My memories of Chris by brother Ron
Chris and my early years together were idyllic, living with our mother and grandparents on the farm. Firstly at New Barn Farm, Benover and then Rayfield Farm, East Malling. We had great freedom oblivious to all that wartime brings.
In November 1944, with the war in Europe essentially over our father had a 48-hour pass and visited us at Rayfield. It was the 5th November. With dad’s army training and grandfather’s shotgun cartridges they made some homemade fireworks. How excited Chris and I were to be given our first experience of a bonfire and fireworks.
1946 we moved to East Peckham when dad took over the butchers business. Again times were good in those early post war years. Chris would often be found climbing in the woods or down by the river either fishing or swimming with his pals and with our dog “Laddie” trailing along behind.
On leaving school Chris joined a local building firm and took up the Hoad family tradition to become a master carpenter. This was something he had a real talent for.
When I married Kay. Chris took us by total surprise. He had secretly built a very large “bespoke” kitchen dresser as a wedding present. He proudly pointed out all his perfectly honed dovetail joints. This cabinet served us well for many years of our married life.
Married life did take Kay & I away from East Peckham. As a consequence Chris and I saw less of each other as our careers took very different paths.
Chris loved East Peckham and rarely strayed from it or the nearby surrounding area - unless he really had too.
During these years Chris kept pigeons. Many of which he entered into races and did achieve some degree of success.
Chris’ other hobby was skydiving. He told me he made more than 350 jumps. this hobby peaked when he reached his 60th birthday and made a high altitude jump accompanied by two ex-raf instructors.
Chris loved his garden and was especially proud of his vegetable and fruit patch.
Reaching retirement we started to see more of each other. We would cover a wide range of topics. The past, putting the world to right, etc. and our families.
Chris would be the first one to say he was not the usual family man, however, he would often tell me how proud he was of his family, Alysoun & Clive, Christopher & Sacha, Shella and their families.
Chris would call by the house or ring me to undertake some research for his parish magazine stories that he penned under the name “the doyen”. Many of these were later put together as a book with the kind help from Kay’s sister Dail and her husband Mike.
For one of his stories Chris and I visited St. Mary’s Abbey, West Malling. He was researching Turner’s painting “The Waterfall” which is located on the outer wall of the abbey.
Although not a religious person Chris did make a friend with sister Mary Mark and paid her several further visits. Sister Mary told me that the last time she saw him was as recent as last august, and that Chris and the family will be mentioned by name during their service this morning.
Chris joined a French class to learn both the spoken word and written French. He would take every opportunity to try out his knowledge on people, as Kay, Sally and Alysoun know all to well and probably several others.
Chris’s health had not been good in the last few months. But we never expected this. We shall never know if he had had the operation at St. Thomas’s hospital things might have turned out differently.
We hope and pray that Chris is now at peace. “Bonne Nuit au Doyen”, our brother and uncle.
Ron, Kay and family.
ronhoad
17th June 2019
