Friday 20th April 2012
Jo Reed writes:
“Hi Danny. I love your website and I really liked your eulogy for Bill Symes. Can you do mine for me at my funeral? Just joking. I never knew Mr. Symes but after reading what you wrote I really wish I had known him. You said he knew all about the old characters in Bishopstrow, it sounds like Mr. Symes was quite a character himself. Will you be putting more about him on your website please? I’m sure lots of people (me included) would like to hear more about his life and read more of his stories.”
Danny Howell replies:
Thank you Jo for your kind words. Yes, Bill Symes was indeed a character in his own right. Several people have emailed me about the tribute and I have said to all of them that there were many many things I could have said about Bill. Although he was not a mover and a shaker in the big wide world, and although his name will never be mentioned in anything to do with academia, he was a lovely, pleasant, down-to-earth, man who had got all his priorities right. He was the least materialistic man you could ever meet. He used to say “I began with nothing and I’ve still got most of it left!” Wonderful!
I think I managed to portray a flavour of Bill and his life. With regard more about him, I tape-recorded a lot of the things Bill said over the years and his family asked me at the wake after the funeral if I could put together a book about him and I think we probably can. To that end, members of Bill’s family are looking out photos for inclusion. As a taster of what’s to come, here is a photo that Bill’s sister, Jean Whelan, has already let me have:
The photo shows the bonfire built on Middle Hill, Bishopstrow, in 1935. It was lit as part of the local celebrations to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. The boy up the ladder is Bill Symes. He would have been 8 years old at the time. It looks like Bill is wearing his school blazer and cap. To the left of the picture, behind the bonfire, is a glimpse of neighbouring Scratchbury Hill.