A Tribute
to Helen Cranstone
A tribute by
Jean Bowdery (now Parratt)
Many will be sad to learn that Helen Cranstone died in a local
nursing home on July 10th 2003, just two months before her 90th
birthday. Born in September 1913, Ellen, as she was then known, was the youngest
of three sisters and lived in the same house in Bridge Square from her birth
until about 10 years ago. Known as Bridge House, her home had formerly been a
public house and an old advertisement for Reid’s ales can still be seen painted
on its wall today. When she moved from the huge hostelry, by the river, Helen
settled only yards away in a small house in Red Lion Lane.
Helen’s father was a chimney sweep
who made certain that his daughters were all well educated. One was a schoolteacher
at Hale for 38 years, another a chiropodist, but Helen, after her years at
Farnham Girls’ Grammar School, when it was based in West Street, then remained
at home caring for her sisters who were considerably older than her, and their
parents. Her contribution towards helping her country, in the Second World War,
was to be involved in making munitions at Crosby’s, West Street, and in 1943
she showed an unusual skill for women – she was one of the members of the
factory’s award-winning Rifle Shooting Team which included men as well as
women.
Not only was the young Helen
extremely attractive she also had an exquisite singing voice although she was
once silenced in her choir work in church when the late Father Etienne Robo
said that although the singing was excellent he could hear one voice above all
others. That was Helen, singing in Latin, and the incident upset her very much.
However her voice was an asset to the Waverley Singers, where she was a founder
member, and her drama skills were much appreciated by the various groups,
including the Townswomen’s Guild and Co-operative Women’s Guild, to which she
belonged.
It was at Farnham Maltings, however, where she finally found her
niche when volunteers were required to help with the catering. She once told
her line manager there, Maureen Wisdom, that: “Working at the Maltings is my
reason for getting dressed in the morning.” Part of this work was filling baps,
which were sold at Maltings Markets, Beerex functions and many other events.
“She was ‘Queen of the Bappers’”, Maureen said, when told of Helen’s passing,
“and utterly reliable.” She continued: “She loved cats, too, and had a huge
collection of cat ornaments.”
Helen was always on hand to lay up
tables for every Rotarian Dinner and often waited at table as well. There will
be many members of this group who will remember her cheery face, happy smile
and quiet unobtrusive presence. Bob Blackman, former General Manager at the
Farnham Maltings said: “I have very happy memories of dear Helen. She was a
stalwart supporter of the Maltings and for many years an outstanding volunteer
in the catering team. Her small stature belied great energy and determination
and I can see her now scurrying along carrying enormous trays of crockery and
cutlery, all done with such good humour and sense of fun. The original Maltings
was built by people like Helen who, along with all those unsung volunteers,
enabled the dream to be turned into reality.”
Helen was devastated when new
marketing strategies meant she was told her services, in keeping with other
volunteers at the time, were no longer required.
Not only had Helen been a pupil at
FGGS from 1924 – 1931 but she was also a member of the OGA committee from 1940
until 1996 – a total of 56 years service. Many Old Girls will remember Helen as
the person sitting at the raffle table, busy selling and folding tickets, at
each event. On her retirement from the
committee, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers and in the OGA
Newsletter for 1997 the Editor wrote: “Congratulations to Helen Cranstone on her
retirement from the committee. She has given us so much help over so many years
that we hardly know where we are without her.”