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ARTHUR DEREK WRIGHT (known as Derek)

 

Dad was born on 5th April 1933, the second child and eldest son to Charles and Eveline Wright, brother to Joan, Norman and Ken. Born and bred in Southport, he went to Norwood Road Junior School and then to Meols Cop Secondary School and his first job was as a joiner with Marshalls. 

 

Dad met mum during a snowball fight in Morven Grove and love blossomed. He proposed in a shop doorway in Ainsdale in the rain – forever the true romantic - and they became engaged on mum’s 21st Birthday.

 

National Service was to separate the two love-birds for a couple of years, when Dad was enlisted into the RAF Reserve in 1954 as an airframe mechanic. He spent his National Service at the RAF Station Negombo in Ceylon. On leaving his National Service in 1956, his conduct was marked as exceptional, his bearing - smart. He came back with a tattoo on his right arm though and Grandma wasn’t impressed.

 

However, love prevailed and they were married on 30th March 1957 at Lord Street West Congregational Church in a double wedding with Aunty Audrey and Uncle Richard. They didn’t waste much time in producing Susan 10 months later and Janet a year after that. I came along 4 and a half years later as an after-thought and spoilt it all.  In March last year (2017) Mum and Dad celebrated their 60th Diamond Wedding Anniversary. Dad was determined to get the Telegram from the Queen and would keep reminding me to write to her. So much for the surprise! Their enduring love and support for each other for over 60 years is an inspiration to us all.

 

Dad started his teaching career in January 1960 teaching woodwork and technical drawing at Lambeth Road Secondary School in Liverpool on a salary of £609, 7 shillings and 6 pence. He moved to St George of England in Bootle and then to the Countess of Derby High School in Netherton where he became Head of Department.  He travelled to work every day with Arnie Spencer, leaving at 8am on the dot and they became good friends.

 

Every day, Dad would return home from school, have his tea, read the paper, have a sleep and then retire to the garage or the garden to do more work.  You always knew where dad was working because he always had the radio on. You always knew if you were sitting in the wrong chair – Dad’s chair, as you always got turfed out.

 

He was, however, lucky enough to retire in 1987 at the age of 54. We all kept him busy though.

 

Their first house together was in Pitt Street and in 1970, the family moved to Bakers Lane where mum and dad lived for the next 40 years.  Nanny told Dad that he was mad to buy Bakers Lane, and the house and garden was in a bit of a state, but he worked on that house for 40 years to make it the best home he could for all of us. He loved his garden and he definitely had green fingers. The house was always full of geraniums waiting to be planted out. However, after 40 years, he had had enough of the work and wanted a rest and moving to Churchtown Gardens in 2010, according to Dad, was his best days work. 

 

Dad joined the Boys Brigade as a teenager. He played tennis at Spartans and Argyle and badminton for St Simons and Churchtown. Golf followed at the Hesketh Golf Club and bowling at the Botanic Gardens. He was a member of the Botanic Gardens Men’s Club and Probus. He enjoyed playing snooker and bridge. He was renowned for his gentleman’s discussions on court, never afraid to give his opinion. We will all be forever grateful for the opportunities he gave us to play sport and it has been a big part in all our lives.

 

His woodworking ability meant we were never short of furniture. We all still have the odd coffee table, bird boxes complete with felt roof and the outdoor chairs he made for us. I remember the farm and the doll’s bed he made for me as a child. The legendary Lady Penelope, the model yacht he made and sailed on our summer holidays in Abersoch and Conway. 

 

He was never a great fan of driving but he did buy his first car when I arrived on the scene.  Summer holidays consisted of us all packed into the Morris Oxford, setting off at the crack of dawn to stay at the farmhouse in Abersoch following an early breakfast at Bala Lake.  Journeys to holidays always seemed to take forever as he would never take the motorway and always insisted on using the A roads. 

 

His sense of humour was mischieveous and a bit daft at times. He once gave his name as Derek Hatton to a lady selling raffle tickets at Cousin Philip’s Conservative Party event. Bird boxes were marked ‘for Robins only’, as if they could read.  He was also a bit of a flirt and would always find time to talk to the ladies in Churchtown Gardens. He was always ready with a big smile for the nurses right to the end. 

 

Dad would do anything for us and his decorating skills were legendary. Everyone needed a Derek. We kept moving house just to keep him occupied. I would tell Dad we were thinking of decorating a room and we would come home to find the room stripped of wallpaper and the doors sanded down.

 

He loved his family and loved home cooking.  He was never one for going out for meals and loved nothing better than having family meals cooked for him on birthdays and any other day.

 

The last few years must have been difficult for him but he kept smiling to the end and although he never admitted it, his suffering is now over. Thank you Dad for everything you have done for us. 

 

We will miss you. 

 

Rest in Peace. x

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BARBARA WRIGHT (Nee Segar)

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Mum came into the world with a bang on 5th November 1933 with her twin sister Audrey. They were born in Briercliffe, near Burnley, daughters to Hitchon and Jenny Sagar. Although we have always thought Audrey was the older twin, their birth certificates tell us mum arrived first by 30 minutes.

 

The family moved to Southport when mum was four to run a boarding house in Victoria Street behind the Victoria Swimming Baths. Mum and Audrey were good swimmers and they entered all the swimming galas.

 

Mum and Audrey went to Linaker Street Primary School and Meols Cop Secondary School. On leaving school, mum worked as a dental technician for a dentist in Wigan.  When we were young, she had a spell working as a dinner lady for All Saints Primary School. She  then returned to dentistry and worked for many years for Mr Paynter as a dental nurse in his surgery in Lulworth Road. Whilst there, she developed what became known as her best ‘Lulworth Road accent’ to answer the telephone. When Mr Paynter retired, the practice moved to join St Paul’s Dental Practice on Duke Street. Mum worked at St Paul’s until she retired in the 1990’s. Mum seemed to know everyone. She was always saying hello to people whilst walking round town, even when we were away on holiday and when we asked who they were, she would always say they were ‘patients of ours’.

 

Mum and Dad met when they both lived in Morven Grove in Southport. Love blossomed and they became engaged on Mum and Audrey’s 21st birthday. Mum and Dad married in March 1957 in a joint wedding with Audrey and Richard. Their first house was in Pitt Street and in 1970 they moved to Bakers Lane where they lived happily for 40 years. Their last move was to Churchtown Gardens where mum and dad enjoyed many new friendships. Mum and Dad were devoted to each other and celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary in March 2017, a fantastic achievement and they received their telegram from the Queen. After Dad passed away in 2018, we decided to refurbish the bathroom in mum’s flat in Churchtown Gardens. I suggested to mum she went to stay with Audrey for a couple of weeks whilst the work was being done. Mum was still staying with Audrey two years later.

 

As well as having 3 children and working, Mum always seemed to find time to have other interests.

 

She was keen on sport, playing badminton at Holy Trinity, St Simons and Churchtown, tennis at Spartans and golf at The Hesketh Golf Club.

 

Mum and Dad joined the Hesketh Golf Club in 1985. Mum won a couple of the major board competitions – the Captains Knockout and the Centenary Foursomes. She went on to serve on the Ladies Committee as Ladies Secretary. In 2005 she was asked to be Lady Captain. This was one of mum’s proudest moments and as one lady member said, mum ‘had a smile on her face from the day she started as Lady Captain until the day she finished.

 

Music and singing has always been a big part of mum’s life.  She sang in the choir of the Towns Women’s Guild and we would come home from school on a Monday afternoon to find the group practicing in our front room. She also sang with the Lyric Singers and a couple of smaller groups: The Gayfarers and The Melody Makers, singing at many events across Southport.

 

Mum followed Audrey in joining the Southport Amateur Operatic Society in 1975, her first show being Showboat. She went on to become Chair of the Operatic Society in 1992 in its 40th Anniversary Year.  In 2006 she became a life member of NODA, the National Operatic and Dramatic Association. She also found time to organise the sale of the tickets and look after the patrons for the shows. In later years, she was still supporting the Society making teas at the rehearsals and selling programmes before the shows.

 

Whilst we have been clearing mum’s flat at Churchtown Gardens, we found some old cassette recordings of mum singing from the 1970’s or 80’s, so we would just like to play a song sung by mum as a final tribute to her.  The song is called Scarlet Ribbons.

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Feel free to play the songs as you look through the gallery...