Ted & Jean Janes
From Lacey Green History
Obituary by Ted's grandson.
My Grandad, Ted, was a remarkable man in many ways. Firstly he was a family man - a husband, father, father-in-law, big brother, grandparent, great-grandparent and friend to many. He was also an incredibly committed man who achieved so much for his community with huge amounts of drive, energy and fun, side by side with his beloved wife Jean. Everyone will have their own special personal memories of him. I will do my best to try and sum up his life, achievements and why he meant so much to so many.
As Billy mentioned earlier Grandad was the eldest of 4 children, brought up in rural Speen in the 1930s. His father was a chair maker working in the furniture factories in & around High Wycombe and also a keen gardener, providing fruit & veg for the family. Grandad learnt from his father and developed a passion for gardening that stayed with him throughout his life. During his teenage years Grandad used to help out his Uncle Wal who used to play records at the local village dances. He would cycle miles to the local village halls carrying the box of records on his bike to and from these dances.
Like many of his generation he left school early with no qualifications and started work on the factory floor of a light engineering firm in High Wycombe, Ernest Turner – cycling to and from work to home in Speen. Other than a break during the war he worked there for 23 years. My mum recently found a letter written in 1963 after he had left which described him as……‘reliable, conscientious, uses his own initiative and has acquired the respect of his fellow workers'....… I think that is a good summation of Grandad throughout his subsequent working life as a Co-op Store Manager and then Co-op Insurance Agent.
At the onset of the war and aged 18, Grandad left Speen to become a Bevin Boy in Derbyshire. This was life changing for him in more ways than one. It is where he met, courted and fell in love with Jean who became his life partner for 75 years. It is also where he formed a lot of his principles that he held dear and true to throughout his life. Seeing the conditions the miners worked in and speaking with the miners about workers’ rights, led to him becoming a life-long Labour supporter and activist.
Ted and Jean married and had a daughter, Carol, when my Grandad was 20. They lived with Jean’s mum for a couple of years and then moved down South to live with Grandad’s family. The young family initially lived in a tiny caravan and then a one up one down house in Speen, before moving to the bungalow in Lacey Green where they have remained for the next 70 years. In addition to working at Turner’s my Grandad took on a second job as a gardener to make ends meet.
You would think the young couple raising a child and working all hours to support themselves would have little time to do anything else. Incredibly they found the time and motivation to do so much for their local community – always with huge amounts of energy and fun. It’s impossible not to marvel at what this formidable team achieved. Grandad took on several civic roles and Granny was the committed partner, working side by side to support Grandad. The list of achievements is truly inspirational – there are simply too many to mention them all….a few examples are:
34 years on the Parish council, 27 of them as Chairman. When appointed to the council he was one of the youngest councillors in the country.
Launched and ran the village youth club
Founded, edited and produced Hallmark, the village magazine for 22 years.
Helped organise the Twinning Association in the village with Hambye in France
Initiated and organized many village societies and events, including the Strawberry Tea, Happy Wanderers Walking Club and Village Day
Chairman of the Wycombe Labour Party
Magistrate for 24 years
I think of all the many political, civic and community achievements the last one makes me most proud. It was very rare for a working man with little formal education to become a magistrate, let alone to have risen to become Chair of the Aylesbury Bench. In 1990, having served with distinction for 24 years he resigned. At the time, the government had introduced a controversial new form of taxation, the Community Charge, more commonly known as the Poll Tax. As a magistrate Grandad would have been obligated to sit in judgement on people unable to pay this tax. He was not prepared to do this. Quoted in the newspapers at the time he said….
"It is with huge regret that I am resigning but I have no wish to assist in enforcement of this tax…..this tax is so unjust departing from the adopted essence of British Taxation, that is, the ability to pay….in my mind it is immoral" His resignation generated a lot of interest and Grandad was invited to be interviewed on television, but typical of the man he declined. This was not about him…..this was about what was fair and just. The poll tax was abolished by the government in 1991, in part due to the stand taken by principled people like my grandad.
I really don’t know how he did it, but he still found energy for the family. Of course, there was an impact on his time and he relied on Granny so much to be the main parent. Some of the roles they took on were centred on the family – the youth club, for example, was something they ran because it was important to their daughter and her friends. My mum was always incredibly close to her father as were his siblings, as Shirley will testify. My sister, Sandee and I spent a lot of time with them when we were young. They were very active Grandparents – Grandad was after all only 40 when my sister was born.
An aspect of my grandparents life that fascinated me as a child and inspired me in later life was their sense of adventure for holidays and travel. They were one of the early adopters of the foreign package holidays that started to become available in the mid-60’s. They also went further afield to Russia and several times to America to visit his sister Beryl. They also always bought back Sandee and I gifts which we treasured, some of which I’ve kept to this day.
In 1995 and only a few years into their retirement, Granny suffered viral Encephalitis of the brain. This left her memory severely impaired for the rest of her life. My Grandad took on the role of carer and did an amazing job of looking after her – I am so in awe of how he managed to do this. He made sure they continued to have an active life - continuing to go on holidays and up until very recently they carried on dancing. It was through dancing that my grandparents originally met and was something my Granny, in particular, loved. Grandad had made a promise to her that on their retirement they would take up dancing again as she had for so many years supported him with his passions and roles. He was committed to making sure that they continued to do this despite her illness.
It is only a few months ago that we were here for the funeral of Granny. My Grandad achieved so much in his life, but certainly the biggest, most important and rewarding achievement was their marriage and partnership of 75 years. Whilst we are sad on the passing of Grandad we take comfort that he is once again reunited with his beloved Jean.
Report of Conversation in which Ted Janes Tells of his Life by Joan West
It seems a little strange writing about someone who is still very much alive and who is particularly enjoying going dancing with his wife Jean. Ted has now officially retired, but his many notable activities have had nothing to do with his actual job.
What he did for this parish was not his livelihood but started off driven by his political beliefs and one thing led to another, all in his spare time. He freely acknowledges that he couldn’t have done it without the support of Jean. But how and why did it all begin?
An Indoctrinated Socialist
Ted came home to Speen after WW2, an indoctrinated socialist, having spent 4 years in the Derbyshire Coal Fields as a Bevin Boy. He was restless and idealistic. He moved from Speen to 10 Greenlands, Lacey Green in 1951, see 1951 Greenlands First Tenants (Speen and Lacey Green are both in the same parish).
The Parish Council
His first target was the Parish Council. The same people had run the council for years, it only changed if someone retired. Ted felt this was undemocratic and that a proper election should be held. He got 7 like-minded people to put in nominations, not expecting any to be elected. However the “Old Guard” said that if they wanted to have a go, then let them, and promptly withdrew all their own nominations.
Ted's Seven
This left Ted`s 7 to be elected un-apposed, a situation that lasted the whole 34 years of his service. He does not kid himself that the parish was satisfied with their performance, he believes it was just apathy, where the people could not be troubled and was to the shame of village democracy. It was this idealism that drove him forward.
27 Years as Chairman
He was possibly one of the youngest parish councillors in the country and he soon became Chairman, a position he held for 27 years.
Bridging the "Gap"
Born in Speen and now living in Lacey Green he had a desire to bridge the “Flowers Bottom” gap between the two villages. As parish council chairman one year he was asked to open both the Speen fete and Lacey Green Village Day, and so felt that maybe that was a sign of partial success.
The Youth Club
As like many people, Ted and Jean`s lives were also directed by the wellbeing of their family. When their daughter was about 12 years old, she, together with a number of her friends, appealed to them to take over the “Youth Club” which was going to close for lack of a leader. They held this position for 8 years. They cannot speak highly enough of this great bunch of youngsters and today see some of them as grandparents. They feel pleased and privileged that perhaps they helped them a little along life`s way.
The Village Hall Committee
It was the youth club that caused the next step taken by Ted in the village. He went along to the AGM of the Village Hall Committee. He went in order to defend a criticism that damage had been done to the hall by the youth club members. He came away as Chairman of that committee. A position he held for 33 years.
Hallmark Magazine
It soon seemed clear to him that better communication would help pull the community together, so modelled on the Naphill Gazette he established “Hallmark”. This magazine is delivered to every house in Loosley Row and Lacey Green. Its aim is to mirror the mark made by the village hall, publish the activities of all village organisations and provide a public forum. Ted was editor of Hallmark for 22 years.
The Horticultural Society
Various suggestions were put forward over the years. The first success was the Horticultural Society, still going strong today (2015). There were not enough takers for a camera club nor a bridge club.
The Twinning Association
The vicar, Bernard Houghton, proposed a Twinning Organisation, which pushed on by Peter Trotter was successful.
Complaints
It was a disastrously wet annual fete day on Lacey Green sports field. The village turned out to support despite the weather. There were complaints about muddy, wet tents hired from the area scouts It was all very muddy and the cricket wicket was damaged, although that was believed to have been done by outsiders. Nevertheless the Sports Club was far from happy.
Village Day
Ted insists that he had a dream that the whole village from the Whip to the sports club was a fete, a carnival, call it a “Village Day”, so when the first one was held in 1985 he felt it was one of the most memorable days the village has known. Someone still refers to him as “Martin Luther Janes”.
The Happy Wanderers
I have heard the Happy Wanderers walking Club called 'Ted`s Trotters'. Just another organisation with which he was involved and very much enjoyed. He no longer participates, but the Happy Wanderers is still going strong today (2015 ).
Special Mentions
The village hall committee organised many things, and many people have worked for it but he particularly mentioned Vera Griffiths, “a great organising lady”. Recalling the annual turkey suppers, strawberry teas, frequent dinner dances and many other things.
Patients Participation Group
He found some extra spare time to set up, with two Risborough colleagues, the Patients Participation Group at the Cross Keys surgery.
Wycombe Constituency Labour Party
Two other activities which could possibly affect us here at arms-length He was for many years chairman of the Wycombe Constituency Labour Party.
A Magistrate
For 27 years a Buckinghamshire magistrate, often taking the arduous task of Chairman of the Bench at Aylesbury.
Jean Comes First
He freely admits that it was only made possible for him to do all these things with the tireless help and understanding of his wife Jean. In 1995 Jean was taken ill and Ted called an end to all his village activities in order to look after her. He said “Jean had given so much to me, it was my turn to repay her. It might look like I`ve tried to do a lot, but my proudest achievement has been nursing Jean back to health and strength. And me? I have enjoyed nearly every minute and would not have had my life any other way, meeting so many great people in such a lovely village”.
A Few Extra Comments made at a later date: -
Moving to Lacey Green
Between Lacey Green and Speen there had traditionally been animosity and general unfriendliness and strong sporting rivalry, but when we were allocated a new council house in Greenlands, Lacey Green, any such thoughts were quickly dispelled with the thought of a new home.
Lacey Green School
Jean met Mrs.Gurney and Miss Jarvis to book our daughter into the school, and we soon discovered that as far back as 1951 Lacey Green was a very good school. Made Welcome
On her many visits back and forward she found the villagers welcoming and friendly, particularly Mr. Sid Janes (no relation) the baker, Mr.Lewis, the retired paper man, who had delivered the papers with a pony and trap. Mrs Elsie Chiltern, the post lady, Bert Dell at Hickmans Stores, Mrs.Lacey at the little shop at the Crooked Chimney, opposite Bitfield (now Westlands Road), Mr and Mrs Lawrence, at their Loosley Row shop, later to become the post office, to name but a few.
Change of Cricket Team
I was playing cricket for Speen but resigned and joined Lacey Green, playing in both first and second eleven teams, thinking “if you want to be accepted then you have to accept the village” But when both teams played one another you could easily imagine what prompted “The War of the Roses”
P.S. by Joan West
A Chance Encounter. Whilst touring in France with the children, we noticed a signpost to Hambe, the village with which Lacey Green was to be twinned, so we thought we would have a look at it. We drove into the square only to see Ted on the balcony of the Mayor`s parlour expressing greetings from the people of Lacey Green to the people of Hambe. He looked resplendent, wearing his chairman`s Chain of Office.
The Chairman's Badge
He told me later the story of the chairman`s badge. George Crombie, the clerk to the council, and Ted had designed it and submitted it to the regalia manufacturers in Birmingham. The parish council refused to purchase it. Ted wondered if it could be purchased by public subscription. Luckily the first person he approached was Randall Evans who said that he would purchase it outright. Some years later when Ted told him he was leaving the council Randall said “I only bought that bloody necklace for you to wear”
WRITINGS, TRIBUTES & COMMENTS BY TED
Miles Marshall Tribute by Ted
Harry Church Tribute by Ted
Public House. The Plough History by Ted