Glemsford

- voices from the past

  George Boreham in about 1950 

George's adult life took him away from Suffolk.

George Boreham qualifies as a Glemsfordian by birth, and the family history detail here demonstrates his Suffolk roots, despite the fact that from 1925 he had moved north, further north and west, to his long-term home in Keswick.

Steve Scott (George's nephew) has sent me some fascinating stories from George's youth which George himself wrote down and Steve has transcribed, and given me permission to publish in this form.

The first story: "The Lamplighter"

Stories of childhood: "The Toy Shop"

"The Hoop" and
"The Sunday School Treat"









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By the time he left Suffolk, for good, having finished his apprenticeship, George and his family were living at 81 Melford Road, Sudbury.

Freedom

I was twenty one - and I was free ! - at least I thought I was, I had finished my apprenticeship with Sudbury Gas Co. and I had got a job as a gas fitter with Halifax Corporation Gas Department, two hundred miles away.
I had, I thought, cast off the shackles of previous commitments and I was free for adventure and new experience.

It was January 1925 when I left my home at Melford Rd , Sudbury, I can well remember that frosty morning, about four o`clock the stars were shining bright and all was still and silent apart from a little muffled sob from my mother who was on the path to see me off.
It's funny, my two sisters and my father would be there but I can`t remember them.
It was by the light of the stars that I remember the look of anguish on my mother's face.

It had snowed the day before so the roads were treacherous, hard frost in places and slush in others so I was glad to get pedalling to warm up. I was on top of the world - neither the cold, road conditions, long journey nor my mother's anguished face could dampen my spirits.
I was free, doing what I wanted without hindrance, I was in charge of my own destiny.

It was late and dark when I arrived at Halifax. I soon found a bread and breakfast, had some supper and went to bed, Halifax would have to wait until tomorrow.
Tired and soon asleep, but not for long! awakened by a clatter, clatter, clatter and there did not seem to be any end to it - what was it? I couldn't make out what it was, I`d certainly never heard anything like it before. In a town with lots of street lamps and shop signs blazing, I couldn't imagine what a lot of horses could be doing cantering through the streets at 11 o`clock at night.
As the sound approached my window I looked into the street: the horses were humans! Mainly women in black shawls and all wearing clogs, it was the hundreds of clogs clattering on the stone setts making all the noise. In the morning I learnt they had came from a picture house further along the street.


In 1931, George married Elsie Robinson.
Here is the newspaper account of the day.

Threlkeld Wedding

Honeymoon on a Tandem

“A Bicycle Built for Two”

Miss Elsie Robinson, daughter of Mr and Mrs J. Robinson, Merle Bank, Threlkeld, was married to Mr George Boreham, only son of Mr and Mrs C. Boreham, Sudbury, Suffolk at the St John’s-in-the-Vale Church on Saturday morning, the Vicar, the Rev. B. J. Rylands officiating.

The bride, who was given away by her father, wore an ankle-length dress of white georgette, trimmed with lace and an embroidered tulle veil and orange blossoms, and carried a sheaf of Madonna lilies. Her bridesmaids were her sister, Miss Mary Robinson, and her cousin, Miss Irene Tyson. The former wore an ankle length dress of beige crepe suede, with hat to tone and carried a bouquet of sweet peas and maiden hair fern. Miss Tyson had a dress of blue crepe suede and carried a basket of flowers. Master Kenneth Tyson acted as page boy and Mr W. Wilkinson, Keswick, was best man.

A reception was held at the bride’s home. The bride’s gift to the groom was a telephoto lens, and that of the bride-groom to the bride an ebony toilet set and an umbrella, and to the bridesmaids, handbags.

The couple were recipients of many presents, both useful and ornamental, including a clock from the Keswick Gas Company, where the bridegroom is employed. They later left by cycle tandem for North Wales, where the honeymoon is being spent.

Daisy, daisy

Page maintained by Stephen Clarke, admin@glemsford.org.uk. Copyright(c) August 2007 Text of "Freedom" © Steve Scott August 2007 Created: 25/08/2007