Biographical Details

My grandfather was born on 17th February 1891 at Sayell's Farm in Sundon, Bedfordshire. My memories of him stem from the latter part of his life, when he lived in Dunstable, where he died in 1975. He came from a Sundon family - my great-grandfather ran the village Post Office at Sayell's Farm until he died. Grandpa Frank had one brother, Harold, who died in 1923.

He married my Grandma Margaret ('Maggie') on 24th January 1917. I don't remember Grandma Margaret at all as she died when I was a baby. Shortly after marrying Maggie, my grandfather joined the Royal Engineers. He was posted to France and Belgium on the 10th March to fight on the Western Front towards the end of the First World War. He still managed to keep up his interest in natural history, collecting eggs and going on many nature rambles during his time in the Department Pas-de-Calais. We still have many of his rambling diaries complete with many pressed flowers and other memorabilia from his time as a soldier. On being de-mobbed on 11th November 1919, he returned to his home stomping ground and spent the majority of his working life at E.W. Hudson & Co Engineering Works in Luton.

Despite his career in Engineering, Grandpa Frank was an academic at heart. The notes for each clutch of eggs include a wealth of information about the plant life and moths and butterflies that he encountered while collecting. In addition to his encyclopaedic natural knowledge, he also quoted Shakespeare at will and had a fondness for Brer Rabbit! He wrote incessantly: nature notes, diaries, articles ... for himself and for others, it wasn't important. He was an extremely talented artist, his drawings accurate to the smallest detail, skills all of his grandchildren have inherited to varying degrees. I can only hope that this is some small way to commemorate those skills.

Thursday, 27 March 2008

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) - (6) - England, 1926

Brambles, about 1ft from ground, on edge of thicket.

Went to Lilley by bus, with Maggie, Glen and Bernard, lovely day, much warmer. Could not get bus home again, so had to walk after waiting three hours for bus. Came on to rain about 7.30pm. Called at "White Lion", Lilley for refreshments, which bucked us up for the homeward trek. Arrived home tired out about 10 o'clock. Caught many Carpet Moths of several kinds, also male Holly Blue buttterfly. Hawthorn very beautiful. Few Orange Tips on wing, and green woodpecker calling in woods.

Lilley Hoo, Lilley, Hertfordshire, Whit Monday, May 24th.
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