Herald - Issue 396

Page 8 • The HERALD • 8th October 2020 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES v EXPERT DOMESTICS APPLIANCE SERVICES S ales and R epairs to A ll M akes and M odels 169-171 LONG LANE, HOLBURY • TEL (023) 8089 0054 POSSIBLY THE ONLY INDEPENDENT MAIN DEALER IN THE NEW FOREST For Bosch, Belling, Britannia, Candy, Ebac, Hotpoint, Hoover, Indesit, Ice King, LG, LEC, Liebherr, Miele, Neff, Sebo, Siemens, Stoves, Whirlpool, Zanussi and more... Free Standing & Built In Sales Centre Over 300 appliances in stock www.expertdomestics.co.uk • FOGGY/MISTED & BROKEN DOUBLE GLAZED UNITS REPLACED • HINGES & HANDLES • WINDOW & DOOR LOCKS • PATIO DOOR ROLLER MECHANISMS & TRACK • WINDOWS ENERGY EFFCIENCY & SECURITY UPGRADES • WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES SUPPLIED & INSTALLED Telephone 023 8073 1884 • Mobile 07909 654025 Email doubleglazingrepairuk@gmail.com Web www.doubleglazingrepairuk.com DOUBLE GLAZING REPAIR UK ARE PROUD MEMBERS OF A.M.H. Handyman Services Internal & External Painting All aspects of DIY Work • Flat Pack Assembly Power Washing: Driveways, Patios, Paths & Decking Gutter, Fascia Boards & Window Cleaning (Bungalows only) Call or email Andy for a free estimate Tel: 07961 443623 handyandyharding@gmail.com Local and Reliable HOME FIX HANDYMAN All aspects of Property Maintenance Undertaken l Carpentry l Flat Packs l Tap Changing l Fitting of Blinds/Curtain Tracks l Lock Fitting l Reseal Kitchens/Bathrooms l Gutter Clearing l Aerial Fitting etc Local, Reliable Professional with over 20 years experience Call Paul on 023 8084 5255 or 07799 880082 Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH or email editor@herald-publishing.co.uk In Loving Memory of the Talented Barbara Murphy 1928-2020 by daughter Julia Allen Mum was born Barbara May Hoar on 21st April 1928 (sharing a birthday with the Queen, albeit 2 years apart, which she was very proud of!). Her father, Tom, died aged only 34 when Mum was 3. Her mum, May, then married Albert Little eld who was a wonderful stepfather to Mum but as Albert was in the Merchant Navy, it le mum and May home alone most of the time in Dagenham, Essex. Having learnt to play the piano when she was 8 years old, Mum became a gi ed pianist for a local dance troupe in their shows, which she loved doing. When she was 11 she won a scholarship to attend Dagenham County High School and couldn’t wait to put her lovely new uniform on and start her new school. Unfortunately, she didn’t get to start there as she was evacuated to Southrepps in Norfolk. She o en discussed the pain of standing in the village hall while the locals came along the line to select evacuees they wanted to o er a home to. As a farming community the strong boys were chosen first followed by the prettiest girls. Eventually there was only Mum and another girl le and no more villagers coming in. Suddenly a lovely lady burst through the door, apologising for her lateness, and decided to take both the girls, so no one was le behind! Mum had a happy time there and when her mother wrote to say Hitler wasn’t causing any trouble in London and she could go home, Mum politely declined saying she was “having a lovely time and would rather stay!” She was walking across elds to school, eating cream, butter, and eggs and playing in hay barns - a very di erent life from her one in Dagenham. Her mother ignored all this and brought her home. She spent the rest of the war, including the dreaded blitz, running away from the V1’s and V2’s and doing her homework in the shelter by candlelight. She became an excellent secretary and her impressive shorthand and typing speeds helped her get various jobs in advertising agencies and magazines, nally becoming the editor’s secretary for Woman’s Own, which she was rightly proud of. Mum met Dad, Derrick, at this time and they spent many fun times with the other members of the Dagenham Rugby Club that he played for. e group would o en cycle from Essex to the New Forest in a day and sometimes on to Dorset and Devon if they were staying longer. ey had a tandem, which had to be specially made for them as Dad was 6 3in and Mum only 5 2in! ey moved to Ashurst with their two young children in 1962 and Mum worked anywhere that needed secretarial skills. After leaving Ashurst they moved to various places in Hampshire spending many years in Cadnam, then in 1973 they moved to Lyndhurst to buy a cafe there. In 1975 we moved to Langley where Mum and Dad lived until Dad died in 2007. A er that Mummoved to Fawley to live in our annexe where we could look a er her. She loved living on the Waterside and being part of the community and particularly going to Hythe when she could. It was during their time living above the cafe in Lyndhurst that Mum nished her rst book. She’d been writing for many years but mainly short stories for competitions but “A Phantom of Delight” was her rst full length novel. Unfortunately she couldn’t get it published and had many rejection letters. This spurred her on and a er years of perfecting her cra she had another book “Janey’s War” published in hardback. is was followed by four further novels “A Restless Peace”, “Kathleen”, “Fivepenny Lanes” and “Time with a Gi of Tears”. Eventually, in her 80’s, she succeeded in getting her original novel “A Phantom of Delight” published on Kindle; she was never one to give up. Mum loved going to the Waterside Writers’ group and spending time with other writers and Continued on page 9