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#1
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Good story
From our local rag today.
See http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/...ine&category=N ews&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20% 20Sep%202004%2019%3A03%3 A50%3A137 "Honour for Jack and cat 7-4-9 RICHARD BATSON 21 September 2004 07:03 Jack Hopper only lived in Bacton for 14 months - but he is about to made its first honorary citizen. And it is all due to a string of pet cats named, or rather numbered, after the wartime radar operator. A young Mr Hopper was billeted in the North Norfolk village in 1942 when he was posted to a radar station at Happisburgh. He stayed with local couple Archie and Gertie Woodhouse for a happy year and a bit before being posted abroad. But when their cat Sweedles died, Mrs Woodhouse announced she was naming her new kitten after her young RAF lodger. "I said 'you cannot call a cat Jack', and she said she was not going to - it was called 7-4-9, after the last three digits of my service number," explained Mr Hopper, now 82. And all the rest of Mrs Woodhouse's cats, until she died in 1989, were given the same tag. Mr Hopper told his story in Happisburgh lighthouse's magazine - and he jokingly suggested he should be given an honorary citizenship. "I claimed the right, having lived here for 14 months in the war and then a further 45 years in the guise of a cat," he said. But the tongue-in-cheek remark has come true and next Tuesday he will have the honour bestowed on him at a parish council meeting. Parish clerk John Harvey said Mr Hopper's letter had been passed to the council, who were happy to bestow the citizenship. It did not carry the special rights of some 'freedom of the town'-type accolades, such as being able to march through the streets with bayonets fixed, but was a nice gesture marking Mr Hopper's long association and fondness for the village and its people. It will be presented at next Tuesday's parish council meeting by chairman Cecil Wilkins. Mr Hopper, from Grimsby who went on to be a grocer after the war, still visits Bacton two or three times a year with wife Joan, when they tour the area he regards as his second home. He confesses it is mainly because of the happy wartime memories of living with the Woodhouses at Quantock Lodge. The house still stands and when Mr Hopper was wistfully looking at it during one visit, he was invited in and shown his old bedroom, after telling his story to the owner. He recalls Gertie "mothering" him and his fellow billetee. "She was a tiny woman, but whose heart was bigger than the village." Her husband was a coastguard and fisherman who died in the 1960s. Mr Hopper visited Mrs Woodhouse regularly on his return trips, which include reunions of former radar men at RAF Neatishead. Mr Hopper said he was honoured with his citizenship, and aimed further to cement his ties with the village by offering a sports trophy to the primary school - "for a new race over 749 yards." And he has even asked for his ashes to be scattered on the Woodhouses' grave as he wants to make his "favourite spot on earth" his final resting place." Cheers, helen s --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove fame & fortune **$om $ --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off-- |
#3
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in article ,
dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers at omcom wrote on 9/21/04 1:24AM: From our local rag today. See http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/...ine&category=N ews&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20% 20Sep%202004%2019%3A03%3 A50%3A137 "Honour for Jack and cat 7-4-9 RICHARD BATSON 21 September 2004 07:03 Jack Hopper only lived in Bacton for 14 months - but he is about to made its first honorary citizen. And it is all due to a string of pet cats named, or rather numbered, after the wartime radar operator. A young Mr Hopper was billeted in the North Norfolk village in 1942 when he was posted to a radar station at Happisburgh. He stayed with local couple Archie and Gertie Woodhouse for a happy year and a bit before being posted abroad. But when their cat Sweedles died, Mrs Woodhouse announced she was naming her new kitten after her young RAF lodger. "I said 'you cannot call a cat Jack', and she said she was not going to - it was called 7-4-9, after the last three digits of my service number," explained Mr Hopper, now 82. And all the rest of Mrs Woodhouse's cats, until she died in 1989, were given the same tag. Mr Hopper told his story in Happisburgh lighthouse's magazine - and he jokingly suggested he should be given an honorary citizenship. "I claimed the right, having lived here for 14 months in the war and then a further 45 years in the guise of a cat," he said. But the tongue-in-cheek remark has come true and next Tuesday he will have the honour bestowed on him at a parish council meeting. Parish clerk John Harvey said Mr Hopper's letter had been passed to the council, who were happy to bestow the citizenship. It did not carry the special rights of some 'freedom of the town'-type accolades, such as being able to march through the streets with bayonets fixed, but was a nice gesture marking Mr Hopper's long association and fondness for the village and its people. It will be presented at next Tuesday's parish council meeting by chairman Cecil Wilkins. Mr Hopper, from Grimsby who went on to be a grocer after the war, still visits Bacton two or three times a year with wife Joan, when they tour the area he regards as his second home. He confesses it is mainly because of the happy wartime memories of living with the Woodhouses at Quantock Lodge. The house still stands and when Mr Hopper was wistfully looking at it during one visit, he was invited in and shown his old bedroom, after telling his story to the owner. He recalls Gertie "mothering" him and his fellow billetee. "She was a tiny woman, but whose heart was bigger than the village." Her husband was a coastguard and fisherman who died in the 1960s. Mr Hopper visited Mrs Woodhouse regularly on his return trips, which include reunions of former radar men at RAF Neatishead. Mr Hopper said he was honoured with his citizenship, and aimed further to cement his ties with the village by offering a sports trophy to the primary school - "for a new race over 749 yards." And he has even asked for his ashes to be scattered on the Woodhouses' grave as he wants to make his "favourite spot on earth" his final resting place." Cheers, helen s --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove fame & fortune **$om $ --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off-- Awww A great story!! |
#4
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in article ,
dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers at omcom wrote on 9/21/04 1:24AM: From our local rag today. See http://new.edp24.co.uk/content/news/...ine&category=N ews&tBrand=EDPOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED20% 20Sep%202004%2019%3A03%3 A50%3A137 "Honour for Jack and cat 7-4-9 RICHARD BATSON 21 September 2004 07:03 Jack Hopper only lived in Bacton for 14 months - but he is about to made its first honorary citizen. And it is all due to a string of pet cats named, or rather numbered, after the wartime radar operator. A young Mr Hopper was billeted in the North Norfolk village in 1942 when he was posted to a radar station at Happisburgh. He stayed with local couple Archie and Gertie Woodhouse for a happy year and a bit before being posted abroad. But when their cat Sweedles died, Mrs Woodhouse announced she was naming her new kitten after her young RAF lodger. "I said 'you cannot call a cat Jack', and she said she was not going to - it was called 7-4-9, after the last three digits of my service number," explained Mr Hopper, now 82. And all the rest of Mrs Woodhouse's cats, until she died in 1989, were given the same tag. Mr Hopper told his story in Happisburgh lighthouse's magazine - and he jokingly suggested he should be given an honorary citizenship. "I claimed the right, having lived here for 14 months in the war and then a further 45 years in the guise of a cat," he said. But the tongue-in-cheek remark has come true and next Tuesday he will have the honour bestowed on him at a parish council meeting. Parish clerk John Harvey said Mr Hopper's letter had been passed to the council, who were happy to bestow the citizenship. It did not carry the special rights of some 'freedom of the town'-type accolades, such as being able to march through the streets with bayonets fixed, but was a nice gesture marking Mr Hopper's long association and fondness for the village and its people. It will be presented at next Tuesday's parish council meeting by chairman Cecil Wilkins. Mr Hopper, from Grimsby who went on to be a grocer after the war, still visits Bacton two or three times a year with wife Joan, when they tour the area he regards as his second home. He confesses it is mainly because of the happy wartime memories of living with the Woodhouses at Quantock Lodge. The house still stands and when Mr Hopper was wistfully looking at it during one visit, he was invited in and shown his old bedroom, after telling his story to the owner. He recalls Gertie "mothering" him and his fellow billetee. "She was a tiny woman, but whose heart was bigger than the village." Her husband was a coastguard and fisherman who died in the 1960s. Mr Hopper visited Mrs Woodhouse regularly on his return trips, which include reunions of former radar men at RAF Neatishead. Mr Hopper said he was honoured with his citizenship, and aimed further to cement his ties with the village by offering a sports trophy to the primary school - "for a new race over 749 yards." And he has even asked for his ashes to be scattered on the Woodhouses' grave as he wants to make his "favourite spot on earth" his final resting place." Cheers, helen s --This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get correct one remove fame & fortune **$om $ --Due to financial crisis the light at the end of the tunnel is switched off-- Awww A great story!! |
#5
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"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote in
message ... From our local rag today. Great story, thanks for posting it! Hugs, CatNipped |
#6
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"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote in
message ... From our local rag today. Great story, thanks for posting it! Hugs, CatNipped |
#7
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"dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote in
message ... From our local rag today. Great story, thanks for posting it! Hugs, CatNipped |
#8
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Great story, thanks. Ain't hoomins wonderful (occasionally).
Gordon & the TT -- Feline family viewable at: http://community.webshots.com/user/exocat "dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote From our local rag today. "Honour for Jack and cat 7-4-9 |
#9
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Great story, thanks. Ain't hoomins wonderful (occasionally).
Gordon & the TT -- Feline family viewable at: http://community.webshots.com/user/exocat "dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote From our local rag today. "Honour for Jack and cat 7-4-9 |
#10
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Great story, thanks. Ain't hoomins wonderful (occasionally).
Gordon & the TT -- Feline family viewable at: http://community.webshots.com/user/exocat "dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers" wrote From our local rag today. "Honour for Jack and cat 7-4-9 |
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