Although I’ve been asked, I don’t do weddings. It’s not my thing. But when I attended the National Association of Chimney Sweeps’ conference I met loads of sweeps from London who make a fortune out of people who still believe it is lucky to have a chimney sweep at their wedding. They dress up in a suit and top hat, carry a clean brush, dot soot on the bride’s forehead – and charge hundreds of pounds for the privilege. I’d be too worried about getting soot all over the bride’s expensive white dress! So I always decline…
What is the best thing about your job? I work for myself and don’t have to answer to anyone. If I don’t want to do something I don’t do it. It is certainly a busy job with open fires and wood burners becoming more and more popular as gas and electric get more expensive, but there are quieter times. That’s when I diversify, and I help a friend with building projects, mostly around Kingswear. We did some decking at the primary school, park benches and picnic tables by the creek, and painted the church railings. I’m an extra pair of hands, but it keeps the wolf from the door.
Charles Glassbrook can be contacted on 01803 834245. Special rates are available for pensioners. Also see his advert in Trades & Services
DARTMOUTH`S FALLEN HEROES TO BE HONOURED WITH NEW PLAQUE ON WAR MEMORIAL
As part of the annual ceremonies on Remembrance Sunday this year (14th November) three fallen heroes from Dartmouth will be specially honoured. A new plaque will be unveiled at Dartmouth`s War Memorial in Royal Avenue Gardens, dedicated to the memory of those who have died for their country in conflicts since 1945.
he names of three servicemen will be listed and the most recent of these is Trooper Brett Hall, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, aged 21, who was fatally injured by a roadside bomb on 12th September 2009 while driving a Viking armoured vehicle on Combat Logistic Patrol in north-west Helmand province in Afghanistan. He was educated at Dartmouth Communi- ty College and joined the Army aged 18. Brett died of his wounds at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine at Selly Oak on 16th September 2009. He is buried at Longcross Cemetery, Dartmouth. He was the son of Peter and Sue Hall of Dartmouth. It is sixty years since Second Lieu- tenant Michael Morrice,
T
2nd Battalion Scots Guards, aged 20, was killed in action during opera- tions in the Malayan Emergency on 11th June 1950. It happened during
Brett Hall
a road ambush in the Kanching Pass, Selangor. He is buried at Cheras Road Christian Cemetery, Kuala Lum- pur. He was the only son of Captain William Morrice, Queen`s Bays, who predeceased him, and his late mother (who later remarried) Mrs Jane Ben- son of Swannaton Road, Dartmouth. Petty Officer John Akhurst, Radio Electrician, Royal Navy, aged 29, was killed on his ship HMS Consort on 20th April 1949 when it was shelled by fort artillery while it was going to the rescue of HMS Amethyst during the famous `Yangtse Incident` (later filmed) on the Yangtse river in China. He joined the Navy at 16 and served on HMS Devonshire during the Second World War and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation. John was the eldest son of Mr and Mrs C.F. Akhurst of Dartmouth. He married May Dunning on 10th May
Michael Morrice
John Akhurst
1945 at St Saviour`s Church at the first peacetime wedding held in Dartmouth after the war.
Mrs May Akhurst, now aged 90, has recently been awarded the Elizabeth Cross and now lives in Plymouth, as does their daughter Olwen (now Mrs Olwen Grindell) who was born in July 1946. John was the elder brother of Mrs Frankie Cawthorne (nee Akhurst) who still lives in Dartmouth. He was buried at Hungjao Cemetery in Shanghai.
The new plaque at Dartmouth War Memorial is being supplied by Allwood of Totnes and will be funded by the Royal British Legion in association with South Hams District Council, Dartmouth Town Council and private donors. Anyone else who would like to contrib- ute would be welcome to do so via Da- vid Fleming at The Royal British Legion, Dartmouth Tel: 01803-832661.
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