Alan grew up in Edmonton, North London where he lived with his parents and 9 siblings!
He was a young boy when the war started and has many vivid memories of the sights and sounds of bombs and sirens from his early years. He remembers the time a doodlebug bomb hit his house and blew up the doorway! Luckily no one was injured, but it did demolish the front half of Alan’s house. Alan’s friend who lived around the corner also had a bomb it his house, so Alan and his family were evacuated to Halifax, a town near Leeds.
Alan’s Auntie also lived in Halifax, so during this time, he got to spend lots of time with his family, so being evacuated didn’t feel too daunting.
After the war, Alan and his family moved back to Edmonton. By this time their house had been repaired and the damaged surroundings were being rebuilt.
During Alan’s teenage years, he spent a lot of time cycling. He remembers regularly cycling to the Isle of White for the day, before cycling back home to Edmonton, which is more than 200 miles in total!
When he was 18, Alan was called up to be a driver in the army. He spent 2 years in the Army and remembers driving his lorry back to Edmonton to visit his mum, even though this wasn’t allowed.
After completing his service, Alan started working at a post office in Tottenham. During this time, Alan met the love of his life, Dolly at a local Picturehouse. Two of Alan’s sisters worked with Dolly, so they helped to set the pair up and they connected instantly.
A few years later, the happy couple got married and had two boys, Stephen and Michael.
Throughout his life, Alan continued his passion for cycling and also said he enjoyed meeting up with friends in the pub for a little tipple.
During his time at Abbot Care Home in Harlow, Alan continued these hobbies. He enjoyed staying active and having a drink in the onsite pub, the ‘Abbot Arms’. Alan also kept an eye on the news and could regularly be found relaxing in his room with a cuppa, reading the paper.
With the support that Alan received at Abbot, he has now regained his independence and has moved back to live in his own home, with support from visiting carers.