Obituaries
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Josephine Leatherby (Jo Spong, 1947-54) 30 May,1936 to 11 November, 2016
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Jo died in November 2016 at her home in Eastern Beach in her beloved New Zealand. The note from her daughter Keren brought back a host of memories of our friendship since I joined CCHS in September 1947 in Lower 4B.
Jo had been in the Pre but we remained in the same class all the way through to VIth form. She loved literature and was always chosen to read the major male parts in the Shakespeare plays with her low-toned voice bringing the characters to life. She was a jolly extrovert, larger than life both physically and in character, always friendly and fun to be with, popular with everyone. I remember being invited to her birthday party in her home in Brightlingsea, in a flat over Barclays bank. Her father died in Feb 1950 when Jo was 13.
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After VIth form, she went in for Teacher Training at Avery Hill. She lodged with Frances Fisher (Ellis) in the first year and then they both moved into the college. Jo and Frances become firm friends and confidants throughout their lives. I was in college in Lincolnshire, but, whenever possible, met up with Jo in London where she enjoyed showing me the sights and the cultural opportunities in the city. We also loved window shopping and had an hilarious time trying on the hats in C & A! Jo started teaching at Kendall Road school and I was at Wilson Marriage. We used to meet up on Fridays for lunch in Neal & Robarts restaurant in the cellar. (I bet young teachers don’t have the time these days to go out for a leisurely lunch!). We also went out several evenings to the Colchester Institute for Art and other classes.
Margaret and Jo in Barcelona, August, 1954.
At the end of our first year of teaching we decided to go to Spain together: an adventure by plane across the Channel from Lypme to Le Touquet and then by train in couchettes to Barcelona. Our hotel was near the Cathedral and we ate at a small restaurant nearby where the good-looking waiter caught Jo’s eye. Nothing came of this as we probably shocked the Spaniard with our forward ways! The next year we decided to go to Germany with Frances and another friend, Mary. German tourism was not yet very popular, but we found a family in Herrsching-am-Ammersee, south of Munich, who were taking guests. We spoke no German and they spoke no English but they were extremely kind to us and even took us on a tour of Bavaria on the Sunday. The daughter, Inga, came to England later as an au pair and Frances stayed in touch for some time.
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I was with Jo when she went to New Zealand House to enquire about emigrating. She had always wanted to live in that country as it had no snakes! Australia was out! I think it must have been the following year that Jo was accepted for immigration to New Zealand for a payment of £10. She sailed off on the long voyage with many other hopefuls and, from all accounts, had a whale of a time on board. Jo’s mother was living in Morant Rd and a number of her friends used to go and visit to read Jo’s descriptive letters and to hear her on the tapes she sent home. In time the correspondence referred more and more to
Richard, an Anthony Perkins lookalike! Soon they were engaged and then married. Family and friends clubbed together to buy and despatch, sets of “Green Wheat” crockery which was very popular at the time.
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Jo, with Richard, returned to England in 65(?) and Keren was born on May 24th 1966. Unfortunately the marriage broke down and Jo returned to NZ with Keren and Jo’s mum, again by ship. This time, however, Jo and mum spent most of their time keeping up with Keren who was toddling and intent to explore the whole ship! Life was quite difficult as Jo had to work and she was not allowed to teach until she had obtained additional qualifications. In the end she took on office work which was not so well paid, while mum looked after Keren.
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We kept in touch, especially on birthdays and at Christmas until the late 80’s when Les and I retired. We looked into the possibility of visiting Jo and in February 1990 we flew out via Los Angeles and Melbourne where Les had a cousin. We landed at Auckland airport and there was Jo, older, but just the same. It was an emotional meeting after all the years which had passed. Jo was living in a small bungalow by Eastern Beach and had booked us in to a motel overlooking the beach and Waiheke Island. It was magical! Soon she was taking us on a tour via Coramandel to Rotorua in her “Little Yellow Peril”, her car which she had taken with her to NZ.Keren was now 25 and living in Auckland and showed us around the highlights of the city and we visited Jo’s mum in her retirement bungalow, going on picnics to some of their marvellous beaches. That was the first of our three trips to NZ: the second to South Island, finishing up at Jo’s and finally to the far north of North Island to the Bay of Islands and the North Cape.
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A few years later, Keren came to England to visit old friends of Jo and her family. She then went on to the USA to see her father. Jo eventually came back to England with Keren, who stayed for a short time, for a visit in 2006 staying with her sister-in-law in Stanway. She wanted to visit her late father’s family in the west of England as well as Winnie the Pooh country, so she hired a car and set off with just a few minutes practice! All the way down the A12, negotiating the M25 and the Thames Crossing, Sussex, Hampshire to Dorset, all on her own! New Zealand traffic was never like this! She caught up with family, old friends and some “old girls” from CCHS.
She has spent the last few years taking advantage of most of the cultural activities that Auckland has to offer: concerts, opera, cinema, exhibitions and lectures. She often commented that there was more going on there than in London! Unfortunately her tramping and camping days were over due to mobility and other problems, but she loved her outings with the retired group. She died of heart failure but had her wish to stay in her own home to the end.
Margaret Howard (Sparkes 1947-1954)
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