Harold Alan Matthews life story

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HAROLD ALAN MATTHEWS 27/03/1940

Harold Matthews was born on the 27th March 1940 at 123 Crescent Road, in the sub district of Crumpsall Manchester. He is one of three children of Dorothy may Matthews (Shaw) & Harold Matthews Dolly was a laundry worker and Harold who was a gunner in the British army no3524233. Dolly was living at 13 Pearson Street Miles Platting, Manchester.

My dad grew up in Moss Side during the war years living at 277 great western street.

My dad said that one of his jobs was to take the clean washing from the laundry to a local factory in a big wicker basket trolley with wheels on. He used to take a run and then jump into the basket guiding the trolley in through the factory gates. On one occasion he did this he went hurtling through the gates and ploughed into a group of directors knocking them into the coal pit covering them with soot. His Dad was a stocker (boiler) man working at the factory and he nearly lost his job through that. 

He also said that he was messing about throwing snowballs at his mates one day and they pelted him with snowballs and a car he was standing next to. His mates ran off and he felt a huge hand grab him from behind, It was frank swifts car (the Manchester city player) he ordered my dad to clean the car and wash it. After he washed it frank said to my dad now clean the inside, my dad complained and said I will clean it but you will have to pay me. So frank let him clean the car inside and out, after he finished the car frank gave my dad half a crown. And my cheeky dad said he would clean it every week. So from then on my dad cleaned franks car once a week. And got half a crown. One day Frank took my dad to watch a football game at Main Road and he was sitting on the football team’s bench with all the other players. 

There was also a cinema in moss side called the la trocadero my dad used to sneak into the cinema with all his mates. And get a free show. He got up to all sorts of mischief and on one occasion he ended up in trouble with the law and had to go to the magistrate’s court. Where the judge said that he was being influenced by a bad crowd and granted the permission to allow his mum and dad and gran and granddad Shaw to move to 7 Garthorpe Road Wythenshawe Manchester. 

His next job was as a trainee reporter for the sporting chronicle He was given mainly odd jobs but quite a few times he was given the task of going to race meetings with his boss, while at the race meetings his boss didn’t want a junior hanging around him so sent him off to do some reporting of his own, he got to mingle with jockeys and celebrities he used to go into the jockeys changing rooms and interview them and also the owners etc and he became well known around the race meetings. 

One owner used to give him inside tips and on one occasion came looking for my dad to tell him of a dead cert for the next race of 100/1 odds my dad then borrowed a fiver off a mate and they both had a bet on the horse and it came in to win he walked away with about £500.00 a lot of money in them days. 

When he got home he gave most of it to his mum and told her to hide it from his dad, as he would have taken it from her.

He got fired from that job because the boss who was always on his back kept picking on him, so he was working at a heavy print press that held all the letters in and as the boss came next to him he pulled out the tray and let it drop onto his foot breaking it quite badly. Where he promptly got the sack.

He then worked for Bonds Ltd as a coach painter and sign writer, during his training he was taught how to obtain the pigment colours from various sources from the wild and was an accomplished painter. One day whilst work was slow the boss gave him the job of painting some fencing at the back of the building near some railway lines as he was painting a train went by and a man must have been standing on the railway lines because there was a thud and a severed head came rolling next to my dad it frightened the life out of my dad and then the police was called to investigate further. The man had committed suicide on the tracks. 

He then joined the Royal Air force as a Gunner no 4248388 joined in 1958-1963 and was posted to various parts of the world. He ended up being a peacekeeper defending against the Cypriot uprising in Cyprus. During a peace keeping mission he was ordered to guard Archbishop Makarios III and whilst he was patrolling the grounds he saw him playing chess in the chateau, and as my dad liked playing chess he peered through the window, Makarios came to the window and said do you like chess my dad said yes and Makarios said well come on lets have a game. So my dad played a game of chess with Archbishop Makarios III, he beat my dad. And my dad went back to his patrol but when he told his mates later they wouldn’t believe him

My dad was involved in all different types of challenges, one time he was bolted to the undercarriage of a plane in a plastic bubble for 4 days doing reconnaissance work for the air force as a trial version and was in the wythenshawe recorder and Manchester recorder in about 1958 - 1959 in England.

He was also trained to be a radio operator and sniper in the RAF

He also played poker for three days and won a lot of money, enough to buy a ticket home to see his mum and give her an expensive watch, which was stolen by his dad and sold.

My dad was tasked at guarding the RAF airport in Cyprus whilst doing this there was a raid by the Turkish insurgents and he got wounded and was shot through the kneecap. He now has a scar and a piece of his kneecap gone. He was also part of the R.A.F diving team, in Nicosia. 

He also set up a club on the base for the troops with his best mate paddy that was shot and killed in Cyprus in the same raid.

My dad started dating my mum whilst he was in the RAF when he was based in England my mum had to stay in a caravan because they were not allowed on the RAF base. They then both got married my mums family did not approve of the wedding as they thought my dad was no good for her and had their first son Colin, he tragically died after a few months because they were living in a caravan during mid winter, it was a specially cold winter and the locks froze on the caravan and tragically Colin died during the night due to a blanket being over his mouth and freezing to his lips suffocating him overnight. My mum and dad were devastated. 

My Dad then applied for a job in Australia working for a ship building company called Broken Hill Prop Company Ship Builders, Whyala, South   Australia. And got the job which also gave a House and transport 

to Australia on a £20.00 ticket for the family. 

He started in July 1968 and finished in august 1969. My dad when he was working on welding the ships he was often in the bilges of the ship welding in confined spaces with extreme heat and fumes and the people could only work half an hour at a time and come out of the ship to recover from the effects of the heat, after coming up from the bilges and back into the fresh air the sudden changes in temperature caused my dad to get pneumonia. And he nearly died. 

One day he was welding in the bottom of the ship and the ship caught fire he had to get out quick with all the other guys and the whole ship went up in flames. My dad was sure it was him who started the blaze due to the position of the fire but it couldn’t be proven as the ship had slipped down the slipway and turned over and sunk. 

When my dad started work at this company he helped set up a union for the ship workers and was a trade union representative. There was a dispute with wages and the union ordered a strike. Whyala was a small town in Western   Australia and if you didn’t work for the shipyard you didn’t work at all. So when they went on strike it was hard times. My dad ended up going to the nearest town about 2000 miles away to begin doing speeches on behalf of the workers and outlining the plight of the workers who were under the thumbs of the ship yard owners, he went to various companies and spoke to thousands of people asking for there help to give donations to help there cause and instead of asking for one off donations he asked people if they could find it in there hearts to give every week. The next few weeks the money started rolling in from the companies and soon donations were piling in from all over Western Australia as word spread of the workers plight. Soon there were enough funds to help all the workers and they survived.

My dad also arranged the local shopkeepers to donate goods to the cause or they would not use their services. Also one day a local farmer pulled up to the Union office (which was just a shed in one of the workers houses) with a huge truck. And said “here you go lads” and gave them a lorry full of sheep all the workers had to get the cars in a circle and pen them in. they then all took the sheep in the backs of cars vans to the local abattoirs. The next day the abattoirs brought back a mountain of meat to the union office where it was all divvied out to the workers. When the shipyard owners realised they could not win the strike they gave in to the demands for higher wages. 

He was also one of the team of men who was to be contracted to weld some parts of the Sydney opera house, my dad was given the task of welding the pinnacle of the opera house at the front of the building, which was in a precarious situation, he was winched up on the end of a rope and had to weld the pinnacle in windy conditions, which he said was swaying to and fro, and quite hard to do. This was the last job to be done in order to pass the opera house off for inspection. 

My dad became ill in Australia due to the heat from coming in and out of the bilges of the ship and the fresh air and developed a blood disorder due to the pneumonia and he was told he had 6 months to live by the Australian doctors. After giving the welding job up due to ill health he became a self employed ice cream vendor he turned an old van into the ice cream van and went selling all over Sydney. We all stayed in a small caravan as he had to give the house up as well.

He was in competition with a big Ice cream firm and they began to be quite threatening to him, and they flooded the area where my dad was working with about 10 ice cream vans to cut my dad out of the competition, but he was crafty and would get in before they could and clean up the estate selling lots of ice creams. He even came to blows with them as well. 

My dad decided to go back home to England to be with the family so mum was not going to be stranded in Australia with two kids and no family for support. 

We left Australia in December 1972. 

My dad was unemployed until May 1973 gaining a position with National Coach Company, Hulme Hall Road, Manchester. On a wage of £4,500. He would do journeys all over the UK. On one journey he was going over the countryside at night with a coach load of passengers when he hit a pheasant, he stopped the bus while all the passengers were asleep and picked up the pheasant and put it in his cab thinking it was dead. He drove down the road and the bird came to life and began flying all around the coach. Sending the passengers in a wild panic. 

Another time he was on a journey south with his mate Alec who had pre arranged a rendezvous with some Xmas trees from a field. They then stopped off at the field to get the trees. Alec jumped over the wall and fell 50 ft down a hill the small Xmas trees where actually large 100ft American spruce trees. So after climbing back up they found another field and spent an hour cutting down a load of trees and lobbing them in the boot. They then went to Rusholme to sell them on to the shopkeeper. 

Another time he was driving down a narrow village road and saw a man with his dog on a lead talking to someone on the pavement, as my dad drove past the men and dog he flattened the small Yorkshire terrier under the wheels of the coach. My dad got out and walked toward the man with the dog (or what was left of it) and stood next to him the man looked at my dad as if to say what do you want, and continued talking to his mate. My dad tapped him on the shoulder and said sorry about that mate, and he said sorry about what, my dad said I didn’t mean to flatten your dog. The company will pay for any expenses you have. The man turned around with a gasp as he saw the mess and was hysterical.

I remember my dad taking me to London one time on the coach and having Kentucky fried chicken with barbecue wings for the first time. I can still taste it now.

My dad’s best mate was Alec who he used to go drinking with in the Claremont pub in moss side and also the big Alec and little Alec in moss side they used to visit all the pubs and clubs in the area playing pool and cards.

My dad used to go to all the pubs and clubs around moss side, the big Alec, the little Alec, Claremont pub and the Nile club, one night he and his mate Alec went into the Nile club. They saw this black woman with blond hair and decided it was a bloke they asked one of there mates and he sent her over Alec’s mate said to her these two don’t think you are a woman as to which the woman lifted her skirt up for all to see. Alec said “I see you’ve died your hair to which every body was in fits of laughter.

My dad fell under the stairs and suffered so Just to give you a background 

I underwent a lot of stress starting in the winter of 2016 onwards due to My dad having a bad fall under the stairs of his home address and fractured his back and banged his head. He was taken to hospital and during the time he was there his health deteriorated. 

He had a bad reaction to morphine and began to hallucinate. He also had several strokes which led onto him developing vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s Alongside his other physical conditions such as polycythaemia (cancer of the Blood), Blood clotting due this condition, Insulin dependent Diabetes, Loss of sight in his right eye and poor eyesight in his left Eye. Osteoarthritis, Hip problems (need a new hip. Brittle bone disease. Hiatus hernia. Gout, He was becoming violent with his dementia. 

The social services wanted to put my Dad in a care home straight away but my mum and me wanted to see if we can manage at home., I arranged the dining room to be converted into a downstairs bedroom with En-Suite facilities. My 

Dad came home for 6 weeks but was so confused and becoming violent that the Doctors sectioned my Dad under the mental health act and was placed in greenway ward at Trafford mental health ward. 

He was there for over 9 months and was very upsetting and stressful for me and my mum and dad. I had to give up my job to help my dad and Mum through the difficult times. And I was under immense stress. I had 4 jobs over a 1-year period. having gone through a lot of stress.

I did a lot of work in trying to attain a position for my Dad in a care home and attended meetings and did lots of letters and reports to do the best for my Mum and Dad and eventually My dad was moved to Yew Tree Manor care home which is close to my home address. 

I was able to see my dad every day and trying to help him in the best way I could. I was getting very upset and crying continuously because I love my Dad very much and I was cleaning his privates etc after he had soiled himself in a diaper which he has to wear now. I was trying to cheer my dad up and do the very best I could for him in his hours of need. 

I Used to see my Dad every day in the care home, this got too much for me with my stress so I reduced it to twice a week. I used to take cans of beer and sweets to cheer my Dad up

I was able to share a beer a joke and a conversation with my Dad and used to sit in the garden watching the sun go down.

 I was lucky enough to say to my Dad that I loved him and he knew I loved him and he loved me 

Although it was not good that my Dad had to go in a care home we had no other choice. 

We tried to make the best of a bad thing

I began to do funny videos to cheer my Dad up and took them to him to show him and we had lots of laughs over them this cheered him up. 

My Dad was so positive even though he was going through a lot of stress and he always looked on the bright side of life 

All the staff loved my Dad for his positive happy caring nature

His dementia got worse and he started repeating help me help over and over again. 

I felt helpless and wasn’t able to help him. All I could do was be there for him and try to cheer him up

my dad had a bad fall in the care home and was taken to hospital the care could not take him back as his condition deteriorated and he went to Marion lauder house care home. 

he was not there long and his health deteriorated he was taken into hospital on friday the 3rd of jan with breathing difficulties  

my mum and I was there when he passed away in the early hours of the morning of the 4th jan 2020

  The brightest light in my life has gone out in the early hours of the morning. 4thJanuary 2020

My Dad, my guiding star, my best friend has passed away peacefully.

I LOVE YOU Dad with all my heart. You always looked on the bright side of life. you brought fun and laughter to everybody you met.

you lit up the room with your funny jokes and stories to tell. With your bright positive nature.

you were and are an inspiration to me. 

your lifes love and light will live on in me and I will always remember how kind and funny you were and brought happiness in my life.

Your memories will live on in my heart

You were the best Dad I could ever wish for 

I will try to take a leaf out of your book and always look on the bright side of life. 

You and I liked and laughed at this song 

and I did it my way

because you and I did

Rest in peace DAD love you forever

Tributes from Emily and Charmaine

A tribute from Emily Lily Matthews to Harold Alan Matthews

Grandad was a happy person who was always telling jokes. I don’t really remember a time when Grandad wasnt happy and smiley. Even when he was in the care homes he would laugh and make other people laugh, he was always a positive person and he made all our lives better because of it. Every person who met him has had their life changed for the better just by being around him, family and friends included. Grandad will be missed by everyone, we will always remember his funny little quirks and jokes, the one I always remember is his favourite colour being sky-blue-pink-with a yellow border, which makes no sense at all but was just Grandads sense of humour, it was so wacky and ridiculous that you couldn’t help laughing at it. We will also remember how kind and compassionate he was, always trying to help wherever he could. We will remember his hugs, his laugh and his voice, and just how much of a lovely person he truly was.

Before I end my speech id like to read a poem I found that I think Grandad would have appreciated.

Do not stand at my grave and weep

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the mornings hush

I am the swift uplifting rush.

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there; I did not die.

A tribute from Charmaine to Harold Alan Matthews

When trying to describe the type of Grandad that Harold Alan Matthews was, words fall short. He was nothing less than exemplary to me. In fact there was a time, as a child, where he was the most important man in my life.

My Grandad happily carved out time to teach me many skills, such as sketching and simple woodworking. And he joyfully included me in some of his favourite pastimes like bird watching, playing chess and watching western movies. 

During my childhood, my Grandad, alongside my Nanna, took me on numberless trips to museums, art galleries and parks. It is these treasured excursions, at least in part, that I attribute to the massive appreciation I have today for history, art and learning.

My Grandad was quite a joker. I cant think of a time where I didn’t visit with my Grandad and he didn’t make me smile. He really had a knack for making people smile. 

I remember for years Grandad kept telling me quite proudly, that he spoke every language except Greek. I always thought it was odd but he seemed to get a kick out of telling me anyway. It wasn’t until many years into my adulthood that I finally grasped the punch line that it was “all Greek to him”   and realised he just got a kick out of me not understanding the joke, I guess it was all Greek to me too.