New book recalls the experiences of John Wilde Club in Lowestoft
John Blowers has written a new book about his experiences with the John Wilde Club. Picture: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
Its aim was to provide a friendly meeting place and to promote activities designed to encourage responsible citizenship and service to the community.
A group day out to Walberswick in 1960. Picture: Supplied - Credit: Nick Butcher
And now, the experience of the John Wilde Club – which ran in Lowestoft from 1947 until the mid 1970s – has been recalled in a new publication.
John Blowers, 90, has taken about a year to complete the book entitled Of Days That Used to Be: A life in the 1900s, featuring items on the John Wilde Club and Fen Park School.
The book includes memories of the local sports and social club, of which Mr Blowers was treasurer and sports secretary for 25 years.
It also includes Mr Blowers' life story, consisting of 25 years teaching at Fen Park School.
Mr Blowers was introduced to the group via its football team in the 1949/50 season. Picture: Supplied - Credit: Nick Butcher
The 150 pages include a number of unique photographs, which will allow people to reminisce about times gone by in the town.
Mr Blowers joined the John Wilde Club in 1949 when he was invited to play in their football team.
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'The idea for the book came from a suggestion from those at the Lowestoft Heritage Centre that I record the story of the John Wilde Club, being aware of enough of its history to know that it once made a small but useful contribution to the social history of our town', Mr Blowers said.
'This club was somewhat unique in that it came into being due to the efforts of a small group of young people and was administered for the whole of its life by other young people, completely independent of any backing from an outside organisation.
'Its original members came from those who, back in 1946, felt there was a lack of social and sporting facilities in the town.'
Mr Blowers then built on the material for the book, by including stories about his life and successful teaching career.
'It was deemed to be more appropriate to also include an account of my wider life experiences,' Mr Blowers added.
'Although there is some coverage of the many more physical changes that have occurred in the town, there is deliberately not a great emphasis on these, since I am aware that these have already been extensively recorded in publications by a number of other local historians.
'I have enjoyed doing it and it is not something you think about all the time. It is rather like reliving your life, I have enjoyed it from that aspect.'
The book is available from the Heritage Workshop Centre on Wildes Score or online at www.lowestoftheritage.org
For more information about buying a copy, contact Mr Blowers on 01502 566731 or the Heritage Workshop Centre on 01502 581601.
Do you have a story for our Turning Back the Clock pages? Tell The Journal by calling 01502 525820 or email lowestoft.journal@archant.co.uk
