David Pennington

David in spring 2002, on holiday in the Hebrides

David wrote: I went home on Sunday leave with Hammond once and coincidently Sherlock probably Minor, I remember the Farm, I also went home with Gadd a number of times whose parents had a very big farm at Fittleworth. I was also quite friendly with Ricketts and I believe Woodham was a very good cricketer, a number of the names are familiar such as Hart, Cobley, Rhodes, but only that. I went on to another boarding School and all those years at WL prepared me well but of course I did not like it much and did not send my children boarding. I was sent all the way from Bideford in north Devon and in the later years would travel home by train from Waterloo on my own having been taken from Victoria where the School train went by a Mr Pratt who may have arrived to teach after you left. I of course remember Mr & Mrs MD but only Miss Oliver of the staff in the 47 photo.

According to Shaun the School was closed in by 1952 when he stayed with the MDs for 2 weeks and was been farmed, I left in 52 and the last couple of terms there were few pupils and The MDs seemed to be more interested in farming then. I have driven past in about 68 and also a couple of years ago and all the land alongside the road is now developed, in fact it looks as if all the outbuidings are now private houses, the main building is still there. I went on the Birmingham University and then worked for about a year for what was then BMC in the export development division, but after a year of 9 to 5, I came back to Bideford where we had a hotel, which I sold in 71 and have been in financial services since, now working from home when golf or fishing permit. We are hoping to become Grandparents in April. David Pennington.

See more on how David found Shaun after 50 years

The vehicle type, a Triumph Renown