February 2012
June NIXON
June came to Ashley from London in 1968 intending to stay for three years. This was extended to 43 years and she intends to continue her visit. June has had the most extraordinary life and travelled extensively at a time when there was no air travel available and ship the only means of getting around. She has stories from so many places over so many years that one must feel there is a book there!
June was born in Upper Assam to an Australian mother and an English father. Her father met her mother at a shooting party in Scotland while on leave from India, where he was a tea planter. She obviously made quite an impression because they were soon married in England before returning to Assam. June’s sister Geraldine was then born and June followed eight years later. It is hard to believe, but at the tender age of six June’s parents brought her from India to an English boarding school in Herefordshire where she stayed until she was 13. She would then only see her parents when they visited every 3 years. She saw them so seldom that on one occasion she had to ask Geraldine to point them out! Her life revolved around the school where children from similar backgrounds became close friends. It made her very independent and she remembers the years as a very happy period of her life. The entire school, maids, cook and all would spend the summer as an extended family in two primitive old coastguard cottages where the lavatories were two outside thunderboxes and rain in water tanks provided their water. There were no baths, so swimming in the sea every day was mandatory. During her time at school, June’s father became a politician and gave up tea planting.
In 1937, at the age of 13, on her own, June returned to India where she was reunited with her family. A month’s sightseeing trip followed via Japan, visiting Tokyo and Kyoto amongst other cities, finally reaching Australia where June went to a school for six months but was bullied because of her Englishness! Much more travelling ensued including a brief stay in Guernsey before a round-the-world trip back to Australia, where she was sent to a school in the Blue Mountains staying with her parents for two to three years until she was 17.
After a two-year period in a finishing school in Sydney, June got her first job as secretary to Qantas Empire Airways in Sydney Harbour. Within three years, war had broken out and an aircraft carrier with the British Pacific Fleet brought by chance a very charming young man called Desmond into the harbour.
June and Desmond met during a two-week leave period and he romantically promptly proposed! She declined because she felt his offer was too soon and he went to sea for a further two months. But he returned and proposed for a second time! Once again June declined, but another two months later, on his third visit and third proposal, she accepted and they were engaged. Before the ring was purchased, however, Desmond had to suddenly sail for Hong Kong because the Japanese had surrendered and his ship was due to pick up prisoners of war. This took Desmond away from June for a year in which many letters were exchanged. During this time, June purchased her ring and came to London where she and Desmond were married. Neither her parents nor her sister were present at the ceremony! Her parents remained in Australia and her sister was getting married in India!
June and Desmond spent the first part of their married life in Plymouth where they stayed for two years before the Korean War began. June then travelled on a cargo ship of the Blue Funnel line to Hong Kong – a journey taking seven weeks –and in 1950 in Kowloon her daughter Sarah was born. After another year there they were back in England where June met up again with her parents, not having seen them for four years. Married life recommenced in Plymouth where Michael was born with Desmond again at sea. A stay in Malta for two years followed; Desmond then joined the royal yacht Britannia. Kate’s birth in 1957, completed June and Desmond’s family. They all came finally to Ashley in 1959 where their initial stay lasted sixteen months. Further trips away followed as Desmond’s career went from strength to strength, culminating in his becoming Rear Admiral.
After his retirement in 1968 June and Desmond returned to Box where they bought Ashley Cottage, which had an interesting history. It was previously a boarding house and prior to that a brewery and a barn. June remembers many old friends of Ashley and Box at that time, including Tom Selwyn-Smith - vicar of the parish for 38 years - who personally taught all the boy pupils at Box school how to box and all the children how to swim – in the river!
Desmond’s death in 1986 at the age of 68 was a devastating blow to June. The church became very central to her life. She took Desmond’s role on the Diocese Synod and became involved in every aspect of a thriving church. Amongst many other achievements she was instrumental in organising the splendid kneelers now in St Thomas a Becket. As often as possible, June visits the Benedictine community in Salisbury of which she is Oblate and gains strength from the spiritual experience she receives there.
June has a full life: she enjoys entertaining and cooking and has a vast circle of friends. Always trying something new, she has recently attended lectures on face reading and graphology. She enjoys the theatre, has a wonderful garden which she opened in 2011 Open Gardens, and spends much time with her ever increasing family! She is now grandmother to six and great grandmother to a further six and remembers all their birthdays!
She says her attitude to life is the motto “keep calm and carry on” but rues the time spent on hunting for glasses, hearing aids and keys! June greets everyone with a smile and genuine warmth. She is very caring and thoughtful, laughs readily, particularly at herself – ask her about the story of an evening drinks party and a tray of delicious canapés placed momentarily on her chair.
June is the perfect neighbour and one of the most positive people one could meet. May she long continue her visit to Box!!
Jacky Ceeney