I wouldn’t change a thing

Vicky Meets… Don Stoner, Chichester resident

This is part two of ‘Vicky Meets’ with nonagenarian Don, the first instalment appeared in last week’s Observer.

Did you do National Service?

Yes. I was 19 when I went into the RAF. It was the first time I had been away from home and I was very nervous.

Eileen had her photo taken just before I went, for me to carry with me.

It is a lovely photo and the photographer kept in his shop window for a long time. In 1953

I was selected to be Number

One Marker in the Guard of Honour for the Queen at RAF Odiham. Eileen came up with my Mum to watch.

When did you and Eileen marry?

We married in 1954, so we’ve been married 70 years this year. We married at North Mundham church and Eileen looked lovely.

The day before we got married Eileen’s dad said to her, “Don’t forget that you are marrying a sportsman!” We moved to Whyke Lane in Chichester.

Eileen went to evening classes to learn shorthand and she did very well for herself.

She worked for the Electricity Board in North Street in Chichester before she had our two children.

Our daughter was born at home and I remember having to wait on the stairs.

Money was tight, so Eileen did private secretarial work when the children were small.

When they were older, she went to work for different businesses, including the old Chichester Museum.

Where did you work?

I worked at Goodrowes in Chichester all my life. I started as a stores assistant when I left school.

My plans were to go into the Police, but I played cricket with Mr Goodger and he wanted me to work for him. Goodrowes was started up as the dairy side of agriculture.

When I came back from National Service I did Farm Sales, which I did for the rest of my working life – I drove to farms all over the place.

When I got married I was earning £12.50 a week!

There have been a lot of changes to the local area. What do you remember?

In Chichester there were big stores like Geerings and lots of pubs, including The Fleece, The Punch House and The Victoria.

Morant’s was the department store in West Street.

There were cars in the city centre, with a traffic policeman at the Cross.

There were two garages, as well as a fishmonger, greengrocers and butchers.

We saw the Festival Theatre being built – a bit of a sore point for me because as a sportsman it took away a sports field.

There were three cinemas in Chichester and four in Bognor when I was a young man.

There has been so much development locally over the years, not all of it for the good.

What about life more recently?

Old Bakery Gardens was developed 20 years ago and we were the first people to move into a flat there.

We moved from there into Lakeview Grange. I have had an interesting life.

I wouldn’t change a thing.