Age 16, In WW2 Doreen got the 'call-up' straight from school to work at the Smiths factory making aircraft instruments. The bus from her home took a circuitous route from her home in Tewkesbury to Cleeve picking up people for the start of their 12...
Robin is a published artist who has illustrated many bird identification books, but he had two other careers first; Aged 7, Robin's love for art started young, but his father advised keeping it as a hobby (like Winston Churchill!) so Robin joined the Army and was...
Aged 17, Margaret, a trained needlework teacher, in the wedding dress she made herself. Widowed two years later and with a young son to support, she managed her husband's photography business for three years in Somerset until she returned home to Cheltenham Aged 50, Margaret visiting...
Age 18, Mr Wood (on far left) served in the RAF in Egypt for his national service and enjoyed it so much he stayed an extra year. Pictured here with friends from Dursley. In his 40s Mr Wood converted a derelict mill near Dursley into a...
Age 23, training to be a midwife in London. Mrs Ganniclifft knew from the age of eight that she wanted to be a nurse and, in addition to midwifery, she also completed general and ophthalmic nurses training. Age 28, working as a nurse in Kampala, Uganda...
There are few people who gain two Doctorates, especially when one is in Fine Art and the other in Science; Dr Cowan is a true polymath and original thinker. Age 41, on his wedding day - he was finishing his doctorate on the eve of their...
Age 22, a Cheltonian born and bred, Mr Oakey joined the RAF for his national service and stayed 22 years! Age 30, the RAF flew Mr Oakey into Thailand to play in front of large crowds at the national stadium (playing left-half). A natural sportsman, he...
Aged 28, Miss Paterson just before she set out to work in India for the Church Mission Society. She took the train to Venice to catch the boat to India to get to Palayamkottai in Tamil Nadu, 50miles from India's tip! (photo 1) Aged 38, Miss...
Aged 17, determined to serve in the RAF Mrs Powell signed up, without her father's knowledge, at RAF Innsworth in 1941 during WW2. She served for over five years at bases across the south of England initially as a clerk and then trained through Bletchley...
Aged 18, Mrs Terry joined the WAAF to train as a Meteorological Assistant in World War 2. Her first visit to London was in 1942 to attend the eight week training course. She was then posted at airfields around the Midlands working in shifts to take...