On the 22 September 1922 a marriage took place between George Whitehead, aged 26 years and Winifred Haydon, aged 27 years, at South Woodford Baptist Church, London.
The bridegroom had been in the Army in WW1, serving in the Royal Army Medical Corps as a stretcher bearer over in France.
The bride was the second daughter of Rev. John Haydon and Elizabeth, his wife (nee Batchelor).
My story begins at my date of birth, 24 July 1930, my parents being the aforementioned George and Winifred.
We lived in a ground-floor flat, at 20 Bedford Road, South Woodford, while my Aunts Nellie and Mary Haydon occupied the top flat.
Nellie was the eldest daughter of John and Elizabeth Haydon, and she had been born at Chesham in Buckinghamshire in June 1893, before my grandfather entered Spurgeon’s Theological College in London in 1897.
My mother was also born at Chesham in January 1895, so my grandparents had to move to London with two small daughters and not much money.
I have been told that they were helped financially by his sister, Jane, who had married a builder in Chesham.
Aunt Mary was the youngest daughter and was born in Rye, Sussex in 1908, when my grandfather was Minister there.
Both these Aunts were employed as Secondary School teachers, and travelled by train to schools in East London.
My mother, Winifred had also trained as a school teacher attending Brighton College, together with Aunt Nellie, while the family were living at Rye.
Back row: Nellie Haydon, John Haydon, George Whitehead, -, -,
Front seated: Elizabeth Haydon, Joyce Whitehead, Winifred Haydon, Emma Whitehead, -,
Seated on the ground: Edna Haydon, Mary Haydon.
Next article: Christine Reason, real life story 1931 to 1935
