist told me that he was 99% sure that Edith had Cancer of the Blood Cells. He told me not to tell her! He said he was going back to his Lab to make double sure, and would let me know the following day: When I went back into the ward, naturally Edith wanted to know, what the doctor had said to me! I tried to be as calm as possible. "Oh," I said, "He just wanted to show me how the tests were done. He would let me know in the morning whether you had Bronchitis or Pneumonia." That seemed to make her feel a bit happier, and I stayed with her until after 10:00 pm. She asked later, if they were expecting to find anything else wrong with her? I said, "Don't worry love, if they do, you are in the right place, whatever they may find." I felt so bad not being able to share what the doctor had said to me, but what else, could I do? We had always shared everything all our life together. It was very hard for me to try to keep a straight face.
I made them all a cup of tea before I left that night. I gave Edith a big kiss, and said "I will see you at 10:00 am tomorrow. Try and have a good night's sleep, Love." I said goodnight to the others, believe me it was very hard to keep from breaking down right there at the Hospital. I was so upset with getting that news and trying hard not to let Edith know I was so upset until I got to my car. I was extremely upset at this news, especially when he said, "If this is the case, there isn't anything that can be done." He also said that it was a type of Cancer that could get into the body in so many different ways. Once he had checked everything out, he said that the hospital doctor would have a talk with me in morning. He assured me that Edith wasn't in any pain.
I had a very bad night at home, after leaving Edith, as I did, not knowing what to expect. I hardly slept all night, they would tell me the results, the next day! I was up at 5:30 am and waiting to go to the Hospital, I had a little to eat, and then at 7:00 am, the phone rang! It was the Doctor from our hospital, to let me know that Edith had had a relapse! He asked me if I could come in, straight away! I was off like a shot! When I got there Edith was under sedation.
The Doctors asked me if I would come into their Conference room. They wanted to ask me a few questions. The first one was, "Did Mrs Hunt have an infection some time ago?" I told them she had an infection in her ear, two weeks before Christmas 1994. They went on to tell me that she had Blood Cell Cancer. This Cancer enters the body through an Infection. It takes three months to establish its-self, and three month to end the person's life. I asked them, "Is there nothing you can do?" They both said, "There is absolutely nothing, we can do," then the woman Doctor said she is just sleeping.
I said "What about chemotherapy?" They said, "We could try, but we could only promise to prolong Edith's life for maybe a mouth to three months, at the very most!" I said, "No-way, would I let her go through all that, for just for three months!" The Doctor said, "No, only one month, maybe three, but very doubtful." I said, no-way will I let her go through all that trouble just for that short time. The Doctors both said, to me, "We are glad you said that you don't want us to give Mrs. Hunt, Chemotherapy, as if you had said, 'go ahead with it' we would have had to tell you that we couldn't do it, as she is too weak to stand it." They said they were very sorry, and told me I could stay all night with her. I did stay all that night as she was just sleeping.
On Monday night when I went home, I phoned Keith and told him that his Mother was very ill, and the Doctors had not given me much hope of her recovering." Keith said, "We'll arrange to come up on Friday. Can you meet us at the airport, Dad?" I said, "Okay." I never left Edith's side.
I did stay with Edith, the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night at the Hospital. I didn't get much sleep. I kept going over to see if she was okay (I never got the chance to speak to her again because she was under sedation.) Keith was coming up on the Friday night. We went straight to the K. G. Hospital. After Keith saw his Mother, I was going to take them home and come back to stay with Edith. But my doctor had arranged with a lady volunteer to sit with Edith that night. My Doctor wanted me to go home. I told him, "I want to stay!" I do not want to go home!" But "our" Keith said, "Come on Dad, there is nothing more you can do."
Most Hospitals, have Palliative Care workers who come into the patients room and stay with them to either play soft music, or read the 23rd Psalm to them, to give them hope of Christ's love for them.
They need the Blessed Assurance that Jesus Christ loves them. As you get close to Death, God becomes very real to you. It is the only thing that matters to you. Is my relationship with God good enough for Him to Love me and take me to my home, Jesus has prepared for me? You, alone with God, then, it is your will, to "give up the 'Ghost.'" Most people don't think of this. But, I guess it was time for Edith to be with God even though it was very heard for me to part with her after all the years we were together. Thank you God for giving us a good life.
(Dad and Mom had been married for 53 years at this time - Keith Hunt)
Well, I gave in and went home. We had a bite to eat and went to bed. We were only in bed an hour when the phone rang and a Nurse told us Edith had passed away.
We had lived four years, in the Bungalow, when I lost Edith! She passed away on my birthday, the 26th of August 1994. I was devastated; we had been together almost 54 years! It took me two years to get over it! Still today I have not got over the loss, I am each day wishing that she was still with me and as I had promised to keep her wish I still have her ashes with me and I talk to her every day. I still have someone to talk too, and I tell her what I'm doing.
When we left, the Hospital, I was very upset, and blamed myself for not making her visit the Doctor about that ear problem she had over Christmas! I kept thinking to myself, if I had put my foot down, she might still have been here with me, today! But all our lives, I never made her do anything she didn't want to do. I did everything to make her happy. Edith was the same with me. I always thought I would "pass away," before her, as all her mother's family lived long lives. Her mother and Aunty lived well into they're "nineties."
My mother lived to almost 83; my Dad only lived to 72 years old, that's why I thought I would be the one to go first, so I never thought of her going before me, so you can see how I felt, and when I thought back and the arrangements we had made about our ashes going over to our little village, and we made a packed that who ever was left would make all the arrangements.
At first Edith did not want to be cremated. Her English friend Maggie, who had died a year before, was taken straight from the hospital, and was cremated without the benefit of a Service. It seemed so cold. We agreed that we would have a Service. Anyway, some time later, we were talking about things, and I happened to say to Edith that I was not bothered which way I was buried. I would do the same as Edith. Then I said, "I would have loved to go back to our favourite 'courting spot' in Wales, where I was born." Edith thought about it for quite a few days, and then she said. "Dad, I've been thinking. If I agree to be cremated then we could go home to be buried, couldn't we?" We both agreed, that if our "courting grounds" were not suitable, that we would be buried in Crynant cemetery in Wales my village where I grow up. Edith was only a very short way from the Cemetery where she lived. I think now she couldn't do it and
wanted to go first to be with God. We agreed that whoever passed away first, the other one would carry out our plans, to make all the arrangements the next time one of us would go over too Wales. We would check it out, then decide if we want our ashes in our "courting spot" or taken to the Cemetery. I did promise to keep her ashes if she went before me, and they are still with me today. When I "pass on," our ashes will be sent together to Wales to be buried. I will have the job of doing that when I go over in 1995. I think now after we made arrangement Edith wanted to go first.
(A few years later Dad and I came to the agreement that I would take both of their ashes back to the grave site in Crynant, Wales. Dad and I set up the headstone and writing on it, when we were over together in 1997. All that needs adding is the date and year of my Dad's passing. So this has yet to be done now that Dad died June 30 2014 - Keith Hunt)
The funeral was on the next Friday. Keith conducted the service, which was beautiful, with memories and songs Edith loved by Slim Whitman (from the 1950s) and Harry Secombe (Harry being the famous Welsh Tenor in the 1950s). Keith sang "Peace in the Valley." It was all very touching, many friends were present. I could not stop crying. It was held at the Springfield Funeral home, in Kelowna. Later, many of our bowling friends that went to the Service, said that he did a very good job of it. However, they were so surprised that he was able to do it without breaking down. I know one thing I could not have done it!
(I was given strength to do the service without breaking down. I wanted it to be a wonderful service, that Mom would have been so very pleased with; and I think it was - Keith Hunt)
MY HEART
I BEGAN TO HAVE HEART BEATS THAT WERE IRREGULAR. They gave me a small machine under my skin to smooth out the heart beats, when it was out of correct rhythm. But the second part of all this was to be done in Vancouver, B.C.
I eventually got my appointment to go to Vancouver to have the second part done with another Dr: on June the 9th 1995. They had to stop my "Natural node" entering my heart. That is what keeps everyone's heart beating. Then when they did that my heart will be working from the Pacemaker all the time. Dr: Boon told me I would have to take (Coumadin.) for the rest of my life, to prevent blood colts. He also said I would never know the pacemaker was there! The doctors would only know when it was fibrillation, when they place me on the machine.
My sole aim now was to book my flight to go over to England, and Wales so that I could make all the arrangements I promised Edith I would do to make sure our ashes would be taken home to Wales. I also wanted to video all the places we had visited on Holiday. This was the same time I thought it might be my last time I would take my video Camera with me. This would be my first time to go to the U.K. on my own after I lost Edith in 1994.
It was the 6th of July Thursday 1995. I woke up that morning, feeling a little sad to think I would be on my own without Edith. Still God was there with me, and I would not feel so lonely, but all the way, I kept thinking about Edith. As usual I had a long wait before setting off to the U.K. I was in a wheel chair, and I found out after being left to look after myself, that the Wheelchair I was in, needed someone to push it. I was left on my own, until boarding time. I sure did report it and they phoned me to tell me to ask for one as they still had the old ones. This was my first time in Vancouver Airport after they had completed the extension to the Airport. I was amazed when I started to wheel myself to the toilet, and found very small wheels on the new wheel-chairs. I was waiting at the boarding spot, and as I was early, there was no one to keep an eye on my suitcases for me. I eventually got to the toilet by getting out of the chair and walking with it. Now the time has come, to board the plane. I had a very good journey all the way to Manchester. I arrived there on time, 12:15 p.m. I am so glad that Manchester has not changed, I always had a man to wheel me, to pick up my bags, then take me down to pick up my hired car. I always tip them well as they always spend a lot of time with me I gave him Ten pounds; they then take me outside to pick up the car, and to see me off, before he leaves my side. Believe me, it's a very long walk from the plane to the centre of the Airport, then more walking down three flours, and in a wheelchair they take you down and then to pick the car up. It's worth that money I tip them. He will see me drive off, and wish me a very nice holiday, then he would make sure I knew the different things to be able to drive in comfort.
I'm on my way to Halifax and then Pontefract on the motorway, to my niece, Irene and her husband Michael. I was also am thinking about visiting my work friends. Again, I had quite a good ride, and for a change a nice afternoon for travelling. I arrived there for 2:30 p.m. I had a drink of tea and went to bed for a few hours and that put me right for the rest of the night. After a night of talking, we all went to bed at 10p.m. I had a good night, and was up for 7:30 a.m., to start a new day that God has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. I always say my prayers and thank God once more for a safe journey to Manchester.
The next day, (Saturday) we spent the day, shopping for the weekend. We all got together for a meal with the family. We played games, with the children after supper (Tea Time in England). The next day, Sunday, we were off to Church in the Morning and then, we went out at lunchtime, with the boys for a drink in the pub. I don't drink any alcohol, but I do treat my family, as they like to I have an hour in pub, before dinner. The next week, I went travelling to Halifax, to visit my "chargehands" (that I had under me in my job with MacIntosh) each day the first week there. They always organize a Friday night out in the pub. When some of the men could make it, they were running three shifts at work since Nestle took over our firm.
As many of my old workers, as possible, try to get there. Couples came, wives and husbands and boyfriends, they would come from work, and see me at the pub and we had a right good time together! This went on every time I went over to U.K. One of my chargehands, Harry Butterworth now had Parkinson's disease I always went to pick him up in Elland and then take him home again, in my rented car. Harry was a supervisor and my assistant for a very long time after Les Parslow passed away quite young, and my first assistant for quite a few years. He was very true to me, and the very best assistant I had at that time.
The following week, I went out with Irene and Michael, to different towns to look around. I bought things I needed for my personal use. When we returned for dinner, I did some sorting out of my cases, like I always do. I was up early each day before they got up and I planned our days out. It's nice to have a nice bath every other morning! We went for a ride to the Seaside places as we have a lot, within short distances of home. First thing today I had to look around for good drinking water. I can't take the water in this place, as they are now putting chlorine into it, and it upsets me. I did find some mineral water and that was much better. Eventually I did find a place with good water, still not as good as we get out in Canada.
Monday, the 24th July, I decided to go down to Wales to visit all my Relations. I was up early for breakfast and set off at 9 a.m. again it turned out to be quite nice for travelling, and non stop to my usual restaurant. (Little Chef) I always go there for dinner. I got to Nancy's little farm at suppertime. The rest of night we walked her dog up the mountain, and I got to bed for 10:30 p.m. Here we are into another day! After breakfast we had a run into my little hometown of "Neath," where I used to visit the dancing halls, a lot on Saturday night, as I got older. As I said earlier, many a time, us, young boys lost the last train home, and had to walk six miles to get home! (Until we had the "sixpenny op" in our village.) But we still enjoyed our time in those days! We did some shopping and then we set off back home, on the way to my little village Crynant. I still say my prayers at night and thank God for keeping me safe and well.
Nancy and I stopped to see our old "courting spot" at the end of the village where Edith and I had planned to sprinkle our ashes, when we left this life, to be with God. I was so disappointed when I saw the change in it since Edith and I had left Wales! Remember, we left Crynant to work in Halifax, Yorkshire where Edith's mother lived, because there was very little work here to suit me. That was in 1947. Now we are into 1995, so, that was 48 years ago, I started working with Mackintosh in March 1948. I guess we don't realize that time passes on, and great changes appear. I took one look and told Nancy straight away that we were going to the cemetery without doubt!
Now I first had to find out who was responsible for looking after the Cemetery so that I could if possible pay for a plot for Edith and I for when the time came for us to be with God, our plans where to come back home when it was time for us to rest, we loved our little village where we grow up. And these were our plans. We promised each other that whoever was left would make the necessary arrangements. Now it was I that had to sort everything out as I made that promise to Edith, so I talked it over with Nancy and she did not know the person who was looking after the Cemetery.
The next day after breakfast I went down to Crynant to the street where I was brought up all my young days. While I was there, I was video taping in the Street when Lucy came along the street, walking her dog. She said, "Is that Willie Hunt?" I turned around and said, "Yes, you remember me, Lucy?" "Well, of course I do!" she replied, and then she invited me in for a cup of tea, just like we used to do when our mothers were alive! Lucy had lived next door to me when we were very young. She still lived in the same house. Lucy never did get married she stayed at home looking after her mother.
I told her I was writing my life story and asked her a few things to make sure I had it just right in my story and I had the date wrong, when we worked in Halifax and we came down on holidays we always tried to visit all of our old friends and Neighbours in Wales, we still did that when we lived in Canada, and each time we came over on holiday, I have lost a lot of the older ones over the years, I always tried to visit all of them especially my age.
This time her mother had passed away, Lucy was still on her (own ate we finished our tea I told Lucy what I promised to do when I lost Edith. Lucy said she would take me down to the Cemetery, only a little walk away from her home. I had told her what I was hoping to do with our ashes. She took me up to see Marjorie, a friend of ours. Next door, was the person that looks after the Cemetery, his name was Mr. Jack Crowther I met him, and he told me everything I needed to know to get our plans carried out, when my time came to be with God. He agreed to look after my affairs ever since that day and still doing that for me.
It pleased me immensely to be able to get things sorted out. I went down to the Cemetery to pick my plot with Mr Crowther. We went back to his home and paid him and got it all geared up that was necessary and I was very pleased I had met Lucy to give me all the information I needed.
Now I was ready and very pleased to go back to Yorkshire knowing I had all the arrangements I had promised Edith I would, also I would not take her ashes over until we were both together, see how our Lord God got me to meet the right people when I need help to keep my promise to Edith.
The following day, I went out specifically, to finish my videotaping around my home country, I finished my videotaping around my home country village, Crynant where Edith and I grew up. Then I went back to Nancy's home for Dinner. I stayed with them for two more weeks. We went driving around each day it was good to be able to walk the dog and talk and talk and remember "old times". And give her some help when she needed it. I can't stay at Nancy's too long as she only got one big bedroom. Also I visited my relations Colin and Barbara and family in Ammanford, they always' give me a very good welcome; Peggy, lived in Ystradgynlals, she was "Edith's and Nancy's younger sister, so we went down there to see her and we drove around the country and went to the Seaside. It was getting very-close to my time to go back to Pontefract. On August the 7th it was Edith's birthday. Nancy and I brought Flowers to the grave of Edith Mom, and my Mam and Dad. I also arranged with Nancy to keep putting Flowers on the graves at regular intervals. Nancy Had flowers around her place and she said she would. I did eventually tell her that I was having Lesley to look after the graves when it came to my turn to live with our Lords in heaven.
I left for Pontefract on Thursday, the 10th of August, then, on traveling back to Halifax, I called to visit Knighton where Edith and I worked before I was called into the Services. I was by myself, and I missed Edith, sorely. I did try to find our friends, we lived with in the "White House" Presteign (Fred and Joan), I called at the White house but I got no answer, and no one around I could ask so I went into the pub and asked a man drinking there if he could tell me if he knew Fred and Joan, he gave me the bad news that Joan had died but did not know where Fred was.
I Told him all about my life with them before I got called up. He said if I waited until he finish his drink he would take me to meet Joan's sister; I was very pleased about that so I stayed until he finished and I also asked him if he was there during my time before I got called up. He said he had been in the war from the start, I know that some of the girls that worked with me did not go home to Birmingham and stayed and got married but did not know much of later on what happened. I thanked him before he left me with Joan's sister, She said that Janet, Joan's daughter was now married and living away, but if I gave her my address she would give it to her when she phone. I hoped I would be able to come back in the near future, God willing. And maybe see some of the people I worked with, and arrange a get together some night with them. From there, I set straight off back to Pontefract. I arrived there early that evening, about 4:00 p.m. I had stopped on the way at my favourite Restaurant (Little Chef) as usual to have a meal then non-stop to Irene and Michael. Unfortunately Janet never got in touch with me.
On Friday, Irene and I went shopping for the next week's groceries for me, as they were leaving on Saturday, for a weeks holiday to Torquay, a big seaside place, down south. We had been there for many holidays when we worked in U.K. The Gold Mine in Wales had now opened up again, this year. I decided to send for the Rare Welsh Gold Ring, that they had advertised in their Brochure. I had phoned them, and they assured me that it would arrive, before I left for Canada. They were "true to their word" and it came by mail. I wanted it as a souvenir as all the royal family has had rings made for any important function at official ceremony. I only wanted the ring to show my friends and a keepsake.
Another thing that happened was sad news. One of my long time workers, Chris Pettifor was diagnosed with Cancer, and had only four months to live. But the saddest thing about it was, that her husband left her, after learning she only had 4 months to live! They had been married for over 20 years!
On the 19th of August. I had a mad rush to go to Castleford, to pick up Irene and Michael as they were returning from their holiday. I had gone out and got onto the Motorway, and was all the way to Wakefield before I realized I was wrong! Then I had to turn around and come back to Castleford! I was an hour late getting to them. I told them what had happened and the run around I had to get back to pick them up, how did I get it all mixed up I just did not know. I was a little late setting off and I guess I was thinking I was going to Wakefield. I had to put my foot down to get back as quick as I could, I just still wondered how I made that mistake.
We travelled to Blackpool on Friday, Carolyn, Mark and the children went down, one day ahead of us. I took my video Camera to video our time there. On Saturday, the children were playing on the sands, and in the water. We also went down on the Pier. I video and taped all morning. However, I saw a little black spot on the lens of my video camera, all morning. I couldn't see what it said as I can't use my glasses, so I ignored it.
That afternoon, we were going to the amusement Park, and the children were riding on the "Bumper Cars" there. I was about to video tape the children, when I decided to put my glasses on, and see what that little black mark was on the lens. Oh, was I mad! It said "No Tape" Everything I had videoed was not there! I must have forgot to put the tape back in after I had watched what I had taped the day before! So I can only remember that happy day with everyone, there's no film of it! I only had a few more days left, before I was to go home to Canada. I was feeling like I wanted to have my holiday go on a bit longer, however, "all things come to an end" and I accepted that it was time to go home. I had all my packing to do ready for my return.
Now it was once more time to go back to Canada. My flight date was Friday the 8th of September 1995. I must say though that we did have some very nice warm days while I was over there, it had been so beautiful! Now I was going back on had a very wet day. It was raining in the morning when I am getting ready to go home. I brought my car to the front so it was better for me to load up with my cases. When I finish I tried to get my car up the "grass" slop, it was so slippery, and the car kept going sideways. I had a difficult time getting it up there, I wanted to get the car as close as I could to bring my "cases" out, there was no one to help me that day.
I like some company when I go to the Airport, my niece who I stay with always came with me and I paid their fare back home. We got to Manchester in plenty of time, we had no hold ups on the "M-62" we walked around the Airport, we had a meal before it was time to board my plane, it ended up my flight was one hour late leaving, after I got on board they left to get their train from the Airport to their home.
I arrived in Vancouver on time, as usual had two hours wait for my flight to Kelowna, I don't mind that as I have a wheelchair so I can look around the Airport. Now it was time to get to the gate, we had a woman volunteer to wheel us down to the gate. Once again I was up in the air and it's only a one hour flight, and I will be in Kelowna. I had Randy picking me up at the Airport. He drives me to his home where I had parked my car, and then I set off to my home straight from there. In the summertime I do not sleep over night, it is light enough to travel straight back to my home in Keremeos.
As usual I had lots of work to do outside which I like to do as it gets me out of the house. I had been quite okay with my pacemaker while in England as I go to have my blood checked with Irene's family doctor and the nurse comes every Saturday to take our blood, then they will send the report back to the doctor and he will then tell me when to have it done again, like they do out here in Canada.
Monday I started back bowling with my friends, as soon as I got home from U.K, now I am back in the normal routine. We are I still having late summer weather this year. Today our summer days are over, since then we have had a few weeks of dull dry weather, still it is quite warm, and I am still working around the garden, cleaning up etc. Well I did have some bad days with my pacemaker soon after I return from England. I still managed to do some work outside even though I was still having a little trouble with fibrillation; I kept resting when it came on.
The next six months, it gave me a lot more trouble to the end of 1995. I had to visit the K.G.H. five or six times, and it was mostly in the very early morning when I got to the Emergency Department. The Doctor on duty put me on the special Heart machine, which (showed him, that I sure was fibrillating). The doctor said he could not at all understand how I knew! They eventually got in touch with Dr: Boon the specialist in Vancouver. He could not believe that I knew, they sent me to the pacemaker clinic, for them to check me over, and I still knew when I was fibrillating. The head nurse who have been looking after me could not understand why I knew as soon as I did not feel right, the head nurse Pat told me to come in to see her straight away.
I did go to see her in October, she checked me and my pacemaker was working okay to the setting they had placed me in. Then I was still having the trouble off and on, in the end Pat in the clinic said she would have a word with the doctor and see what they could do about it as I was still complaining, and would let me know. It went on like this all through the rest of the year, nothing special happened. I still kept going down to the K.G.H. and I told them I wanted to know why this was happening.
Now here we are almost at the end of 1995. Christmas day was very quiet for me and now it was New Year's Eve. I went with my friends next door to the Church to the morning service, the rest of the day I was at home. I did not stop up to welcome in the New Year as Edith and I use to do. But since I lost Edith I went to church every Sunday with my neighbour's to the church just across the road, as you know Edith did not want to go when she was not very well. I know the reason why she would not go.
WE ARE INTO THE NEW YEAR 1996.
We are now celebrating the start of the year 1996 and I hope they will get the Pacemaker right for me as it is still giving me trouble. I had to see Pat at the pacemaker clinic in April. I was still going down to the K-G-H in early morning and one day they keep me in for a few days and tried this and that, but still not working right. It was now time to see Pat, in the end she got me an appointment, to see the Technician from Teletronic's the firm that makes the Pacemaker. I got to see her at the end of April 1996.
The Nurse told the lady Technician what was happening. The technician took me off the machine. I was all wired up, she took me for a long walk, told me that she wanted me to walk the way I always did. So off I went, she could not keep up with me. We went right down to the water and back to hospital then, she had me going up and down two flights of steps! I was up the second before she got to the top of the first. After that she took me back to the pacemaker clinic. This was the conversation I heard her say to the two nurses.
Taking to the two Nurses, she said, "I know what is wrong with Mr Hunt, and it is not either of you two to blame. He is like a man of fifty to sixty years of age. The setting on the pacemaker is too old for him. It is set for a man between seventy to eighty I will place him on a younger setting, (she just did that) and he will have no more trouble again. I would like to add this, from that day in April 1996 when she put my pacemaker into the new setting I have not had any trouble with my pacemaker to this month of (January 2004.)
You can believe that or not, but it is absolutely true, I was so pleased when I went for my next six months appointment. I would like to mention this that when I tell people during a conversation, they just can't believe me, but if you have read the above what the technician said (to the two nurses), I have never had trouble again.
I started having another problem after a few months my heart was missing a beat! I went to my Doctor and told him, I was still having that trouble when I called on him, and he checked me straight away and said it was Palpitations. I asked him what he could give me for it? His answer surprised me, when he said "We do not have any treatment for it."
My next question was, "How come I was told by the specialist in Vancouver that nothing would stop the pacemaker working? I will not go into that as it was a complete waste of time. I would like to mention that when I went on Coumadin (blood thinners) he would have to check me every twelve months, as taking it regular may still effect my thyroid.
The only thing was he had forgotten about (that but it will come up in my next paragraph). I could not understand at that time that palpitation were entirely a different thing from Fibrillation. Now I found out that at the health food store. The lady in there knew more about it than my Doctor. I went a week after, to the health food stores, where I always get my vitamins. I happened to get a lady her name was Susan. We chatted, and she told me that she could help me, when I mentioned that I was looking for something to help my Palpitations. I told her about my pacemaker, and what my doctor had told me. He had no treatment for it. This lady was around thirty to forty years old and she went on to tell me what had happened to her when she was seventeen years old. She went eventually, to three specialists, and not one could find out what her trouble was! She just went on like this until she was twenty years old, until God sent this lady into the health store to help her.
Then, Susan talking one day to a lady, who had walked into the stores—(she was Reflexologist) a retired one, then Susan talking to her she happened to mention about the trouble she was having at that time. She told her to come and see her at her home and Susan went to see her, and she found out what was wrong with her! She was suffering from her Thyroid. Before I go into that, you already know what my Doctor said, when he put me on Coumadin. He said, about needing to check my Thyroid. Apparently, from what he said, it can have some side effects when one has been on Coumadin over a long period. What good would that do when they had no treatment for palpitations? I never went to my Doctor about palpitations again, and he also forgot all about what he had told me.
Now let me get back to Susan in the health store. She gave me Isabel, the Reflexologist's phone number who only lived just up the road from me, to make an appointment. I made an appointment to visit Isabel and believe me she found something else that had happened to me, years back! "Bill," she said, "where have you worked. You've got a foreign body in your lungs. Have you worked in a Chemical factory?" I said no.
"Have you worked on a farm?"
Again I said, "No, I worked all my life since I returned from the war in a sweet factory."
"I don't know but you certainly have got a foreign body in your lungs."
I could not think about it while I was with her, and after arriving home I kept thinking all night what could it be. As usual said my prayers at night, I was still thinking about it when I made my breakfast next morning, when it suddenly it came into my head about, something that had happened to me back in my working days, which had taken me quite a while to remember, and it was a message from our Lord God about an incident that happened to me one night back in 1955.
It was a week later when I went back to see Isabel, when I remembered the incident that happened to me in 1955 That was almost forty years before I went to visit Isabel in 1995. All she did while holding one hand while she went over my body with her other hand about 2 inches away from my body. It sure was a gift from GOD! I noticed before starting she held the one hand of mine and said a prayer. Believe me I am a living prove to what happened. It is so interesting believe me! I am telling the truth. With all the checks I had in U.K. they failed to find out why my lungs were so cloudy.
I had been working at the factory in Halifax, Yorkshire, when, one night, I went downstairs to find the night Mechanic. I needed him to fix one of the machines, upstairs. He was very busy - sawing a pipe off a gauge of some kind. I stood leaning against the bench, next to the gauge. I was waiting for him to finish cutting the pipe off, and come upstairs to get the machine going. All of a sudden, he had sawed through the pipe and a horrible substance came straight into my face, it made me gasp and take a very deep breath.
"OOOH, what the dickens was in there?" I exclaimed. I felt like I had breathed in something ghastly! A while after that incident I found whenever, I took a deep breath that I had to cough at the end of filling my lungs with air. When I did my exercises at home, I always go to my open window when I finish, to deep breath. This went on for the rest of the time. This happened in the year 1955, and went on for years. It was after Retiring to Canada, and visiting Isabel in 1995 that she eventually found the answer to why my lungs were so cloudy. And it will come up later the answer to that problem. This is one more time the Lord God-Jesus Christ came into my life as now I knew why God had had guided me to Canada.
Now let me get back to Isabel. She found out I had something in my lungs and also my Thyroid was below par. She put me on vitamins to clear out my chest, it was a six weeks course. It was Red Clover, and a Woodworm combination. It certainly did clear out my lungs. I had a broken tooth at the bottom right in centre front of my mouth, In those early days I went every six months to see dentist and he always asked me if it was giving me trouble when I said each time "No way." He always said okay will leave well alone, but even that tooth stump came out when Isabel put me on those vitamins. Then put me on to Kelp to treat my Thyroid and to stop the Palpitations. However I could not keep taking the kelp, as it made me feel nauseated. So, she changed it to one drop of Iodine in a glass of water per day and I now have it all under control! I have not been back to Isabel since, but if ever something else happens to me I will go straight back to her. When I visited the same health stores around the year 1999 I asked about Isabel as I wanted to thank her for getting me back to full health. I was told she had passed away.
I can now say I have not had any more trouble to this day August 2005. Remember, God had guided my life and will prove to anyone reading this story how God guided me to Canada when God knew they could not clear out my lungs in U.K. Then bringing into my life Susan and Isabel. If anyone can tell me it is not the guidance of the "LORD" THEN WHAT IS? Look back at my story as time after time in my life that our Lord God as not been with me. Just think how I lost that ground in Wales that made us decide it was Canada we would retire to. Remember also they could do nothing for me in Halifax England. I told you that God knows everything, and how did we make our minds up to come to Canada, when we had two choices to go elsewhere.
Before this episode started we had finally decided we would buy the land that one of our relations had found for us in Wales. We liked the land so went straight to the Lawyer office and placed a cheque for one thousand pound to hold it until he found out if there was planning permission on the ground; it was three months later he sent us a letter stating that there was no planning permission on the ground, and so he was returning our cheque to us.
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TO BE CONTINUED
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