Les Parry

Post date: Aug 04, 2015 8:46:44 PM

Dear SCARA

Member,

I'm very sorry to be delivering more sad news. The following message, received from Simon Parry concerning the death of his father Les Parry on Saturday 1st August, has been sent to all SCARA members:

My fathers funeral will take place on Friday 14 August at 12 noon. A funeral service of thanksgiving and celebration will take place at St Peters & St Pauls church, Blockley Gloucestershire GL56 9ES, followed by refreshments, also in the village of Blockley. A committal will take place at 3:45pm later the same day at Oakley Wood Crematorium, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.

All are most welcome.

Kind regards,

Simon Parry

(Update 1 September 2015)

Following Les' funeral, his good friend Ian Thomson kindly provided two images from the Order of Service which are copied below. Ian has reported that Les's elder son Simon gave an address on his father's life following retirement, when he and Pat left Liverpool and settled very happily in Blockley. Les was a fine artist and also liked classical music. He sang with the BBC, (Blockley Blokes Choir), who were in strength in the choir stalls at the service and sang for Les 'Take Me Home' like a fine Welsh Male Voice Choir.

Ian also forwarded on the text of another address given at the funeral, this one by Reg Cox who was another good friend of Les'. This is reproduced here with the kind permission of Reg:

"LES.

Les and I were mates, muckers and, like several here in the congregation Scousers, but you’re quite safe, Scousers always wash before going to church, and, we don’t all sound like Cilla and John Bishop.

An ex girl friend of mine introduced me to Wavertree Garden Suburb Institute, the “Inny”, in the 40’s, where I met Mr Parry along with many others: Pete Gaskin, Miff, Honnor, Doreen, Toddles, Mulroy, Shane etc., etc. Sadly Les is the latest in a long line of those who have popped their clogs.

We were involved in the “theatrical” side of the “Inny” painting scenery and generally getting in the way, can’t remember what Les did, probably one of the chorus as he liked singing. (He used to sing in that lot “The Blockley Blokes Choir”, pointing).

We were also involved in the local Tennis Club, where again I can’t imagine Les playing tennis; he was the sort of person who if he felt like doing anything energetic would lie down until the feeling wore off. But, he was ace at telling jokes. We used to go to the Black Bull in Gateacre on Friday evening and drink huge amounts of beer, sometimes as much as three pints and Les and Gaskin used to tell jokes, something I envied ‘cos I can never remember jokes.

Mr Parry was one of a small number of people who left school, found himself a job and retired from the same job. He worked for a branch of P&O and benefitted by getting low price cruises, if there were some empty cabins on a P&O cruise ship he would be offered a choice, often at short notice. Not a bad thing with the weather we’ve been having of late.

Les and his family lived in super posh Childwall Park Avenue with Mum and Dad two brothers and a sister. Dad was a fearsome looking man who had been wounded in WW1 and had a plate in his head, Mum was a lady of a more gentle demeanour, this was in the 40’s when there was still strict rationing, but she always produced a biscuit or a scone when we called on Les.

Then Les married Pat, who shall we say directed Les, telling him what to do and when. Though Pat didn’t get away with much with the rest of us. I photographed their wedding, as I did with most of the group.

Les took up painting in watercolours, went to classes with Pete Gaskin and became quite successful, selling several pieces of work and he also had a Pupil.

I mentioned before there were quite a lot of us, now sadly Les has followed Gaskin, Toddles (Eileen Todd), Miff, Shane, and recently Sheila Mulroy, though I’m pleased to say that I’m still standing.

I shall miss the lugubrious Les, I used to phone him in bosky Blockley for a chat, indeed I did so on his birthday, a couple of Sunday’s ago when he was being cared for by Lindsay and Bethan in Welsh Wales; and then Simon rang to say that I should cross him off my Christmas card list.

Cheers Les we’ll miss you, I’ll have a pint for you in the Bell."

Les Parry

26 July 1929 - 1 August 2015