| Pauline was born on January 1st 1937 in Florence, Ontario; a happy start of the year for her parents Lawrence and Patience Pocock. She was their 5th child of seven, and their youngest daughter.Her father was an Anglican Vicar and Pauline grew up in the parish of Hespelar and then later London Ontario. Her sister Pat recalls their childhood as very happy and settled. Much of their lives were centred around the church, the local theatre and school. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Every summer the whole Pocock family looked forward to trips to the cottage at the Church Camp at Big Bay Point on the shores of Lake Simcoe Canada. Everyone would wrap their clothes into their dressing gown and the whole family squeezed into the car and headed North. Each year they would renew friendships with other clergy families lucky enough to have a cottage on the camp and Pauline has many special memories of these times. |
|
|
|
|
| On leaving school Pauline took numerous jobs including a telephone operator for the Canadian Bell Telephone Company, and as a receptionist at an Opticians. She had an active social life and enjoyed Scottish Country Dancing, and actively helped as a volunteer for the Canadian Red Cross. In London Ontario at that time RAF men were stationed at a NATO base, and she and her sister Pat managed to secure dates! Her sister Pat said light-heartedly that it gave Pauline a taste for the British men. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
In 1957 Pauline made a trip to Europe with Pat and her future sister in law Doreen. They took a Cunard liner to Southampton, and in five weeks toured the United Kingdom and countries in western Europe. On their return to England at the end of the tour they visited their older sister Margaret who was married to John’s friend Tony Gordon and living in Ascot. Pauline stayed on to visit with Margaret and Tony for a further six months. When they had left Canada her mother’s parting words to her were not to get involved with any Englishmen as she didn’t want more daughters living overseas! |
| As we all know nobody follows their parents advice. Pauline met John on Battle of Britain day. He first proposed 10 days later; although Pauline’s reply at that time was that he was drunk!!! |
|
| Pauline returned to Canada and began a correspondence with John which would last for the next 5 years. Eventually in 1962 she decided to make a visit to England to see if he was the one for her. Pauline had not quite secured the geography of the British Isles in her mind and flew into Prestwick, Scotland and John had a long drive from Southern England to pick her up! It must have been love!A year later Pauline with her mother set off for New York to catch the Queen Mary and sail to England to get married. The wedding took place on May 4th 1963. (see galleries) |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
As a young Canadian bride Pauline had to adjust to life in England and as wife to an RAF airman who moved from base to base and was still undertaking training courses. However life became busier when their first child Julie arrived February 15th 1964 while they were living in Bath. In 1965 John was posted to Singapore and there Steven was born on November 4th. Her hands were now full!!They returned to England and lived in Yorkshire first at Lindholme and then Hatfield near Doncaster.1969 saw the family move again to Ampthill, Bedfordshire. They lived here for 14 years and in that time Pauline learnt to drive, took jobs as a dinner lady, and local shop assistant, and was very involved in the Inner Wheel, the ladies wing of the Rotary Club. Whether John was at home or away with BOAC or later British Airways, Pauline always maintained an active social life. |
|
|
|
|
| While the family was growing up, for many summers they returned to Canada to visit family and enjoyed spending holidays once again at Lake Simcoe.When the children were just about grown up, Pauline and John made the move to Charmouth in Dorset. Pauline took to village life like a duck to water and quickly made many great friends still close to them today. She continued her involvement with Inner Wheel particularly enjoying her years as Vice-President and President. She took up golf with John and joined the Lyme Regis Golf Club. She also became actively involved with St. Andrew’s Church. Apparently in Charmouth you have to be there 25 years to be considered a local. At the time of writing Pauline and John have exceed this by 4 years, so are now officially welcome! You would be hard pushed to find another resident of Charmouth (and outlying areas) who does not know Pauline; and the number of people that she has helped or encouraged continues to grow. Major operations in the last decade have not slowed her down at all. These days golf and inner wheel have been replaced with helping at the Heritage Coast Centre, embarking on yet another spell with St. Andrew’s PCC, and enjoying the fellowship of a Christian organisation called Tres Dias. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Their home at Charmouth is always warm and welcoming. Spend an hour at ‘The Blevins’ and the door bell has gone twice and the phone has rung at least four times!! Usually it is Pauline they are after, if not she still may want a word after John has spoken!! It is also a great holiday home by the sea for the family. Julie and Dave enjoy long weekends there away from the rigours of ‘working class life’ (as John calls it), and Steve, Renate, Leon and Jannik enjoy at least one long holiday there a year.Julie often says that her mother is a bit like a sheep dog – in the nicest sense of the analogy!! She is constantly rounding people up and arranging meals and social events, and watching for any strays on the hillside that she can help to get involved in something. Meanwhile John says that she would have made a good vicar’s wife!! |
|
|
|
Certainly Pauline is a people person, and as her sister Pat says and many others will testify too, she has a heart of gold.
Here is a recent photo of Pauline embarking on yet another spell with St. Andrew’s PCC and as Church Warden.
NB: The photos can be viewed in a larger format at the Photos page. |
|
|
