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Introduction

This article is submitted on behalf of Mr Franklin Derek Tyrer, who was born in Preston, Lancashire in October 1934. Franklin grew up in Preston during the war years, although he remembers special visits he made with his relatives to Blackpool, the Isle of Man and Whitehaven.

Franklin’s parents were Harold and Sarah Jane (‘Sally‘) Tyrer (née Savage). His younger sister Maureen (now Mrs Lewin) was born in 1936. This article concentrates on some of Franklin’s memories of visits to Blackpool and the Isle of Man. I have written a separate article about his wartime visits to Whitehaven.

Franklin has a lot of photographs that were taken during his childhood visits to the Isle of Man, Blackpool and Whitehaven. While most of these photographs do not have specific dates written on the back, they are a good pictorial record of many happy family visits during the war years. Franklin’s mother was a younger sister of my own maternal Grandmother, Mrs Cecilia McCrickett (née Savage), and I have my own copies of some of the photographs that come from my Grandmother’s personal collection.

Unfortunately, we are not exactly sure what travelling restrictions, if any, were in place during the war, especially to the Isle of Man, which was one of the places used for the internment of foreigners. As Franklin refers to in his testimony, as a young child he knew very little about travel restrictions. The adults would have sorted out all of that!

The terms of the ����ý “People’s War” website have been read and understood.

Early travels

"When my sister Maureen and myself were young children my parents Harold and Sarah Jane Tyrer used to take us on regular day trips from Preston to the Isle of Man and especially Blackpool. My mother originally came from Whitehaven in Cumberland (now Cumbria). Her maiden name was Savage and Mother used to take us up to Whitehaven on the train to see my Grandma Savage and her other relatives. All my wartime travels as a child gave me a grand start in life.

Because I was only a young lad during the war years, I remember the war years as a very happy and carefree time. If there were restrictions on travelling we never noticed it at all because we went where our parents, aunts or uncles took us. It was as simple as that! So even before the war began we were ‘well travelled’ by train and even on the ‘High Seas’ to the Isle of Man.

These journeys were magical. The journey from Preston to Blackpool was only a short one, but the journey to Whitehaven was magical, going through Carnforth and then on to Bransty Station in Whitehaven. Although it is but a short boat journey from Whitehaven to the Isle of Man, we used to go there from Fleetwood, which was close to our home in Preston.

Trips to the Isle of Man

We must have spent a bit of time in the Isle of Man as I remember the journeys well, and I have some photos of when we were there. When we were very young kids I can remember going to the Isle of Man with my Dad, Harold Tyrer and my mother’s brother Uncle Frank Savage from Whitehaven. They took us on the fair and I can especially remember them taking us on the ‘Dodgem Cars’. It was an enormous thrill going on the big Isle of Man boats: 'Ben My Chree’, ‘Mona’s Isle’, ‘King Orry’, ‘Viking Snaefell’ and so on. I also had a close affinity with my cousin, Fred Tyrer, who many people thought was my brother. He also used to go on the trips to the Isle of Man.

Visits to Blackpool

I remember other occasions when we would go as a family to Blackpool. This was only a short train journey from Preston. Like almost everyone else then, we used to walk along the Prom. There were photographers who used to take your photograph on Blackpool North Pier. These are special memories I have of that time and we still have many of the photographs of the family on Blackpool Prom as we grew up. There are a lot with my parents, sister Maureen and other relatives.

In my early childhood, before and during the war, my Uncle Frank Savage, my mother’s brother, was by far my favourite uncle. He was still single in the early years of the war and used to visit our house and treat my sister and me. Frank got married during the war, to Maud, although I’m not exactly sure of the date.

I can remember Uncle Frank used to come before the war and early in the war with a friend, someone whom I only remember as 'Polo' Walker [NB — his real first name was Edward]. They spent quite some holidays at my Father and Mother’s house in Stocks Road, Preston. Like Frank, ‘Polo’ was keen on sport. They were keen on encouraging me in this, even though my dear Mother, Sarah Jane, was overprotective of me! In fact after the war, Frank went to 1948 Olympic Games in London and wanted to take me but Mother refused!

During the war Frank, my Mother Sarah Jane and Dad Harold were especially close. When Frank came to stay with us, he would take Maureen and me out for walks and sometimes even on the train to Blackpool. We have several photographs of Uncle Frank with us either taken on Blackpool Prom or taken in a photographic studio.

Wartime foundations for later life

These wartime travels seemed to start us all off on various ventures in life. My sister Maureen went on to be a businesswoman in Blackpool and has lived there for a number of years. I have lived and worked in several countries mainly in Horse Racing. I am now happily retired in Spain with my wife Andé.

Strangely enough, we had a connection to the Isle of Man trips years after the war had ended. When the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co ceased trading from Fleetwood, my cousin Fred restarted the service. He bought the old Fleetwood fish dock and utilised the service of the first 96-seater Hovercraft. It was however short lived, as the seas were too choppy for it.

We eventually sailed it round to Tower Bridge in London and then sailed it on to Trieste as it had been bought by and Italian Prince. On the way round to Tower Bridge, we were 'shipwrecked 'at Milford Haven. Whilst it was repaired I stayed for five weeks at the Five Star ‘Commodore Club‘ courtesy of Fred!

Fred then bought a 23000-ton vessel, and wanted Andé and myself to sail in it, following a refit in Barcelona, to Durban in South Africa. It was to be deployed as a ferryboat to Mauritius. Durban was a duty free port, and he had high hopes for this venture. We declined the offer of a free trip, with just the crew for Company. Later Fred bought a Ferry Boat from Blyth in Northumberland, and this was converted into a floating nightclub, sailing four nights a week from Newark to Nottingham, down the Trent, Once you are adrift from land, there are no licensing laws and Fred took advantage of this. I took over the bar each night, and it was a very profitable business to make money.

After a while, however, Fred went back to South Africa to pursue his businesses interests there. One night the boat caught fire, and that was the end of the boat story! I went back Horse Racing. In 1996, Fred met a very sad and tragic end leaving a wife, Nancy, and 6 children. I still miss him.

Our adventures later in life were somewhat different from the modest wartime trips we had to the Isle of Man! But, the wartime adventure of ‘life on the High Seas’ to the Isle of Man, our train journeys to Whitehaven and the visits to Blackpool gave us a grand start in life".

Conclusion

As Franklin mentions in the above article, he now enjoys a happy retirement in Spain with his wife Andé. Franklin’s sister Maureen (now Mrs Lewin) lives in Blackpool. Franklin and Andé still visit Blackpool regularly, and occasionally Whitehaven, visiting some of the people and places he first remembers from the war years.

I would like to thank Franklin for sharing some of his wartime memories about travelling and how it influenced what his family did in later life. It has been a great privilege to write this account on Franklin’s behalf.

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