News from the BBKA

Jack was born on the 26th June 1917 the youngest of five children.He had a very varied working life starting first as an apprentice engineer in Powerhouse (Halix) plastic factory at Hale End Near Chingford. He joined the Merchant Navy and qualified as a Fellow of the Institute of Marine Engineering and Chief Engineer. He was at sea when war was declared; during this time his ship took bombs and ammunition to Basra and Iraq as well as a train at one time to Australia. On the return journeys they brought back food etc from places such as New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and many other countries. ln 1945 he left the Merchant Navy and returned for a short time to work back at Powerhouse. He then went into the Civil Service Ministry of Works; being posted to Woomera Australia on the Blue Streak Rocket project. Subsequently he came back to England into the Prison Commission dealing with security. Jack retired at 61 years at which time he took up beekeeping, having been very interested in it for a long time.

He started with the Croydon Beekeepers before joining the Bromley Branch; he took a beekeeping course at Hadlow with Brian Palmer. For eight years Jack and his wife Ethel were wardens for the caravan club in Shropshire; during which time he took his bees with him. Jack and Ethel both made extensive trips to Australia at one time doing over 24,000 miles. Jack met Ethel his wife while working at Powerhouse and they had been married over 66 years. We shall all miss Jack and he will always be remembered as a kind and gentle man. Our thoughts are with Ethel and their family at this time.

Barbara Watson