John Fish B.Sc.
Publishers of Tenby in Wales (UK)TENBY PORTAL PAGES
Mona Lisa of Wales
Even in such a large family, each child is a different
individual from the next, eager to learn but resilient to forceful influence.
Strictly brought up, well-mannered, we lived side by side without a lot of
disharmony. Our sisters and brother our friend and so it has remained. All of us
wanting to be independent above all, but turning to and receiving love and help
from each other at different times, through our lives. No matter how many years
go by, to meet is to be back on our old level. How sad that we never had the opportunity to re-embrace our
father in this way. I suppose in a way Tenby has become our shrine for him, and
to go back to visit is to go back to our childhood. Walks along the North Beach
to see dad at the Lifeboat Station ... and ask his permission for whatever, we
would never have dreamed of operating without it. Money was short so we knew not
to ask for it. But so many of our pleasures cost nothing, so that was no
hardship, and the War years were lean for everyone, most of our friends didn't
have a lot more than us. Those who were well off, didn't seem snobbish, we were
invited into their homes and given a share at tea-time. As we all progressed through school (one or two years ahead of
the next) between us we were, amongst all the other children in the town of
school age, known as one of the Cottams. During the War teachers were scarce but Wales is a nation of
schoolteachers and we were well blessed. Ossie Morgan our headmaster held in
high regard, strict but fair with a genuine love of children, he played host to
evacuees in his own home. He had a fine singing voice, and always took us
himself for music. Ensor Morgan was a fine man. Home from the War he took over
Standard Three when I was there, the first day in class I remember this handsome
man with thick dark curly hair and a decidedly auburn moustache: a fly kept
landing on it first one side then the next, so gently and so many times he
brushed it off. As he discovered my leaning to Literature and Art we became
friends, he didn't have any children of his own. He called me his
Extract from A Tenby Lifeboat Family by Avis Nixon
Published at Tenby in the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park (Wales, UK)
As a Star of Pembrokeshire Series Paperback