LEW HERBERT
Leslie Finch
Leslie Alexander Leicester Finch (Les) was born on 19th July 1907. He was the ninth child and fifth son of William and Lily.
Les joined the navy. At first, he did not like being a sailor, but in the end he did. His first trip was to the Red Sea (which of course seemed a million miles away to a young man). He eventually became a Chief Petty Officer. He came out of service on 9 May 1939, but was recalled again in July 1939 for war service. When the war was finally over, Les only had 2 1/2 years to do to qualify for a full pension, so he stayed in the service until then.
After that, he joined Kendal Milnes in Manchester as Manager of their Electrical Department (a big department store and now part of the House of Fraser). He remained here until he retired, at which time he received a beautiful set of golf clubs, bag, and trolley as his retirement present.
His nephew, Jack, says that his Uncle Leslie was always the handsome sailor. Jack and Joan saw quite a lot of him at one time. Jack and Joan’s son, Michael Leslie Aldous, was Leslie’s godson and was named after him.
His neice, Ros, thinks her Uncle Leslie might have spent quite a bit of time at their home "Oaklands" playing tennis and spending time with her brothers. Ros remembers him playing cards with her family when she was quite young.
Vivien remembers her Uncle Leslie visiting New Zealand in the 1930’s. She can still remember his smiling face and cheerful personality.
Les met Margaret Pownall when they both lived on Barton Street, Manchester. Margaret lived with her parents (Elizabeth and John Henry White) and two sisters (Betty and Florence) in a large house at 26 Barton Street. She was born 12th October 1908. Barton Street was a beautiful street with lovely big old houses and it was because they both lived on Barton Street that Margaret and Leslie got together. The Pownalls lived on one side and the Leicester Finch's on the other.
Leslie & Margaret Finch
b. 19 July 1907
d. 27 December 1984
Manchester
b. 12 October 1908
d. 28 July 2003
Chorlton Cum Hardy, Manchester
married
12 May 1948
Chapel on Lloyd Street South, Moss Side, Manchester
NO CHILDREN{Click here for Les and Margaret's family tree}
Margaret and Les would go ballroom dancing at the Grange Dance Club in Old Trafford.
Margaret's grandfather was a decorator and very well-known. Her father didn't want to, but he did follow in his father's footstep, and eventually became a Master Decorator and they had their own company J H Pownall - Decorators. Her father, Margaret says, was a really good and lovely man and she was always sorry that Les never knew him.
Leslie married Margaret on 12th May 1948 when he was forty-one. They were married at a chapel in Lloyd Street South in Moss Side, which in those days was a beautiful area and quite up-market - (very different from today which up until recently was called Ghetto City). Lew was Les's best man, Margaret’s bridesmaid was a girl from Wallasey on the Wirral, who she had met on holiday (she can’t remember her name). Others at the wedding included Lew’s wife Ciss, Kathleen and Guy (still very close friends of Margaret’s), Marjorie Aldous and Fred and Addie Aldous. Probably others were there but Margaret cannot remember who.
Les and Margaret were very happy together living in Manchester. They did not have any children.
Margaret worked as a shorthand secretary, typist, and bookkeeper at Haslams, who were shippers of cotton.
The hobbies they did together included bowling, dancing each week (they were in a dance club with Lew and Ciss), motoring holidays, and generally being with friends. Lew and Ciss were their very close friends.
Pat says, “Les was a happy, smiling, cheerful man who would always help any one. He and Lew were really close and the four of them went out a lot together. He was my favourite uncle; particularly during his service years as he used to send me goodie boxes full of chocolates and sweeties, which to a little girl was wonderful (I was born just as he went back to sea in 1939).”
Les liked playing golf and played every Sunday with Alan Aldous. Les played lawn bowls and was very good.
Margaret and Les knew his siblings very well, some they saw more than others, but that was possibly due to proximity. Lily & Vern lived in Bristol and Hubert & Stella in Plymouth. Margaret did not know Fred Vipond (Dora's husband). Margaret remembers that Stella was a very motherly person. Hubert didn’t really like the Fleet Air Arm (Navy). They were very friendly with Dora and her very close friend Emm Ross (who was Pat’s domestic science teacher at her senior school from 11 to 15 years).
while visiting Addie and FredaLeslie passed on 27th December 1984.
Margaret continued to live in Chorlton cum Hardy. Even in her 90s, she was still very lively and she played bridge, went to the bowling club to make teas and mark cards, attended the Townswomens Guild regularly, and was a keen church goer and rarely missed her Sunday morning service at St Werburgh’s Church, Chorlton. She walked into Chorlton from her flat to do her shopping and often took a taxi home.
Pat Carson was very close to Margaret. Pat said in 2003, ”although of course not a blood relation, we have a wonderful relationship and I really do think the world of her and treasure her. She has been of great help to me since I lost Jim last year and I speak to her every week and try to visit her at least once a month. If she ever needs me, she telephones and I go over at once.” Pat says, “Margaret is a very dear Aunt, is very agile and has a exceptional brain. She is a lovely, lovely lady, very kind and loving to everyone. She has a lot of friends which is not surprising, though sadly because of her age and theirs she is losing more each year.”
Margaret had one remaining blood relation, her nephew John, who lives in Bognor Regis. He is the only son of her late sister, Florence. John is married to Marjorie and has two girls, Sue and Sally, and he is a grandfather to Sally's little girl, Imogen.
On Tuesday, 28th July 2003, Auntie Margaret passed on, after living with Pat for a few weeks and then going into hospital.
