Esme Doreen Squibb - Skudder 1923 - 1998
Esme Doreen Squibb was born on 27th July, 1923, to Ernest James Squibb and Elsie Emmaline Squibb, at Temple Sheen, Rowhill, Wilmington, when her parents were living at Ivy Dene, West View, Swanley, Kent.
Esme the "Ovaltiney" advert in Wife and Home magazine April1930, image thanks to www.magforum.com
Esme met Derek Ernest Skudder through mutual friends of their Parents and they were married at 3.30pm on 11th May 1946, at St.Mary Plaistow, College Road, Bromley. Esme wore a beautiful dress hired for the occasion from Elstree Film Studios. She had a lovely engagement ring with a half hoop of diamonds and rubies (bought second-hand) and a wedding Ring made from a Gold Sovereign. The witnesses were Ernest James Squibb, Lt.Kenneth Claude Addy and Helen E Skudder. They honeymooned in West Country, spending the first night at the The White Hart, Andover, Hampshire at a cost of £1.19.6d then on to Bailey Farm, Stoke in Teignhead, a very picturesque village in Devon.
Derek had accepted a position with a firm in East Africa and left for Dar-es-Salaam in June 1946, soon after they were married. However, Esme stayed at her Parent's home until after the birth of their first child Lindsay on 8th March 1947.
Derek had accepted a position with a firm in East Africa and left for Dar-es-Salaam in June 1946, soon after they were married. However, Esme stayed at her Parent's home until after the birth of their first child Lindsay on 8th March 1947.
SS Modasa at Dar-es-Salaam
On 7th August 1947, Esme sailed for Dar-es-Salaam with her baby daughter Lindsay. on the B.I.S.N. Co. Ship the S.S.MODASA arriving at destination on 14th September, 1947. A long
5 and a half week voyage.
SS Mulbera
In October 1949 Esme and Derek, and daughter Lindsay returned to the UK on "home leave" sailing from Dar-es-Salaam on the B.I.S.N ship the S.S.MULBERA, landing at Plymouth. There was a meeting of the Mulbera Turf Club - Red Sea Meeting dated 1 November 1949.
"City of Belfast" still G-AKNR in the later TEAL Livery
Esme flew from Southampton to Dar-es-Salaam with her daughter (and pregnant), 7am 5th May 1950 on a Shorts MkIII Solent Flying Boat G-AKNR the "City of Belfast" then operated by BOAC, arriving in Dar 2pm 7th May 1950. What an experience, landing on the Med at Malta, Alexandria and the Nile, Lakes Victoria and Naivasha, then the sea at Mombasa and Dar-es-salaam. G-AKNR later became the TEAL (Tasman Empire Airlines Ltd.) ZK-AMQ "Aparima"
SS Kenya (Black Livery)
Home again this time Esme and the three children sailed on the B.I.S.N ship the S.S.KENYA in January 1953 A Final Farewell to Dar-es-Salaam, calling at Mombasa, Port Said, Gibraltar and and various other ports, arriving in the UK at Tilbury on 24th February 1953 and staying until May 1954.
SS Leicestershire
Esme and the three children returned to Africa 10th May 1954, this time to Mombasa on the Bibby Line ship chartered to the B.I. Line the S.S.LEICESTERHIRE, then onwards by over-night East African Railways & Harbours sleeper train to Nairobi.
Airwork Vickers Viking 1B
Flying back to the UK for the first time June 1956; Nairobi, Entebbe, Khartoum overnight at the Grand Hotel, Wadi Halfa, Benghazi, Malta overnight, Rome, skimming Mont Blanc then at last Heathrow - 3 days and on that thing? Airwork Vickers Viking 1B twin prop. (Gatwick Airport was closed 1956-58 for redevelopment)
HC Vickers Viscount 800 Series
Back to UK for 8 weeks July to August 1958, Wow much smoother and faster in the Vickers Viscount from the newly opened Embakasi Airport, later renamed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, (we had seen these Hunting Clan VV810s, powered by 4 RR Turbo Prop Engines cruising speed 365mph, at Eastleigh Airport Nairobi) landing at the newly re-opened Gatwick Airport.
BOAC Bristol Brittania
Back to UK again July to September, 1960, only 12 hours flying time in BOAC Bristol Brittania from Embakasi to London Heathrow via Entebbe, Khartoum and Rome.
SS Uganda
Esme and her two daughters sailed 21st October 1961 on the SS UGANDA from Mombasa arriving in the UK on 6th December 1961, via Aden, Port Said, Marseilles and Gibraltar, suffering a heavy battering in the Bay of Biscay. Whilst the whole Ship's company were "heaving over the side" Esme calmly ordered Soup and asked what all the crashing noises from the galley were.
Esme was a keen Gardener and Flower Arranger, and was at one time Chairman of the Kenya Floral Arrangement Club, Nairobi, in 1970 and in later years the Frinton on Sea Flower Club, Essex. She was also trained in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana Japanese Flower Arranging and at Constance Spry in Wedding Flowers. She travelled all over East Anglia demonstrating her skills under the auspices of NAFAS and organised many Floral Shows in Nairobi and Essex
Esme died at Noon on 30th December 1998, peacefully at the Anna Victoria Nursing Home, Frinton on Sea, after a long battle with cancer and was cremated on 12th January, 1999, at Weeley Crematorium after a Funeral Service held at St. Mary's Frinton Parish Church, her ashes were strewn with those of her husband Derek in the Garden of Rembrance at Weeley. A tree was planted in the garden at the Anna Victoria in her Memory.
Life is only for love,Time is that we may find God
St.Bernard
St.Bernard
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