Anthony Joseph Flach
b. 26 Nov 1922 m. 22 Sep 1951 Mary Loetschert
September 22nd 1951.
I married Mary Loetschert at Our Lady of Muswell Hill Catholic Church. A rushed wedding, not that there was a baby on the way, but because Rev.Fr Doc Ward celebrated the mass in his usual 15 minute way, and the wedding party arrived at the reception before the caterers were ready, and sherry had to be taken in the car park
September 7th 1952 saw the start of our family life with the arrival of Teresa Margaret, and over the next 10 years Martin Paul, Nicola Mary, Edmund Joseph and Helen Elizabeth arrived to keep us company. I found that by accepting responsibility as a married man and father it was necessary for there to be a balance between work and home, and between home and church. Decorating, gardening and helping with the children all took time as did helping at the church in building exhibitions after study groups, joining family groups with mass and meetings in the home. These all helped in forming community as did the children in turn by joining cubs and scouts and brownies and girl guides. Thinking back we both wonder how we found time and energy to do so much and to have managed on so little.
Highlights over the years included Pilgrimages to the Holy Land in 1974 and 1984, our Silver Jubilee in 1976, the thrill of a 25 year mortgage being finally paid off in 1983. Marriages of Teresa in 1985, Helen in 1987, Edmund in 1988, Nicola in 1989 and finally Martin in 1994 all added to ones enjoyment of life.
I retired from busines; in 1991 having worked in the family firm of Joseph Flach & Sons Ltd since 1940, and the following year Mary and I took a 6 week holiday visiting Bangkok, Australia, Fiji and Los Angeles which certainly opened our eyes to the size and beauty of the world in which we live, and gave us the chance to meet up with friends of 40 years standing who rambled in the English Countryside in the 1950's.
Among other things experienced were a Hot Air Balloon over the Yorkshire Moors, A flight in a glider at Lasham aiirport, and a surprise invitation to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
We are now enjoying the pleasure of seeing 11 grandchildren growing up but have had to accept that our hair is now white and thinner, that our energy has lessened, and that the services of optician, dentist, chiropodist and doctor are required more often. We look forward to our Golden Jubilee in 2001, and please God will both be fit enough to enjoy it
Teresa Margaret Pearson (nee Flach)
After being educated at Vita et Pax Convent School, St. Michael's Convent Grammar School and also Chelsea College for 1 year, I went to work at Trent Park Stables from September 1972 - March 1975 in the office and training for my British Horse Society Assistant Instructors Exam (BHSAI) which I passed in July 1973. I was also involved as Show Secretary with their indoor Showjumping shows and the Enfield Show which was held at Forty Hall.
In April 1975 I had a change and became a laboratory technician (Physics) at The Latymer School, Edmonton and worked there until September 1992, apart from 19 weeks maternity leave in 1989. After a seven year break I started working as a supervisory assistant (dinner lady) in October 1999.
On 25th. May 1985 I married Simon Peter Pearson whom I knew through church (Christ the King Cockfosters). Our first home was a maisonette in Broadmeads, Ware and then in August 1987 we moved to a terraced house in High Oak Road where we still live.
On 12th. June 1989 our lives changed, David John Pearson was born and then on 10th. November 1992 Charlotte Lynda Pearson arrived. By then David had started at Playschool and my life as a taxidriver had begun.
I have always liked horses and rode from aged 11 years until a couple of months before David was born. Simon and I used to play Badminton each week, but again this stopped just before the arrival of David. The things one gives up because of the children! I have managed to continue doing Yoga which I started in January 1974 and even do a day twice a year!
During the school holidays I try to go swimming once each week.
We live in Ware, but go to St. Joseph's Church in Hertford, which although rather traditional has more going on than the Sacred Heart in Ware. I help with the Children's Liturgy at the 10.30a.m. mass on Sundays and we are on the coffee making rota. David serves on the altar.
David has been through Playschool, Nursery, Musley Infants and St. Mary's J.M. School and in September starts at The Chauncy School our local community school. He has been a Beaver, Cub and is now into Scouts. He enjoys camping and outdoor activities, football, cross country and cycling. He has guitar lessons and swimming lessons. David supports Chelsea.
Charlotte has been through Playschool, Nursery and Kingshill Infants School and in September starts at St. Mary's J.M. School. She has been a Rainbow and is now a Brownie. She enjoys reading, football and cycling and also has swimming lessons. Charlotte has two gerbils Rocky and Scratchy.
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May 25th 1985 (from left to right) Simon Pearson, Teresa Flach, Helen Flach (now Duncan), Anna Pearson |
| November 1993 Charlotte (1 yr) and David (41/2 yrs) |
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19th August 2000 |
Born 22.3.1958
I went to school at St.Monica's Primary School, followed by City of London School for boys.
During my teens I enjoyed sport, scouts and the church youth club and the drama group which started as an off-shoot of the club. I also learnt to play the guitar and played at church folk mass and with friends in a band called "Landslide". Before going to university I took a year off and worked on a farm and in a pub, and also went with a parish group to stay at Hosanna House near Lourdes.
In 1976 I went to St.Catharine's College, Cambridge to study veterinarymedicine. The course at Cambridge is for six years, so there was plenty of opportunity to play music (folk and rock), do amateur dramatics and occasional sport. Social life was split between college and, increasingly over the years, the Catholic Chaplaincy. Through the chaplaincy I got involved with visiting families with mentally handicapped children and went with a group to Lourdes on the Handicapped Childrens Pilgrimage Trust pilgrimage. Holidays involved attempts to earn money (the Post Office at Christmas time, a company which checked stock sheets and even a firm which set up the tables for dog and cat shows - I was employed to weld the rings which held the cat cages together!, catch up with friends, music, parties etc., travel (USA in 1978 and South Africa in 1981) and gain experience with vets in practice.
My first job after qualifying as a vet was with a general practice in Wickham, Hampshire. I was the vet for their branch surgery in Cowplain, north of Portsmouth. Again I got involved with the church in Fareham, where I shared a flat, and also helped at a club for mentally handicapped adults in Portsmouth.
After 2 years in Hampshire I moved to a mixed veterinary practice in Staffordshire, close to college friends in Derby. I also met up with Mary Garside, whom I'd known from church and drama group in North London. We started going out and despite a change of job to Derby (helpful) and then a move to Edinburgh to study for an MSc in Tropical Veterinary Science, plus various jobs which Mary had after college, we kept up our relationship. However, the test was when Mary went to India for 6 months to work in a L'Arche community for mentally handicapped adults, and before she came home I went to Zanzibar to do research on tick-borne disease in cattle! Mary joined me in Zanzibar for the greater part of my 18 month posting, and when we returned to the UK we got married on 1st October 1988 (all of the arrangements having been made in our absence by our parents!).
My next overseas posting was to Morocco where we stayed for just under 3 years. I carried out further research into tick-borne disease of cattle, and Mary helped with mentally handicapped children in an orphanage. We travelled a lot, and enjoyed the culture and climate. We also stayed in Morocco for the birth of Rebecca, in a maternity clinic in Sale (the sister town of Rabat where we lived) on 16th August 1991.
I had always hoped to work with zoo animals and so when I saw the position of vet at Whipsnade Wild Life Park advertised I jumped at the chance. It meant a return to the UK and starting afresh in Leighton Buzzard, but the job, the town and the new life have all been great and we’re still here, with Katherine born on 15th January 1994 and Juliette on 12th July 1997.
Both were born at home, so we’ve never known a “normal” hospital delivery!
Rebecca and Katharine have been going to Pulford’s VA Lower School, but Rebecca starts in September at Leighton Middle School. She’s delighted that the school building was where Mary Norton lived and so is the setting for “The Borrowers” story! Juliette goes to playgroups, and we all have a busy time with church, music, swimming, children’s’ drama group, Brownies, PTA, the Pre-school Learning Alliance and much more.
1967
1 January 2000
Helen Duncan (nee Flach), Gary Duncan, Clare (6) and Jamie (4)
Born on the 16th July 1962, youngest of five children. After 18 years at home sharing both space and time with brothers and sisters, it was with great excitement that I left home to go to college in Bristol. I chose to take a course in Business studies and Tourism which incorporated two work placements. The first of these was memorable as I spent 6 months working as a holiday courier in France, partly in Antibes and partly in Paris. The experience of leading guided tours and coping with a coach full of holidaymakers, their problems and complaints was certainly a maturing experience.
Finishing college at 21, I returned home to take my first permanent job in the travel industry. I worked for a tour operator and was paid a pittance, but my boss was an enlightened Australian who believed that all his staff should visit the countries featured in our brochure. Over a period of 7 years, I was fortunate enough to visit Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Nepal, Seychelles, Mauritius and Australia.
In 1985, through a work collegue, I met Gary Duncan. We married in 1987. With unbelievable good fortune, I had won a trip to Australia during a travel show and this became our honeymoon: After a wonderful start to our married life, harder times hit when the housing market slumped in the late 198O's and interest- rates soared. We had to sell our lovely house, and moved to a flat in Whetstone where we rented until buying a flat in New Barnet.
In November 1993 Clare Heather Duncan was born - soon followed by Jamie Robin Duncan in March 1996, A new phase of our lives began. After a couple of years off work, I joined Barnet College to teach part-time on the Travel and Tourism course. This is a job which fits in well with family life and gives me a preview of dealing with teenagersl
The year 2000 has brought many changes. Gary has a new Sales job with Royal Mail, Jamie is to start primary school in September, I will increase my working hours substantially and we are due to move house to East Barnet in the Autumn.
