Roland Humphries 1980 to 2003

At Meadows School Roland was coming along well, and lately seemed to be ‘more one of the class’. He was described as very able, seeming happy, enjoying drawing and the computer, and good at reading and number and writing stories, but his teacher thought he didn’t work as hard as he might. After a school trip to Dudley Zoo he made lovely drawings of some of the animals.

This was the year when the first pet cat, Gwennie, joined the family. Roland was always fond of cats. Also, it was the year that his great-uncle Donald visited from America, and Roland walked with him and Rose along the canal.

Roland, with the family, made his first visits to Joe and Irene’s new home in Sidmouth, and had his introduction to The Byes, and the rock pools by Jacob’s Ladder, and the sand and sea beyond. Also, there was a rainy week’s caravan holiday on the Lleyn peninsula. Roland climbed Snowdon without any help, and visited Caernarfon.

At home, he and a group of other children began to play football on the green each evening.

Jacob sometimes played tricks on Roland. One evening after bedtime he came crying downstairs with head and legs protruding from a cardboard box, and pyjamas round his ankles. Jacob had put it on him and he couldn’t get out of it.

Roland’s Christmas present was a garage made in a Sidmouth toyshop, and Christmas day was spent at Vi and Bert’s along with other relatives.

In January snow, Roland and his brothers had fun on a plastic sledge Jeremy had bought them. Then a little later there was flying his kite in the recreation field nearby.

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