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A Darzit Voice



Source Information

  • Title A Darzit Voice 
    Short Title A Darzit Voice 
    Author Beau Parke 
    Publisher http://www.lulu.com/content/232640 
    Source ID S4986 
    Text BEAU'S POETIC PEEP BACK AT VILLAGE LIFE
    Andrew Wright, Daily Echo, 23 December 1998

    Former Second World War Coldstream Guard "Beau" Parke loves Lytchett Matravers - the Dorset village of his birth in the 1920's where he returned 40 years later after a full working life at home and abroad. For Beau - first name Eric - it was Lytchett as a 16-year-old during 1941 that he met his wife-to-be. Violet was an evacuee from bombed-out Lewisham in London and the couple married while soldier Beau was on embarkation leave in 1944 prior to fighting in the Low Countries and Germany.

    Now, when "Beau" walks his dog around Lytchett Matravers from his Eldon's Drove home, his mind's eye sees the village as it used to be - the people, the stories, the incidents and the poetry. And that mental picture of Lytchett past has been encapsulated in a new booklet of poetry.

    "I've always dabbled in poetry. I wrote the book out of nostalgia because the village has changed so much through urbanisation. Lots of things have been lost," Beau explained. Beau's favourite poem is "Granny's Shop", which describes his grandmother's mid-1930's general stores in Eldon's Drove that started off in her front room and is now a garage.

    "It was a labour of love and a tribute to her," said Beau, who was inspired to write his poetry book by Lytchett Matravers historian Shirley Percival of Dolman's Hill. "A lot of older residents who remember the village as it was say they like the book. I hope it will also be of interest to new residents who don't know what the village was like," he added. Beau's poetry is held in high regard and he read poems at funerals of long-time resident Edward Tong and great village character Herbie Crumpler, who died just short of his 101st birthday earlier this month.
     
    Linked to (2) Herbert Walter Crumpler
    Samuel Crumpler