Ken was born in Kettering on the 7th October, 1928. He grew up with his parents, Winnifred and Paul at his Grandma’s house, where they lived with his dad’s 9 other siblings.
His mother, Winnifred took care of the children and did all of the housework, whilst his father was a builder. This was a profession that had been carried on from Ken’s grandfather, who was also a builder.
His dad and grandfather would regularly point out the houses that they had worked on, so Ken could soon remember all the different places his dad and grandad had worked.
Throughout his younger years, Ken enjoyed playing cricket and football. He remembers spending most of his time in Wicksteed Park, which was known for its large open spaces, play parks and boating lakes. He recalls visiting the park with his friends and sometimes, on his own as he would always see someone that he knew.
When Ken’s grandmother sadly passed away, they moved into a bungalow that his father had built. Although he was sad to move away from the park, the hospital was over the road so whenever they had an appointment, it was very easy to get there.
One day, when Ken was playing on his tricycle, he was told that his father was in hospital after a fight had broken out at a pub. Some glass went into his father’s left eye after a window was smashed so he was admitted to have this removed. Shortly after this incident, his dad was called to serve in the medical corps troop of the army, even though he only had one eye. It must have been tough for his dad Ken said, but acknowledged that he never let it get in the way of doing his work.
Ken said one of his greatest life achievements is becoming a qualified Chartered Civil Engineer. To achieve this, he had to pass some difficult exams throughout his 20’s.
This was a career that Ken pursued and enjoyed throughout his life. He was a Civil Engineer for his whole working life, up until he retired at the age of 65.
Now, living at Hunters Down Care Home, Ken enjoys staying in touch with his 4 children, even though they all live in different places. Ken said, “I have been through a lot in my 93 years of life.”