Peter Francis Tredwin = Sheila Mary McGahey

John Francis Tredwin	Stephen Tredwin & Janet Knight (1) & Lesley Smith (2)	Nina Mary Tredwin

Peter Francis Tredwin

&

Sheila Mary Tredwin

Born in Wales on the 20th February 1924 the son of Leonard and Clarissa Tredwin, between Bridgend and Blackwood at 13, Strath View, Pentwynmawr Abercarn U.D. Peter wasn't there vary long before they moved to Exeter Devon. It was here Peter spent his childhood and school life. First Peter went to Norwood School (prep) then on to Exeter School. It was on Christmas day 1931 Peter brother David Noel was born. They lived first in Fore Street then later in South Street on the Premises of the family business, a lending library and tobacconist. In 1938 with the prospect of war looming they moved out of the South Street to 12 Buckerell Avenue Exeter for the anticipated 6 month war. It was while at school he gained his liking for playing the sport of rugby.

Peter and David in 1936 approx.

From School he joined the Midland Bank at Tiverton Devon, you weren't allowed to serve in your hometown and to earn £50 a year you had to be posted away from home. From Tiverton he could catch the train called the Tivvy Bumper (a single track line) home to Exeter at weekends but it wasn't long before Peter had bought himself a bike, a Rudge Whitworth and was posted to Crediton Branch.

In 1939 war broke out and Peter wanted to enlist as a fighter pilot, not being 18 years of age his parents permission was required. As pilots were being killed at a great rate, the answer was of coarse no. A year later he joined the Royal Corps of Signals as a dispatch rider (14405056 SGMN Tredwin P F). The training took place in the Welsh Mountains; his instructor was Freddie Frith OBE the isle of man TT winner and so was "Artie" Bell of TT fame.

When operation Market Garden (codename for Arnhem) came along in 1944, the dispatch rider who was to take the orders to Devon came off his bike, slid under a lorry and was killed out right. Because of this unfortunate event, Peter was taken off the glider to be towed to France. He was to take the orders to the airfields, from Grantham through to Devon on his 350cc army Matchless, for the operation. This was a long ride in those days; on arrival Peter was offered billeting overnight. Being close to Exeter and his family he opted to pay a surprise visit on his family at 12 Buckerell Avenue.

A year later while on leave Peter married Sheila Mary McGahey in the parish church of St David's Exeter. They honeymooned in the top flat on the corner of Torridge hill and new road overlooking Bideford Bridge in Devon.

Posted to North Africa he took part in the North African campaigns against Rommel and the Afrika corps. Peter was a Staff Sargent with the 1st Airborne Divisional Signals now. At the end of the war Peter was posted to Palestine and British troops were employed keeping the Arabs and immigrant Jews apart. During this period he was close by when the King David Hotel was blown up and also there was great concern at home when six British Sargent were hanged by Jewish terrorists in an orange grove.

Taken in Palestine in 1946

In June 1946 Peter and Sheila had a son John Francis born in Exeter. After demob Peter went back into banking with the Midland Bank this time at Axminster in Devon and they rented a flat in the town. Running a motorbike and sidecar now life returned too normal and became more settled. Two years after John was born came a daughter, but alas still born (christened Judith). They moved out to Whitehaven cottage (now called The Newberys) at South Common, All Saints, out in the country. Then in 1950 a second son Stephen was born and 15 months later their daughter Nina Mary was born. The motorbike and sidecar had gone and an Austin Seven had taken its place. They now had a washing machine with a mangle to help with the chores. Not to forget Buster a mongrel dog and a tabby three legged cat.

By 1958 Peter had taken and passed the institute of bankers exams and moved to a post in Bristol. Living at 3 Greenleaves Avenue, Bromley Heath, Downend Bristol a terraced housed in a growing estate and driving a Wolsey 44. After eight years Peter had moved jobs to the Bath branch and now head cashier and offered promotion to Assistant manager in Torquay Devon. They moved to a semidetached chalet bungalow at 19 Manor Drive, Kingskerswell Torquay. With this move their eldest son John stayed at Bristol, because of having left school and spent all his formative years there. John had started work and preferred not to move. The stereogram appeared and with it country and western, Jazz and Frank Sinatra records. From Kingskerswell trips to Dartmoor were possible (as they were for his father from Exeter). These trips to Haytor and Rippon Tor were a great pleasure to the Tredwin family.

(Center Peter Francis Tredwin)

In 1966 Peter was appointed to branch manager at Ilfracombe North Devon. The new house was Little Haven, Mortehoe Road, Mortehoe station. A chalet bungalow with sea views overlooking Lundy Island and Baggy point. The family car was a Renault Giordini. Then a year later the family moved to Warcombe cottage, Warcombe, Lee, Ilfracombe (just three miles away).

The cottage became vary much home to all the family and Peter always had painting jobs around the cottage. Peter liked nothing better than his chair, his pipe and a good book. He enjoyed Wrestling, Scrambling, rugby on the television and he never missed any of the westerns. Peter and Sheila now kept dogs and the odd sheep or two. They were Samoyed bitches, which have a placid nature. In 1969 Peter and Sheila's son Stephen left home, then in 1972 their daughter Nina married Alan Knowles a local builder. An Austin Mini had been and gone he now drove an MGBGT. Banking began to change, so at 55 Peter took early retirement. He started a part time job with the Narracott Grand Hotel, which soon became full time accounting. In the early 80's came the move to 5, Capstan Terrace, Ilfracombe because of the convenience of the town. Then within 18 months they moved out to Rudd Cottage, Trentishoe at the foot of Trentishoe down on the edge of Exmoor.

(Peter)

This cottage soon became home and they fell in love with the surroundings, walking the dogs over the downs the ladies mile. Peter now drove an MGB roadster, then a Fiat and later a Ford XRi. Suffering a stroke the week before his 60th birthday, he was taken to North Devon Hospital and unfortunately had a further stroke. In spite of being placed on a ventilator he was not to survive and the equipment was turned off on the eve of his 60th birthday. After cremation at Barnstaple his ashes were scattered on Trentisthoe Down in an area he loved so much.

Sheila Mary McGahey

Born near Exeter at Combe Dingle, Topsham on the 9th June 1924. The eldest of five children of Michel John Mc Gahey and Winifred Emma De Viell, spoiled by her father because she was the new baby of the second marriage. A nanny was taken on, a Mrs Rhoda Richards who came from Collaton Sawmills and she stayed with the family until Bridget the youngest child was old enough not to need a nanny.

Mother Winifred and Sheila	Mother Winifred and Sheila

Shelia went to Miss Chandler's kinder garden in Womford road until the age of 9 although by the age of 6 they had moved to Exeter, to St Leonard's Road and she then went to the Stoodley Knowles convent, Ilsham Torquay. This Convent was a French Convent which ment she had to speak French in school hours; by the time she left she had passed her National Certificate and Matriculation exams. Holidays were spent at the family's holiday home at Postbridge on Dartmoor.

Postbridge fun

A friend of her fathers had a home at Hillaton near Bow, which caught fire and was fire damaged. So the house at Postbridge was sold and the fire-damaged house at Hillaton brought and renovated. This became the holiday home and where the ponies were kept, it was also used as the family home while the blitz were going on in Exeter and her father travelled to work. After the blitzes Sheila's father took her in to Exeter and see how the office faired. It was bombed damaged; the heat affected all the deeds in the cellar. They were still hand written on parchment; and they also gave off such an awful smell, and shrunk. Because of this the law practices moved to their home at St. Leonard's Road and after the blitz they set up home in Thrushelton, Polsloe road. At 16 she went to work with her father in his office. With the advent of the war she took up war work and became a ward maid. This could lead on to becoming a nurse; it involved ward cleaning and sluicing out nappies and the like. Most nurses liked the wards with the young wounded soldiers rather than the medical wards with the old men. Sheila suffered form a septic throat, so her father had a word with the matron and she was exempt war work. Sheila now became articled to her father and took and passed her preliminary law exam. It was then 1944 and her father found her a position as a ladies companion to a Mrs Young at Worth House just out-side Tiverton (a little dull for a young girl of twenty). It was at this time she had news of her father's death (22nd Aug 1944), given permission to go home she left to catch the bus but found the main gates locked, being in a hurry she scaled the gates (which had spicks on the top) and in the process pieced her leg on one of them. After her father's cremation and memorial service they moved home to 64 Velwell Road to a smaller house. It was while living here that Sheila remembers her grandmother "Winni" (her real name was Jessie De Viell, nee Cann) coming to the house on Fridays and she would do their sowing for them in an attic room. She was like a small bird and vary energetic. Each year there was an annual Doctor Barnardo's dance at Dello's in Exeter and it was walking home from one of these dances she was followed by a young lad who asked to walk her home, his name was Peter Tredwin and on the 12th June 1945 they were married. They honeymooned for a couple of days in Bideford North Devon, in a flat owned by Swainal's family (Family Friends) on the corner of New Road and Torridge Hill, which had views of the bridge and the estuary. A couple of weeks later Peter was posted to Grantham in North Wales and Sheila went up there with him and on her return found she was expecting. On the 20th June 1946 their first son John Francis Tredwin was born in a nursing home in Sr. Leonard's road Exeter. Two years after John was born came a daughter, born in Palimoor nursing home but alas only survived a day or two and she was christened Judith. They moved out to Whitehaven cottage at South Common, All Saints, near Axminster in the country it has been renamed Newbery's since but the cottage next door is still called Flashmans. Then in 1950 a second son Stephen Tredwin was born and 15 months later their daughter Nina Mary Tredwin was born.