Author Archives: denniscrompton
Rest in peace, Dennis
CROMPTON, Dennis. Born 7 March 1929, passed away 24 June 2019 at home. Dearly loved by Valerie, Helen, Miles, Lilian, Sara, Richard, Maxwell, Amelia, Oliver, Vivienne, Andrew, Ryan and Joseph. And the night shall be filled with music, and the cares that infest the day, shall fold their tents, like the Arabs, and as silently […]
A necessary journey
One of the things we come across from time to time are slogans, neat little sayings designed to make us think about some point they want to make, and for a great many of us, they work. One I remember that came out during World War Two in England was, “Is your journey really necessary?” […]
Finis
(A speech I made upon leaving the teaching staff of Morrinsville College, after 22 years’ teaching) Someone begged me to come to Morrinsville College, and not a lot of people know that. You will be sad/glad to hear that I shall not pass on to you at this time gems of wisdom that I have […]
Our living room
I love to close my eyes and see our living room full of people when I was the tender age of seven. Had I been able to film it, I would have captured an assortment of events to rival anything offered as ‘home entertainment’ at the DVD store today. Thin Uncle Dave has just opened his […]
Workmates
The last place I worked before leaving home (Preston, Lancashire) and going to New Zealand was a large public bus company, Ribble Motors, Frenchwood, Preston. I was there for a little over two years, and my time there was very significant. I was really impressed by the thoroughness of the overhaul given to each vehicle […]
Acquiring skills
‘Share and share alike’ would be one of the things we were taught when young. I found it difficult at times, but in the presence of older people it was best to comply. There were a few times when uncensored, I’d surprise myself by sharing something prompted by a spontaneous generosity from within. I’d feel […]
Art starts
The following information was gleaned when I reacquainted myself with Miss K T Lingard at the local bingo hall. At the time, I was reporting on an ugly incident concerning the bingo caller and the tea lady. Apparently they had got into an argument about how many times the caller had repeated ‘Legs eleven, number […]
“I’m sorry…”
The radio in my daughter’s car is just great. Its four speakers throb with vitality as the sound envelops me. A sound that is deep, alive and emotionally satisfying. Lovely. A stark contrast to the flatness of my old radio at home. There was a sense in which, in my role as prison visitor, […]
Quotables quotes
This is a jumble of jottings from my diary in 1997; things I heard, read or variously discovered, that I thought worthy of noting down. “People hate those who make them feel their own inferiority.” Lord Chesterfield Jonathon Swift: “Satire is a sort of glass wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own; […]
The writings of a Lancashire lad 
Father Boland’s faith
There was nothing out of the ordinary as far as the funeral of young Patrick O’Dowd was concerned. The usual kind of people turned up at the church, where flowers – bought and arranged by Mrs Kelly and Miss O’Leary – did their best to brighten up the quiet deadness of the building, but failed. […]