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category, changed, comment_count, created, featured_image, images, ix, nid, original_author, path, title, type, uuid
| category | changed | comment_count | created | featured_image | images | ix | nid | original_author | path | title | type | uuid |
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| 8 | 2019-10-01T11:26:43.000Z | 0 | 2019-09-13T07:14:00.000Z | Stan at Kericho College.jpg | dan and wen.jpg | 39 | 57 | content/stanley-reynolds-stokoe-1924-2015 | Stanley Reynolds Stokoe 1924 - 2015 | article | d3139705-8579-4e3d-9da8-44b64afb6312 |
Stanley (Stan) was born on 16 February 1924 in the village of Ferryhill, County Durham. Legend has it that he weighed in at 16 lbs, but this fact should be treated with some scepticism since his mother, Elizabeth, was tiny, only 4'8, and he was born at home and weighed on the kitchen scales.
He was the middle child of five children, he had two older brothers, Charlie and Jack, and a younger sister and brother Ellen and Don. The picture shows the children in their back yard at Metal Bridge (left to right) Ellen, Stan, Charlie and Jack - Don had yet to be born.
His father, Michael, was a coal miner at Tursdale Colliery. The family initially lived at Metal Bridge, a couple of miles away, but they later moved to Tursdale. Their house was in a small terrace: a basic "two up and 2 down" with a scullery, no bathroom and an outside toilet, His mother Elizabeth was a full time housewife.
In the early days the family's staple diet included 'bread and dip' ie bread and dripping from the Sunday roast. Stan went to the local primary school (East Howell School) and, when he was older, worked on his Uncle Dave's chicken farm in the school holidays; he was not a particularly good student but his Father did not want him to work down the mine. Stan was fortunate, and thanks to the intervention of his Uncle Jack, who was himself a school teacher, Stan was offered a place at Rycotewood School in Tame, Oxfordshire where he started when he ws 14. This school changed his life.
Rycotewood school (see separate article) was founded by a philanthropist called Cecil Michaelis in 1938 to assist deprived children from rural and mining backgrounds and to develop them into skilled craftsman. Stan was there for 4 years and he loved it. The matron, Mrs Harley became his substitute mother, encouraging him and all the other boys to study hard and take all the exams available to them. He made some great friends, some of who he is still in touch with, they had a big 'Old Boys' reunion at the school in 2007? The furniture workshop established by the school is still in existence and it now part of Oxford and Cherwell Valley College (http://rycotewoodassociation.co.uk)
When war broke out in 1940 Stan was only 16 but he later joined the Fleet Air Arm in 1942.
He signed on with the Royal Navy - Fleet Air Arm, in Oxford, and after training in Lee-on-Solent, Cheshire, Canada (advanced flying) and Scotland, he was stationed in Ceylon, at Trincomalee Harbour, on general flying duties atttached to 733 Squadron. He was de-mobbed back in Lee-on-Solent in 1946. Although Stan insists that he did nothing brave, he has war medals for 'being there', He describes being "shit scared" when he was shot down - twice- and had to bale out of his aircraft. He is a member of the 'caterpillar club' - for owing his life to a silkworm. For each occasion he was awarded a tiny gold silkworm broach, with ruby eyes.and his name engraved on the back (insert pics). He also had a special goldfish tie for owing his life to a life-raft.
After the war Stan went to Loughborough College, along with some of his Rycotewood contemporaries, to study woodwork, crafts and teaching
(He was awarded an honorary degree when Loughborough became a University in 2010.) It was at Loughborough that he met Muriel, where she was secretary to the Principal and they were married in 1949. His first teaching job was in Stockwell, London and while there he applied to the overseas service and was offered a job at the Duke of York Boys school in Nairobi, Kenya. He flew out in January 1950, followed 6 months later by Muriel and baby, Janet. (Son Michael and daughter Katherine were born in 1954 and 1957 respectively)
Kenya was another turning point in Stan's life, another great adventure in a country he came to love and where he had a wonderful life between 1950 and 1984, progressing from teaching 'European' boys in a public school environment to teaching African students to be teachers and ultimately becoming the Principle of Kericho Teachers College in 1962. He was 'the last white Principle' and was awarded the MBE for services to education in Kenya (1970s).
After stepping down as Principle from Kericho College when his job was 'Africanised' in 1969 / 70 Stan went to work at Machakos Teachers' College until finally in 1984, aged 60, he retired and returned to live in England.
It was in Machakos that Muriel died (from a pulmonary embolism following an operation to remove a cyst from her brain) in 1976. Two years later a new teacher arrived at the college from London - Wendy Hann. Over the next six years their friendship grew as they shared life in Machalos centred on the Sports club and holidays at the coast. In 1984 Stan and Wendy were married in Machakos church with a reception at the Sports Club before returning to England to live in Loftus (North Yorkshire).
Stan had a garage business in Loftus which he started with his elder brother Charlie in the late 60s. When Charlie died in 1975 Trevor and Rosemary Harding took over as managers and Stan worked with them from 1984 while Wendy did supply teaching.
The garage (petrol sales and car repairs) struggled financially and was eventually closed in 1996. Stan and Wendy continued to live in Loftus, in the terrace house which they bought and extended in 1982/3 and from which they travelled extensively.
Twice they returned for holidays in Kenya but they also enjoyed escaping the winter weather in North East England and spending time in France, Spain, Greece and wintering in Cyprus several years in a row (1996- 2004) Highlights of their travels included a month long house swop in San Fransisco where Jan and Kathy joined them for two weeks; a canal trip through France with Kathy and her boyfriend Robbie; and three trips to visit ex Kenya friends at their home in Iceland. Many friends have madde the trip to visit Stan and Wendy in Loftus and they have made many new local friends, their house is right opposite the Station Hotel ! !
When Stan first came home he had two brothers and a sister living in the North East and Stan was delighted to be able to see so much more of them. It was a great sadness when Ellen, Jack and then Don died one by one. Stan himself has overcome ill health over the years and now struggles with Alzheimers. He reached his 90th birthday on 16 February 2014, although he was unfortunately in hospital he was able to enjoy a family get together in the ward - children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and his neice and nephew. Later, on 24th March, Stan and Wendy celebrated their 30th wedding aniversary, with Stan being home from hospital (although still suffering from Alzheimers). Another chapter in a very varied life.
Eventually the Alzheimers got the better of him and Stan died in 2015 at the age of 91