Harold & Dorothy Seymour

Harold Seymour born in High Wycombe in 1915

Dorothy Christina Phillips was born in 1915

Harold And Dorothy married in 1938

1939 Register (census) Harold and Dorothy living in Oakridge Road, High Wycombe, Harold chairmaker

Harold and Dorothy moved into Eastlands, Lacey Green in 1980

February 1983 Hallmark. Mrs L Williams for The 81st Club reported "We all send our sympathy to Mr Seymour on the very sudden death of his wife. They had been living at Eastlands for 3 years and he has been a great help in the club." click Arthur & Lilian Williams for more about Lilian

Harold Seymour represented The 81st Club on the Village Hall Committee from 1989 to at least 1995

Harold Seymour reported in Hallmark in 37 editions for The 81st Club from 1st June 1985 to August 1995.

Hallmark October 1989. A letter to the Editor from Mrs E Simmons of Eastlands no 3, reads as follows -"Whilst endorsing Mrs. Curnow's remarks regarding the work arried out by Mr Dick Williams in the Churchyard I feel I must draw attention to the many tasks in the Churchyard undertaken by Mr, Harold Seymour of Eastlands. For many years, with a small hand mower, he has cut the grass to form footpaths for easier access to the graves lying back from the main path. I for one am grateful for the care shown in this respect. I also know Mr. Seymour carries out the odd repair job to some of the graves whose owners no longer care for them

I trust you well publish this letter in order that Mr. Seymour gets the credit he deserves.

Hallmark October 1990. Extract from the Editor's Diary - "Excitement ran high, particularly in Eastlands after Ernest Evans and Maurice Bass had nominated their neighbour Harold Seymour for the 10th National Caring Awards, organised by Turnstall Telecom. Not surprisingly to many of us, he was short-listed down to the last six from hundreds of entrants from all over the country. Harold was wined and dined together with the five other finalists at a top London hotel for a weekend of entertainment, sight-seeing and the judging. Unfortunately he was pipped at the post and came second, receiving a cut glass rose bowl and a certificate presented by the well-known actress Thora Hird.

Hallmark October 1990. Clem Brown meets – Harold Seymour "The word "caring" is tossed around without a lot of care nowadays. It must mean something though, and I was sharply reminded of that when I met Harold Seymour of Eastlands, Lacey Green.

Harold does care and goes on caring at the ripe age of 75. He tends to the needs and comforts of those mostly older and less active than himself. He has been doing that around Lacey Green during the past decade and before that in High Wycombe where he was born. For eight years Harold has been a widower, on his own with his own ways, his own private thoughts, and a healthy inclination to look outward rather than inward.

I visited Harold to find out what he was made of. Pretty tough stuff, I decided. His home was as neat as he is, for he requires no home help and does his own housework and DIY. Maybe his practical commonsense stems from his early working life in the Wycombe furniture trade where he was a craftsman among the famous chairs and tables.

More than that, his personal discipline reflects his Army background. He served in the Royal Berkshire Regiment during World War II and from private soldier advanced to Company Sergeant-Major. We exchanged a few stories about that for while Harold was engaged in training his recruits I was a schoolboy fleeing the bombs, fires and shrapnel, complete with gas mask and basic rations. One may smile at it all now, but it was far from a joke at the time!

So Harold continues his own line of social work. Local friends nominated him for a Good Neighbour Contest sponsored nationally by an industrial company and, sure enough, he was one of the finalists. In fact he came second and has a framed diploma to prove it.

The young have their own lives to lead, and possibly they attract too much emphasis whereas so often the elderly need special help. While referring to his sons who visit him Harold seemed to agree with me about the true requirements. Anyway, he continues to visit and care for those who are alone and suffer their loss of independence - for example a man of 90, a lady of 88, others who deserve comfort and support. Harold shops, collects pensions, tidies up. And more besides. Like me, I am sure you will wish him well."

Hallmark May 1999. A Tribute to Harold Seymour by Joan Smith

The death of Harold Seymour on 9^th March was a sad loss to The 81st Club of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and Speen. Harold had been President of the club since 1986, and a member prior to that date. Over the years he was involved in many ways in the running of the club and always, on meeting days, he would arrive early with his friend Jack Blackwell, to move the tables and chairs etc., to prepare the hall in readiness for members. The Club played an important part in his life; he was very proud to be its President, and he had many friends amongst its members who will miss his kindness and also his “Sergeant Major” voice in which he called meetings to order!!

Harold was born in High Wycombe and went to school there with Mrs. Rose Lewis, who many years later became his neighbour in Eastlands. He moved into Eastlands in the early 1980’s with his wife, who sadly died 15 months later in 1983.

In the days when Mary still ran our Post Office, Harold could be seen on Thursday mornings walking along Main Road to collect not only his own pension, but also pensions for several of his friends in Eastlands who found it difficult to walk that distance.

This was not the only way he helped his neighbours, as his friends became older and more frail and less able to cope, he would check on each of them every morning to help with fire-lighting (before central heating was installed) and to make a cup of tea, and would make an evening visit to help them to bed if necessary. It may not be widely known in the village, that he was given the “Caring Award for 1990” by Turnstall Communications, the installers of the communications systems in Eastlands. The award was a cut glass bowl, and Harold was absolutely delighted when this was presented to him by Thora Hird at a lunch in London.

The comment made by his friend Jack Blackwell on hearing of his death - “He was a little man with a big heart” - will be echoed by many who knew him.

In 1990 the following item had been published in Hallmark reporting by Clem Brown on a meeting he had with Harold Seymour

"The word "caring" is tossed around without a lot of care nowadays. It must mean something though, and I was sharply reminded of that when I met Harold Seymour of Eastlands, Lacey Green.

Harold does care and goes on caring at the ripe age of 75. He tends to the needs and comforts of those mostly older and less active than himself. He has been doing that around Lacey Green during the past decade and before that in High Wycombe where he was born. For eight years Harold has been a widower, on his own with his own ways, his own private thoughts, and a healthy inclination to look outward rather than inward.

I visited Harold to find out what he was made of. Pretty tough stuff, I decided. His home was as neat as he is, for he requires no home help and does his own housework and DIY. Maybe his practical common-sense stems from his early working life in the Wycombe furniture trade where he was a craftsman among the famous chairs and tables.

More than that, his personal discipline reflects his Army background. He served in the Royal Berkshire Regiment during World War II and from private soldier advanced to Company Sergeant-Major.

So Harold continues his own line of social work. Local friends nominated him for a Good Neighbour Contest sponsored nationally by an industrial company and, sure enough, he was one of the finalists. In fact he came second and has a framed diploma to prove it.

He continues to visit and care for those who are alone and suffer their loss of independence - for example a man of 90, a lady of 88, others who deserve comfort and support. Harold shops, collects pensions, tidies up. And more besides. Like me, I am sure you will wish him well.

Note. This report has been edited to remove Clems own comments.