John Spence & Moira Snowden
John’s Younger Years
Born in Goole, 2 up 2 down & outside loo
Father was a teacher, son of an entrepreneurial farmer
Mother from a farming family
Close to sister Bessie, giggled in car, one of first in area, under the stern repost of their father
Father injured in first war, disability and early death from cancer profound impact
Met Moira in Edinburgh when visited new ‘digs’ and fell in love with one of the occupants
Studied medicine, joined up with RAF after graduation and made an officer
Climbed the ranks to squadron leader and enjoyed chauefeur driven visits to RAF hospitals to check up on them
Trained as a pathologist
Married in Crieff in 1952, and began married life in RAF at Ealy
Sue born in 1952, followed by 2 other daughters and 2 sons
First civillian home in Snainton before buying huge house in West Ayton, unseen by Moira
Passion for gardening, good job with 5 acres to tend to
Always one for making clever gadgets, intended to make chores less onerous – pullys etc
Love of nature, any bird from its call or flight or visible appearance from 200 yards
Project after project, hobbie after hobbie
Golf – low double digit handicap, and regular organiser at Ganton, member for >50 years
Sailing – built a mirror dinghy, still going under use by Scarborough sea cadets, sailed off filey
Sports car – MG midget
Horses – for the family, not a rider himself
Holidays – France, caravan, further afield with Moira (Egypt, Morroco), with Bessie & Peter, and later to Spain to Tricia and Australia to
Sue
Rotary – loved to socialise, not content to stay at home, liked the ceremony/speach thing
Popular face in the village and surrounds – always a wave or someone coming to the table at Walkers fish & chips restaurant to say
hello
Devoted husband of Moira, not a night apart in over 70 years
Supportive father, always wanting to know how everyone is getting on
Out & about less in later life, but adapted to 4 wheeled buggie, but keen for everyone else to ride on it
Moira’s Younger Years
John & Moira’s Life Together
John & Moira’s Family
Gordon Greene was my parent’s bank manager from NatWest in Scarborough, he and his wife Freda became old friends of my parents, and would occassionally ‘holiday’ outside the town, parking their caravan for a few nights on the drive at West Acres. Freda was a psychic and from an early age, foretold the future for all of the Spence children.
Sue would move to the other side of the world. Tricia would also move away, to a mountainous country, to a place which sounded like Dijon. Mandy would be a mother and would always be involved with and surrounded by children. Phil would be surrounded with paper, a fact which dumfounded them at the time. And Iain would not be someone to worry about, never would I be short of a penny.
Now lets find out what the reality became and you can judge for yourself the powers that Freda possessed!
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More Photos, Documents and Memorabilia
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Susan Spence & Peter Ellender
Patricia Spence & Javier Rodriguez Cortina
Amanda Spence & Eric Welburn
Philip Spence & Clare Hylson-Smith
Iain Spence & Rachel Spence
This is me, and my wonderful wife Rachel, and we have our own section in our family history.