Edge End Voyces & Thomas's (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Friday, August 10, 2012, 18:09 (4287 days ago) @ bonnie1man

Hi Bonnie,
Yes the number you have posted is a Dean phone number, and I have just phoned it.
I enjoyed a VERY pleasant hour or so chatting with a very helpful complete stranger named Derek Kear who is now retired and still lives in Edge End. He tells me this was previously called Hawthorns End after Hawthorn Farm, and that the address you mention btw should be Hawthorns Tump not Sump, Tump being the Dean name for a small hill often mine spoil, I suggest a sump is more likely to be found in East Anglia say as a land drainage ditch.
Anyhow, Derek very fondly recalls his trip to Seymour, Iowa, a town in the farming Mid West barely bigger than Edge End itself (so small !). He says he's recently stopped receiving replies to his Christmas cards to his main contact there (Bob?), he believes most of the Voyces have died out now. He was clearly delighted to chat to me about this "trip of a lifetime" and his old days in the Forest, such as playing football for the then very good Lydbrook Athletic (my dad's area), plus he once played rugby for "Wales" despite tecnically being English; he also knows some of my relatives it seems, such as the Astons who are another large family in the Broadwell/Lane End area with good footballers too !.

Derek says yes Thomas Voyce's house is still there, just opposite what used to be the "Bird In Hand" pub, but is unsure about George Thomas' house altho I suspect he will now start searching for it !. He would be delighted to speak to you about all this and is very happy to show you the Voyce House if you visit him In September, I got the impression I made his day by chatting about all this history, especially as he feels the younger generations of Voyces etc in the USA aren't interested in it.
Unfortunately Derek doesn't own a computer so has no email etc, altho he mentioned his sons living locally so I suspect they can help out in this respect if need be. However he has assured me that as a retired man he has plenty of time and would be very pleased to chat to you directly by phone, or in writing if you prefer (I'm sure he will give me your postal address if you are shy, although please be assured like most Foresters he will be very welcoming to you & your phonecall assuming its a good time of day of course). I suggested I suspect you may well call him soon, he has no immediate plans such as holidays altho will be out next Wednesday; clearly a genuinely nice friendly chap !.

I am sure you will find a chat both informative and enjoyable, I suspect as I type he's now eagerly looking forward to it and probably looking-out his reference files !

I hope this reply makes you as happy as it made me "researching" & writing it !

PS I dont know the international UK phone code, but the UK area code for Dean is 01594.

PPS I haved looked upo the Review website and altho they do have the last few years copies accessible online, it doesnt go back as far as 2003. I guess you have it as a clipping ?. If so I wonder if it's possible you can please scan it and post it on this site, I'm sure it would make interesting reading for us all especially those researching the Voyce, Thomas & Kears. Thankyou.