Muspratt must have met Robert and Emily soon after they retired to Penn
Road—their re-naming of number 67 as ‘St Helier’ being an irresistible
invitation for him to ‘meet and greet’ the new couple—and although there is
no evidence to suggest that he and Robert were in any sense ‘friends’, the
common circumstances of their lives suggests some empathy existed between
the two men. But despite sharing a birthplace, suffering the loss of an elder
brother, the powerful thread of chemistry and Muspratt serving in both Malta
and Sicily, there were other circumstances that may have led to these men
later coming together in Muspratt’s maneuverings regarding the
Penn-Pennsylvania link, circumstances we explain later.
18.3 Retirement and Benevolence
When Robert and Emily arrived in Penn Road, they would have found Penn
village huddled around Holy Trinity. The Vicarage, the Almshouses, the old
Parish rooms, the War Memorial Green and The Crown public house formed
its nucleus and, with the exception of the Almshouses, this remains so today.
Around Holy Trinity and along Church Road, were some of the fine houses
of the local important families, together with workers cottages and a
Methodists’ chapel. Today, many of these are listed, some dating back to the
late 17th Century. To many of us, St Helier would seem to be custom built
for an idyllic retirement, but retirement often means different things to different people. To some it is a curse, to others an opportunity, but it is always
a time to reflect on what has passed in our lives. Robert knew that he was
more fortunate than many, not only in terms of the circumstances of his birth
but in some of the choices he made in life. Equally, he and Emily suffered
more than many through the loss of their sons and Emily’s arthritic condition
which, as the years went by, must have imposed severe limits on what was
achievable together. Even so, because of the visit of his friend Ralph
Chirnside in March 1976 and the transcript of their conversation
(Sect. 18.10), we have some insight into what occupied this couple during
retirement. Robert of course had a small workshop—a shed in the garden—
where he indulged himself in his life-long love of ‘things mechanical’. Family
members Richard and John recall visiting ‘Bob’ and Emily at St Helier in the
mid 1960s and later. On one visit, Robert proudly showed off his garden
workshop to Richard and fiancée Alex, and he was particularly impressed that
Alex knew what lathes and milling machines were and how to operate them.
‘You’ve certainly found a good girl there!’ was his advice to Richard. But the
workshop was not just for show, here Robert did some quite remarkable
18 Penn, Buckinghamshire 1949–1976
459
Road—their re-naming of number 67 as ‘St Helier’ being an irresistible
invitation for him to ‘meet and greet’ the new couple—and although there is
no evidence to suggest that he and Robert were in any sense ‘friends’, the
common circumstances of their lives suggests some empathy existed between
the two men. But despite sharing a birthplace, suffering the loss of an elder
brother, the powerful thread of chemistry and Muspratt serving in both Malta
and Sicily, there were other circumstances that may have led to these men
later coming together in Muspratt’s maneuverings regarding the
Penn-Pennsylvania link, circumstances we explain later.
18.3 Retirement and Benevolence
When Robert and Emily arrived in Penn Road, they would have found Penn
village huddled around Holy Trinity. The Vicarage, the Almshouses, the old
Parish rooms, the War Memorial Green and The Crown public house formed
its nucleus and, with the exception of the Almshouses, this remains so today.
Around Holy Trinity and along Church Road, were some of the fine houses
of the local important families, together with workers cottages and a
Methodists’ chapel. Today, many of these are listed, some dating back to the
late 17th Century. To many of us, St Helier would seem to be custom built
for an idyllic retirement, but retirement often means different things to different people. To some it is a curse, to others an opportunity, but it is always
a time to reflect on what has passed in our lives. Robert knew that he was
more fortunate than many, not only in terms of the circumstances of his birth
but in some of the choices he made in life. Equally, he and Emily suffered
more than many through the loss of their sons and Emily’s arthritic condition
which, as the years went by, must have imposed severe limits on what was
achievable together. Even so, because of the visit of his friend Ralph
Chirnside in March 1976 and the transcript of their conversation
(Sect. 18.10), we have some insight into what occupied this couple during
retirement. Robert of course had a small workshop—a shed in the garden—
where he indulged himself in his life-long love of ‘things mechanical’. Family
members Richard and John recall visiting ‘Bob’ and Emily at St Helier in the
mid 1960s and later. On one visit, Robert proudly showed off his garden
workshop to Richard and fiancée Alex, and he was particularly impressed that
Alex knew what lathes and milling machines were and how to operate them.
‘You’ve certainly found a good girl there!’ was his advice to Richard. But the
workshop was not just for show, here Robert did some quite remarkable
18 Penn, Buckinghamshire 1949–1976
459