my grandads life

[les tidey]

thought i would write about my grandad, JOHN WILLIAM TIDEY.
born in worthing sussex, went to sea at 14 years old on sailing ships,
for six years he sailed to the far east and the new world he then decided
to settle down in the east end,
he became a fireman at the isle of dogs firestation where he stayed for three
years.
in that time he was awarded the MBE for saving a young girl from a blazing
building was quite a hero so much so he had a street named after him.
the street is tidey street off whitethorn street in poplar.
someone gave him a glass of whiskey when he came out of the burning house,
he was caught drinking it by a superior fire officer and was suspended for
three days for drinking on duty,
so much for being a hero.
disgusted with his treatment in the london fire service he handed in his notice.
he found a marvelous position as chief fire officer at beckton products works where
a house went with the job.
he then married EMILY MULLETT they raised five children who all at the time
started work within the beckton complex.
my father followed in his dads footsteps and became a fireman but after going through
the blitz he could,nt face fighting fires so he became a rigger in the royal docks.
unfortunely I never met my grandad he died before I was born.
but I bet he was grandad everybody would like to have had
regards
les

[les tidey]

whoops forgot to say my grandad was born in 1870 he died in 1934.
I suppose 64 years old was good for those days

[Rennay]

That was lovely Les very interesting. Only 64 eh? I've already passed that myself.

My maternal grandfather was born in Stepney and at one stage just before the war he held down three jobs at the same time. At dawn he was a milkman. From 9am to 6pm he worked for the wine merchants Saccone and Speed and at night he was a stage door keeper at a London theatre.
He was a lovely man. They moved to a rented house in Forest Gate at the height of the Blitz and that's where I was born.
Grandad died in 1947 just six months after my Nan. He was in his early sixties too.

[les tidey]

thanks rennay.
my mum would tell that story over and over she was so proud that someone
in our family had met the king and received a medal.
I keep meaning to visit Tidey street but I never seem to manage it I think I will
make the effort and take my grandchildren with me.
they might be as proud as my mum was.
regards
les

[Limey]

Since we are on the subject of Grandads.  I was raised by mine and my Gran from age 8 to 14 in Custom House.  My Dad and his other eight siblings always referred to him as being very strict and not a very loving man but my memories of him are spit and polishing his 'hook and eye' laced up boots every night, rolling his cigarettes with Digger Shag tobacco in a little machine gadget and mending the family's shoes, soles and heels on a hob nail type thingy.  Raising Chickens and Rabbits in the back yard and killing some of them at Christmas for the Family's dinners.

I also remember the large picture on the wall of him being presented with a huge trophy cup as a Darts Champion.  I wish there were some of his siblings alive today to ask more about him, especially about winning the trophy and what year? I seem to remember it being something to do with the News of The World Championship or it could be Tate and Lyle where he received a Gold Watch on his retirement.
Sylvia

[Robert Rogers]

There are three items on the Beckton Gas Works on the Newham Story site, that my be of interest to bring alive the gas works.

Brief History of the Beckton Gas Works. http://www.newhamstory.com/node/327

Will Thorne and the Gas Works Union
http://www.newhamstory.com/node/333

Beckton Passenger Railway
http://www.newhamstory/node/415

[Rennay]

Another lovely memory...thanks Sylvia. It's amazing how much we remember about our grandparents isn't it? In my case I spent a lot of time with my Grandad, we lived in the same house and as my dad was fighting in Egypt Grandad was the father figure.
A great story told by my mother (now aged 92) is that when Grandad was working as a cellarman at the wine merchants he was on very friendly terms with one of the directors of the company...and this director was a Russian prince! Grandad called him Bill for some reason and the prince called Grandad by his first name which was George. In those times this was quite unusual, one didn't usually blur those lines of social status. The prince whose name was actually Prince Vsevolode Joannavitch became engaged to lady Mary Astor. You can imagine how surprised my grandparents were to receive an invitation to the wedding...all gold embossed and very grand. This invitation was passed around the family, friends and virtually the whole of Stepney including the clothing factory where mum worked.
Needless to say they didn't go...my grandmother said she would have felt out of place and although Grandad was keen on attending 'Bill's' posh wedding he reluctantly declined.
If only they had kept the invitation...what a gem for the family history book!

Like your story Les it opens up a different side of life and insight into the characters of our grandparents. George (grandad) was liked and respected by everyone and this story affirms this!

He was quite a character.

[les tidey]

thanks robert.
the link to beckton works was quite interesting.
a couple of uncles of mine were bricklayers they would reline the retorts
when the linings collapsed not very nice I would imagine working enclosed
like that..
regards
les

[les tidey]

hi rennay & limey.
I am sure you are both very proud of your lineage, I know I am.
my dad would mend our shoes as limey describes, the tool he used was called a
last!.
two or three jobs were quite common in those day,s just to keep their heads
above water.
my mum used the local tallyman they would deliver goods and she paid weekly.
that was the plan anyway, but my mum would use two tallymen.
leslie would be sent to the door to say mum,s not in.
one week I would pay one tally the next week I would pay the other one.
it really was living on the never / never
we got there in the end.
regards
les