A-Z Challenge 2023: Family Traits - Z for ZEALOUS

Theme for the A-Z  Challenge 2023 

 Family Traits, Quirks d Characteristics

Z for ZEALOUS

 

My Father - John P. Weston (1912-2003)

 

 The dictionary defines ZEALOUS as eager, committed, dedicated, enthusiastic - words that could describe my father John Percy Weston (1912-2003). 

Named after an uncle, who had died two years earlier,  Dad hated being called Percy, especially when it was shortened to Perce and he always  signed himself John P. Weston.  At one stage he almost made me, as a.child, believe his middle name was Philip -  this was the 1950s when Prince Philip, the late  Queen’s husband, featured prominently  in the press.  

Dad was born in Bilston, Wolverhampton  in the industrial  English Midlands, second   son of Albert Ernest Weston, an engineer and Mary Barbara Matthews.  At the age of seven the family moved to the neighbouring county of Shropshire and to the small town of Broseley, across the River Severn from its more famous neighbour of Ironbridge. Dad always regarded Broseley as his spiritual home  and recorded many happy memories of his time there.

From an early age football was his passion.  It is thanks to Broseley  Historical Society,  I now have the earliest photograph of my father, aged 14 in 1926  as a member of a school winning football team. 

 

My father is on the right of the middle row - the team is identified on the reverse with Dad named as Perce Weston. 

 

Dad had written down for me the memories of his  early life in Broseley,

"I was mad keen on soccer, so much so that I had a trial at Birmingham with the English schoolboys. My teacher took me in his car to that and to a second trial at Shrewsbury.

One Saturday when I was working as an errand boy, two directors from Birmingham Football Club came to see Dad and Mum to sign me on for the junior team  - they refused, saying I was too young to be away from home. I was not told about this until later and sulked for a month!"

"But a bit of glory followed, when my school team entered a cup competition. I was vice-captain and we got to the final - and won the cup, the first ever for Broseley.

One of the supporters took a carrier pigeon along with us and set it loose at the end to let Broseley know the result and to prepare a welcome, as we were bringing home the cup! "

The pigeon was obviously  an ancestor of Twitter!

Apparently a photograph was taken of the team's success, but no pictures of my father's early life passed down the family.   Memorabilia (including Dad's church choir and football team photographs) were thrown out by a widowed relative.  How sad! 

 

 I only had a broad indication of the year for the event,  but I contacted Broseley Historical Society who put my enquiry on their online newsletter - and the result was Success!

My father retained his love of football all his life.   He was a great follower of Wolves and Aston Villa and was an avid watcher of matches on television, right up to his death at the age of 91.

And an important lesson from this - don't forget the value that can be gained from contacting local societies. 

 

************** 

My faher's ZEALOUS spirit was reflected in later aspects of his life.

 

In Broseley he joined the  church choir at the age of seven and remained a choir member wherever he lived, with a love of hymns and sacred  music.  Listening to Sunday Half Hour (hymn singing on the radio) was part of our Sunday evening ritual when I was growing up - as was TV's "Songs of Praise".

 

On his school life, Dad recalled " the deputy head was very good (he had been gassed in the war).  He was keen on poetry and I enjoyed it, he had us do the Merchant of Venice.  I was Bassanio.  I was very fond of him which, of course, made me listen to what he had to say".  In later life, Dad could still recite his favourite poems, often in dramatic tones.
 

Dad left school at 14 and worked as an errand boy in a local grocer's shop.  He then  became a commercial traveller (salesman) and rose to the position of Sales Directorof a small company  - not bad for a largely self educated lad! 

 

Dad often talked about his war-time  experiences and I am afraid it did provoke the reaction “Not the war again, Dad”. We also used to joke about him being in the Intelligence Branch.  It was only later that we came to realise what a life-defining period it was and  I persuaded him to write (type) his memoirs. of his service in both Europe and Burma.

 

 

 

Wherever  we lived, Dad threw himself into the local community - he was a people person, a "joiner" and  an organizer of fetes and festivities in the church and village - so out came the typewriter  for "to do " lists and press releases.   He aimed  to bring something special to the occasion  e.g. pipe band, cheerleader groups etc. We were just praying for fine weather for the summer events!

 

In later life Dad was a regular contributor of  letters to local newspapers - my mother was not too happy about this,  as he could get,  in return,  political brickbats from people of divergent views.   He also prepared talks on a variety of topics  to present  to local societies and I have the originals of his typed scripts.

It was  a familiar sight at home to see Dad at his little typewriter  doing his paperwork and keeping in touch with his Weston relations.   

 

******************

I am proud to end this A-Z Challenge with a profile of my father 

 

***********

 

IN CASE YOU MISSED

A for ADVENTUROUS, B for BIGAMOUS, C for CRIMINAL,  D for DEVOUT

E for ENTERPRISING  & ESTEEMED,   F for FEISTY

  

G for GENIAL & GOOD LOOKING,  H for HEROIC    I  for INSOLVENT  

 J for "JOINER", K for KEEPER OF THE FAMILY ARCHIVES,

 

L for LONG LIVING,  M for MYSTERIOUS, N for NE'ER DO WELL 

 

O for ORPHANED, P for POETIC,    Q for QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOUR 

 

R for RESILIEN, S for STOIC  T for TRAGIC,  U FOR UNETHICAL 

 

V for VALIANT , W for WELL TRAVELLED, X for eXPERT

 

Y FOR YEOMAN, Z for ZEALOUS  

 

 

 

 

*****************