Uncle "Bun"  April 25th 1911 to 27th May 2007

    Before I write about my Batchelors, I think that it's very appropriate to say a few words about my Dad's youngest brother, Bernard, fondly known as "Bun".  He spent his 96th birthday last month, at home, after being in hospital and convalescing in Ayelsford House, Ayelsford Street, after a bout of illness he'd had since just before Christmas.  He was well enough to go home the day before his birthday. I was unable to visit him as I was unwell myself at the time, but I did telephone him to wish him a "Happy Birthday"  He sounded on top of the world, crowing "I'm 96 today!!" and telling me that his daughter, my cousin Lesley, had taken him up to the shops in his wheelchair.  I rang off with a promise to go and see him soon.  Unfortunately, that wasn't to be as his other daughter, my cousin Val, who lives in America, rang me yesterday evening to say that he'd passed away.

        Uncle Bun, was born Bernard Lawrence Batchelor, in house 11, Court 37, Spon Street, in what was known at one time as "Lamb and Flag yard" because the court was built in the back yard of the Lamb and Flag public house, 147, Spon Street. This pub was closed in 1905, so by the time Bun was born, it was known as the "Woolpack Yard".  This was the pub on the opposite  side of the entrance 149, Spon Sreet. Of course, the whole part of it is covered by the Ring Road now, and is no more;  indeed, I believe that the house was demolished after Grandma and Grandad Batchelor died in 1936.

    When Uncle Bun was 16, he joined the Royal Navy as a cadet at H.M.S. Ganges and stayed in the Navy until the 1950's, serving during WW2, and becoming a Petty Officer before leaving the Navy and marrying my Auntie Vi.  Vi was his second wife, as his first wife, Mary Pymm, who he married in 1935, contracted tuberculosis and died in 1937. She was pregnant the previous year and the doctors recommended terminating the pregnancy to try saving her life, but it was not to be and Bun lost both his beloved wife and their child.

     Bernard carried on with his naval career and often visited us when he was on leave and although I was too young to really remember his visits I do know that I adored him!  Especially his uniform!  Well they do say that "All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor!

    When the war started in 1939, Uncle Bun was sent abroad on minesweeping duties.  He wrote to me a couple of times on "Aerographs"  These were airmail letters that had been photographed for security's sake which made the writing very small and although I could read at a very early age, reading these was difficult, as not only were they small, but were written in "real writing", so I had to get Mum or Dad to translate them for me.  I wish I still had them now! At some point, he sent some photographs to my Dad, taken while he was serving on H.M.S. Active.  The photos are exceedingly interesting, but goodness knows what with all the secrecy and security going on at the time, how on earth he managed to send them!  However, they are shown below:-

    Whenever Bernard was on leave, he stayed with his in-laws, Bill and Mary Pymm, who lived in Dulverton Avenue. When I was in the infant school, there was a boy in my class named Chris Littlewood.  I went to his birthday party one year and discovered that he lived next door to my Uncle Bun,  Not only that but he called him "Uncle Bun"!  To say that I was affronted was an understatement.  I was raging!  "  He is NOT your Uncle Bun---He's mine!!"  But of course, he was and not for the first time, the green eyed monster made an idiot out of me, as Chris's Mother Nellie, was Mary's sister. Well that was my nose put out of joint!  When I went to visit Uncle Bun in Primrose Hill House, in January, we were laughing about it but sadly, he told me that Chris passed away in 2000, with the big "C".

        Uncle Bun met Aunt Vi in 1946, after W.W.2 ended. She had a little girl called Valerie, who he brought up as his own child although she lived at her Grandmother's for a while.  He and Vi married in 1950 and had Lesley in July 1951and although they lived with Vi's Mother, in Brightmere Road, opposite to where I live now, they moved to Seedfield Croft, in Cheylesmore, where they lived happily until 1982 when he sadly lost Vi. Since then, he has lived independently in his own home, with help of course, as he had got frailer with age, and he was able to visit Val in America several times.  Just before last Christmas, he had to go to hospital, as he lost the use of his legs for a while.  He got better in January and went into Aylesford House until the day before his 96th birthday, on April 25th, this year.  Unfortunately, soon afterwards, he had a fall and pneumonia developed.

         Uncle Bun's funeral was held at St. Barbara's Church, in Earlsdon on Monday, June 11th.  It was a touching service and a good "send off" for him.  His daughter Val, and Lesley's son and daughter, all gave wonderful eulogies and they had The Navy Hymn and "How Great Thou Art" for his hymns, which made it very special.  He was cremated at Canley Crematorium and the girls took his ashes down to Portsmouth Naval base to be scattered, on the Saturday before Val returned to America.

Rest eternal grant to him oh Lord

And let light perpetual shine upon him

R.I.P.