Winifred's later life

The family believe that Winifred never completed her life story. But we can add the following information about her later life.

The person who met Winifred at the station with the taxi, in early 1928, was a friend of Bob Read, Flossie’s husband.  Bob was associated with the horse racing business and Reg Don - for that was the person’s name - was a jockey. (He trained for a time with Gordon Richards). He was a small man who, like many of his generation, had volunteered for the Army in W.W.1., and who always claimed that it was his small size that saved his life in the trenches, by wedging himself between some boulders during heavy bombardments. He served at Ypres but at some point during the war he was quite severely wounded. Barbara remembers large scars down one side which were probably shrapnel wounds.

Winifred and Reg on their Golden Wedding Anniversary, 1978.

A year later, in 1929, Winifred Onions married Joseph Reginald Don – hereafter, just called Reg – in Wolverhampton. They started their married life living at Sandiway, Tarporley, in Cheshire, but jockeys have to move to wherever the work is and Winifred and Reg were like rolling stones gathering no moss! They moved fourteen times during the next fourteen years! Their first child, Gerald was born in Wiltshire in 1931. Their second child, Barbara, was born at Northwich in Cheshire, in 1936 following a spell at Lord Corley’s racing stables at Berrington Hall, Herefordshire, (nowadays a National Trust property).

Reg gave up racing soon after Barbara was born in 1936, and Winifred and Reg and their children came to Pattingham to live at Westfield Cottage, and Barbara was baptised at St. Chad’s Church, Pattingham. They completed their family in 1944 with Heather Carol, whose father (Winnie’s elder brother, Joseph) had tragically died a few days after her birth.

They did not stay in Pattingham very long, for Winifred took over a shop – a general stores – at 28, Norfolk Road, Penn Fields, and she ran it until 1939, by which time Reg had obtained a position at Fischer Bearings, off Penn Road, Wolverhampton. Winifred and Reg "did a swap" with Mrs. Alice Bertha Robbins at number 36, Norfolk Road, and Mrs. Robbins took over the general stores.

Caroline and the two children moved into Hazeldene, and Westfield Cottage was rented out. Caroline died in 1949 leaving the remaining children a small amount of money. Winifred used it all to buy the roof over her head, much against the wishes of Reg, but it was probably the best investment she could ever have made.

Winifred’s son, Gerald, decided to emigrate to Canada, and the intention was for Winifred and Reg to follow, so they sold their house and moved into temporary accommodation – a caravan home at Coven – but they changed their mind about going to Canada, and eventually obtained a council house in School Lane, Coven.  Subsequently, they moved to a bungalow in Penkridge, to be near their daughters.

They celebrated their Golden Wedding in 1978 but later that year Reg died, aged 84.  Winifred died in 1993, aged 92.

Members of Winifred's Family

Norman Onions joined the RAF, married Molly and lived in Buckinghamshire, and raised their family there

Catherine left school and became a typist, initially at Banks’ Brewery and, later, in the accounts office at Sunbeam Cycles, Penn Road, in Wolverhampton. She became friendly with Fred Warner who was a motor mechanic at Finchfield Garage, although at the time of their marriage in 1938, he had become a bus driver. They set up home at Hazeldene with Caroline.

Westfield (top centre); Hazeldene (lower left) the garage (lower right) facing Clive Road.

Fred had an ambition to use the mechanic’s skills that he had trained for. He decided to set up business on his own account in a shed on the right hand side of the bungalow and it was here that he repaired and serviced cars and vans. In 1947 he obtained planning permission to install petrol pumps and, in 1951, was granted permission to build a larger workshop for repairs. Fred was always working. The petrol station closed only on Christmas Day. He was not one for small talk.

 He and Catherine were well respected in the community as being very fair in their business dealings and were kind and understanding to those who hadn’t got much money.

After the second world war, Cath became the principal chauffeur for their taxi service, and was always in demand as the wedding car, which she dressed up in the traditional ribbons. For a 5/- fare, she would take you to Wolverhampton and wait for you whilst you conducted your business, and then return you home. She did the school taxi run during term time. The Wootton family say that Cath used to sing to them in the school taxi :- "I’m a little teapot short and stout; here is my handle - here is my spout; pick me up and pour me out" !

In 1977, the garage was sold to Mr. Potts, who developed the business as Essential Garage.

Catherine lived at Hazeldene for the rest of her life. She died in January 2004, aged 93.