104 - Phantom Ranch
Jack Merewood goes walking in Grand Canyon.
Home | It's A Great Life
October 31, 2013
October 24, 2013
103 - Wedding Day
Jack Merewood thoroughly enjoyed his daughter's wedding in Greece.
October 17, 2013
102 A Wedding In Greece
Jack Merewood tells of his daughter's wedding.
October 10, 2013
101 - South Pacific
Jack Merewood visited the Hawaiian island featured in the film South Pacific.
October 03, 2013
100 - Pineapple Fields
During a Hawaiian holiday Jack Merewood sampled freshly-picked pineapple.
100 - Pineapple Fields
During a Hawaiian holiday Jack Merewood sampled freshly-picked pineapple.
September 26, 2013
99 - We Drove The Road To Hana
"It was quite a drive to Hana, spectacular much of the way along a road winding through tropical and colourful growth,'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his account of a holiday in Hawaii.
September 19, 2013
98 - Kinda Pink
...After a few days we were beginning to show signs of being exposed to the sun. Out walking, I turned a corner of the hotel and almost bumped into a couple of men coming towards me. One looked at me and spoke just two words - 'Kinda pink!'...
Jack Merewood continued his account of a holiday in Hawaii.
September 12, 2013
97 - Hawaii
...Our apartment was on the ground floor and it was no more than 100 yards to the beach through the hotel gardens. In no time we were in our holiday clothes and walking along the sand, the sea lapping gently at our feet...
Jack Merewood holidayed in Hawaii.
September 05, 2013
96 - Trophies
Jack Merewood told of family triumphs.
96 - Trophies
Jack Merewood told of family triumphs.
August 29, 2013
95 - Moose
...It was eleven o'clock but still light. We parked the car at the roadside and waited awhile, then had the excitement of seeing several moose grazing at quite close range...
Jack Merewood and his family enjoyed time in Norway.
August 22, 2013
94 - Norway
...One thing that impressed us was the profusion of Norwegian flags everywhere...
Jack Merewood and his family holidayed in Norway.
94 - Norway
...One thing that impressed us was the profusion of Norwegian flags everywhere...
Jack Merewood and his family holidayed in Norway.
August 15, 2013
93 - The Matterhorn
...we saw a man in a small grassy area blowing an alpen-horn. We turned off down a track to talk to him. He was very friendly and said that he came here to practise. He kindly blew a few demonstration notes for us...
Jack Merewood rounds off a European holiday.
August 08, 2013
92 - Mons
"The very word Mons conjures up once again the dreadful fighting that occurred in this area and this city too. We found it a rather drab place with a big cobbled square, somehow a little gloomy...''
Jack Merewood tells of another European holiday.
August 01, 2013
91 -A Near Disaster
Jack Merewood described how a Scottish holiday almost ended in disaster.
July 25, 2013
90 - Big Waves
...We were hitting quite big waves, bigger than I imagined there could be on a loch...
Jack Merewood continued his account of a sailing holiday on Loch Ness.
July 18, 2013
89 - Loch Ness
John Merchant and his family ventured out onto Loch Ness.
July 11, 2013
88 - Working For The BBC
Jack Merewood tells of his daughter Anne's career with the BBC.
July 04, 2013
87 - A Cambridge Girl
Jack Merewood tells of a happy and exciting time in his family life.
June 27, 2013
86 - Panning For Gold
"All four of us were busily panning away not really with any hope of making a fortune but it was fun anyway,'' wrote Jack Merewood.
June 20, 2013
85 - A Hot Spot
...A faint glow of light began to appear in the sky, then the red fireball of the sun brought a gasp from everyone as it appeared over the east rim...
Jack Merewood was thrilled by the natural wonders in the USA.
June 13, 2013
85 - Touring The West
...Yellowstone Park is surely one of the most amazing places on earth, but now we had to leave - into Montana and south through Idaho, into Utah and to beautiful Salt Lake City with gorgeous beds of flowers everywhere...
Jack Merewood and his family enjoyed a return visit to western America.
June 06, 2013
Mash The Brakes
Jack Merewood told of an unusal instruction which resulted in an hilarious reponse.
May 30, 2013
83 - Mushroom Soup
...The lady showed us the mushroom soup she was making, some of which would be our starter, and we were assured that no one in the world made mushroom soup as delicious as Mama's. It was made from wild mushrooms which only grew in one place in France, and which they gathered themselves...
Jack Merewood told of a memorable holiday in France.
May 23, 2013
82 - Besancon
" Anyone who has driven in Paris will know what an exciting experience that can be,'' wrote tongue-in-cheek Jack Merewood.
82 - Besancon
" Anyone who has driven in Paris will know what an exciting experience that can be,'' wrote tongue-in-cheek Jack Merewood.
May 16, 2013
81 - Fire
...One night I was in bed and asleep when the phone rang at 1.45 a.m. The voice at the other end shouted 'The mill is on fire.' We lived only a mile or so from the mill and I was down there in a few minutes....
Jack Merewood described a turbulent night in his business career.
May 09, 2013
80 - The Business
"From time to time I had problems at work; but who hasn't when one runs a business?'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his autobiography.
May 02, 2013
79 - Houston
Jack Merewood tells of an accident which marred the holiday of a lifetime.
April 25, 2013
78 - Delicate Arch
"Turning the corner you see on the edge of a red rock bowl, in
all its unimaginable beauty, Delicate Arch. In a photo taken of Sheila and the children standing at the foot of the arch they
look like pygmies, it is so huge....'' Jack Merewood told of a family holiday in the USA,
April 18, 2013
77 - Six Million Dollar Man
April 11, 2013
76 - Death Valley
...As we were driving along we suddenly saw one of our hubcaps had left us, and was bouncing along the roadside and into the desert. We had to retrieve it, but getting out of the car was like walking into a furnace...
Jack Merewood and his family went for a drive through Death Valley.
April 04, 2013
75 - Disneyland
"So now we were to go back to America with the children.'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his life story.
March 28, 2013
74 - Family Visits
...We spent a day in York, and they thought Yorkshire and Yorkshire people were wonderful. Cecil couldn't believe it when
we walked down the Shambles and he saw a sign on a building saying it had been renovated in 1742...
Jack Merewood told of happy days out with family and friends.
March 21, 2013
73 - Escape From The Farm
...Next morning we dressed, furtively packed our pyjamas and went down to breakfast in an aura of subdued excitement. There were no thoughts of sneaking out of the farm, for I intended to tell Mrs Anette why we were leaving...
Jack Merewood and his family fled from a farm which failed to live up to holiday expectations.
March 14, 2013
72 - The Mountains Of Mourne
Jack Merewood recalled a family holiday in Northern Ireland.
March 07, 2013
71 - John O'Groats
...From Lochalsh the drive now took us north through lovely wooded country to Plockton where to our surprise we found palm trees growing - in Scotland! - and cows walking along the sea front nonchalantly eating the roses growing in the gardens...
Jack Merewood recalls a wonderful family holiday in Scotland.
February 28, 2013
70 - Land's End-John O'Groats
...we were playing on the deserted beach when we suddenly heard a shout and turned to see a man brandishing a shotgun running towards us. Before we knew what was happening, and to our relief, he ran past us, climbed into a little boat which was on the beach and rowed out to sea. There he stood up, lifted the shotgun and fired high into the air...
Jack Merewood and his family encountered high drama when they went travelling in Scotland.
February 21, 2013
69 - Thespians
Jack Merwood recalled thespian days - and the night the corck refused to come out of the bottle.
February 14, 2013
68 - AnotherTragedy
...we arrived home to find a note pushed through our letterbox. 'Jack, as soon as you get home, come and see me. Chris.' This sounded ominous so I drove straight to their house...
Jack Merewood tells of another family tragedy.
February 07, 2013
57 - Stuck In A Lift
...we heard shouting, and going to investigate saw two pairs of legs in the bottom half of the lift, which had stopped between two floors. Going up the stairs to the next floor, we found in the top half that they belonged to Anne and a hysterical Italian lady. How the lift came to have stopped between two floors I don't know...
Jack Merewood and his family encountered problems during a holiday in Italy.
January 31, 2013
66 - Back To Colorado
Jack Merewood's business thrives and he realises his roots are firmly planted in England.
January 24, 2013
65 - Into Business
Jack Merewood goes into business in his home town.
January 17, 2013
64- A New Life
On his return to England Jack Merewood got a job which was not to his liking.
January 10, 2013
63 - Sailing Home
The Merewoods head for their homeland aboard the Empress of Britain.
January 03, 2013
62 - Maid Of The Mist
Jack Merewood tells of a misty, moist trip to Niagara Falls.
December 27, 2012
61 - A Difficult Decision
"But I was unsettled. I think indecision is a kind of illness and can be terribly wearing, and this indecision made me ill,'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his autobiography.
December 20, 2012
60 - A Near Disaster
"...coming towards us was a lorry loaded with dustbins. Just before it reached us I saw the lid fly off one of the bins,'' Jack Merewood recalled.
December 13, 2012
59 - Heaven In Las Vegas
"The next day was spent in Las Vegas in and out of the gambling halls, but most of the time in and out of the Desert Inn swimming pool. All the people on duty there were so attentive and helpful. As soon as they saw we wanted the pool, out came sunbeds and towels,'' recalled Jack Merewood.
December 06, 2012
59 - Happy Holiday - Almost
"We were devastated to find that the Government had now decided to build Glen Canyon Dam. The thought to me was unbelievable, for next to the Grand Canyon this was the most beautiful canyon in the West,'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his autobiography.
November 29, 2012
57 - Navajo Territory
"With saddle-bags packed, we boarded a jeep and were driven for ten miles over country hardly fit for even this type of vehicle. Then the jeep could go no further. Horses and a mule were waiting for us...''
Jack Merewood describes days of total peace and tranquility.
November 22, 2012
56 - Rainbow Bridge
",,,We left home in a state of excitement and anticipation. Although it was May, there was plenty of snow around as we climbed the 11,990 feet over Loveland Pass, but the snow ploughs had kept the road open and snow was piled high on either side...''
Jack Merewood and his wife see some of America's most spectacular scenery.
November 15, 2012
55 - The Mousetrap
...One lovely warm evening as I drove over to Littleton in the Dodge to a rehearsal I said to myself 'I'll never forget this evening.' The lights on the dashboard shone red and green, the car purred on its way, and I never will forget it...
Jack Merewood recalled happy days in Colorado.
November 08, 2012
54 - The Gazebo
Jack Merewood recalled a golden thespian night.
November 01, 2012
53 - Just One Of Those Things
"He told me he got the Chrysler into his garage, they'd done some work on it, he decided to go home in it and on the way the water pump seized up and caught fire!'' wrote Jack Merewood in his autobiography
October 25, 2012
52 - Jack The Ripper
Jack Merewood was given a nickame he did not like.
October 18, 2012
51 - Another Promotion
... One day he said 'Oh, in England you drive on the wrong side of the road don't you?' I got hold of his arm, looked at him and said 'George, you've got that wrong - we just drive on the opposite side to you.'..
Jack Merewood tells of further success while working in America.
October 11, 2012
50 - Over The Trossachs
Jack Merewood and his wife spent a holiday in their homeland and went touring in Scotland.
October 04, 2012
49 - Golden Thespians
Continuing his autobiography Jack Merewood recalled happy thespian days.
September 27, 2012
48 - The Lost Dutchman
Continuing his autobiography, Jack Merewood wrote of gold, Superstition Mountain and countless murders.
September 20, 2012
47 - Dancing With Lawrence Welk
Jack Merewood and his wife Sheila met celebrities on their holiday way out West.
September 13, 2012
47 - Way Out West
Jack Merewood recalled a splendid holiday in California.
September 06, 2012
44 - Nat King Cole
...Finally the concert started. Dorothy Collins was on the stage for about an hour and very good she was too. Then after an interval it was Nat King Cole. I'll never forget that night. There was a dark clear sky full of stars, it was warm, and Nat King Cole was brilliant...
Jack Merewood, in his autobiography, recalled a very special night.
August 30, 2012
43 -A New Dodge
When Jack Merewood bought a new car he paid for it in cash.
August 23, 2012
42 - Mount Rushmore
"Thanks to the hunters America's buffaloes never had a chance,'' wrote Jack Merewood in his autobiography.
August 16, 2012
41 - Bonus
Jack Merewood tells of a startling Christmas bonus.
August 09, 2012
40 - Ghost Town
"Also near here is the ghost town of Ashcroft, abandoned many years ago and looking something like an old disused film set. You can walk down what used to be the main street among the dilapidated-looking houses, shops and stores. You pass the remains of the partially collapsed general store and a long-abandoned covered wagon - a ghostly place,'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his lifed story.
August 02, 2012
39 - Empire State
Jack Merewood and his wife saw the sights of New York before catching the train to ther Colorado home.
July 26, 2012
38 - The Queen Elizabeth
"This Christmas of 1956 was for us a little subdued, my father having died only three months before. We missed him, and also realised that soon my mother would have to leave for England,'' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his life story.
July 19, 2012
37 - "Jack - He's Gone''
Jack Merewood recalls one of the saddest days of his life.
July 12, 2012
36 - On The Canyon's Rim
"...the experience which left the strongest impression of all on my father was seeing Bryce Canyon. He was in no way a religious man, but as we stood on the rim of the canyon he couldn't believe it. He gazed in wonder then said 'I think only God could have made something like this,''' wrote Jack Merewood, continuing his autobiography.
July 05, 2012
35 - Riding To The Mountain Tops
Jack Merewood enjoyed the pure, clean air of Golden, Colorado.
June 28, 2012
34 - Lookout Mountain
...Art had a cabin up in the mountains and occasionally took Rose, Helen, Sheila and myself there. When he bought the cabin there was no water supply, so he employed a water diviner to try and locate some, and the man was successful...
Jack Merewood enjoyed his time in Colorado.
June 21, 2012
33 - Back To Work
Jack Merewood here's of Buffalo Bill's funeral.
June 14, 2012
32 - Shiprock
Jack Merewood enjoys a well-spent day at Mesa Verde.
June 07, 2012
31 - The Greatest Mule Ride In The World
Jack Merewood goes mule riding in the Grand Canyon.
Continue reading "31 - The Greatest Mule Ride In The World" »
May 31, 2012
30 - The Canyon
...One is overawed by the vastness of it, and what thrills me too is the quietness. A huge, silent masterpiece of nature...
Jack Merewood returned to the Grand Canyin.
May 24, 2012
29 -Bryce Canyon
"For sheer picturesque delicate beauty there can be no place to compare with Bryce Canyon,'' wrote Jack Merewood.
May 17, 2012
28 - A Bear In The Car
...As we came round a corner, a bear was standing with two cubs in the middle of the road on a slight hill. We had already fed bread to a few of the bears, but here was a chance to get a really good photo...
Jack Merewood visits Yellowstone Park.
May 10, 2012
27 - TV - And A Car!
Jack Merewood and his wife soon settled into life in America.
May 03, 2012
26 - Ice In Our Sandwiches
"When winter comes in Colorado you know it's winter. It gets bitterly cold and there's a lot of snow. Once when it had snowed heavily during the night, we caught the bus as usual and by the time we had walked through the snow, our jeans from the knees downwards were frozen stiff,'' recalled Jack Merewood in his autobiography.
April 26, 2012
25 - Hunting For Work
Jack Merewood desperately hunted for work in America.
April 19, 2012
24 - Chicago By Night
Jack Merewood and his wife returned to the USA to work in Colorado.
April 12, 2012
23 - Looking Westwards
Jack Merewood and his wife decide to seek their fortune in America.
April 05, 2012
22- Wedding Day
Continuing his autobiography, Jack Merewood recalls his wedding day.
March 29, 2012
21 - Fair Hair And Brown Eyes
...One night when we were playing whist, Harold said 'Out in the corridor a girl keeps coming and looking through the window, I'm sure she keeps looking at you!'...
Jack Merewood tells of meeting a girl from the next village.
March 22, 2012
20 - Nylons For Nellie
After a long and exciting holiday in America, Jack Merewood returns to work in the bakehouse.
March 15, 2012
19 - Timberline
Jack Merewood's extensive American holiday comes to an end.
March 08, 2012
18 - Back To Colorado
Jack Merewood tells of birthday parties and cake decorating.
March 01, 2012
17 - The Royal Gorge
Continuing his tour of the West, Jack Merewood drove over the highest suspension bridge in the world.
February 23, 2012
16 - Precious Water
...In my diary I only had room to write: 'The Grand Canyon - what a sight, one of the most wonderful things I've ever seen - Could hardly describe it here.' But on that day in 1947 began a love affair that has stayed with me forever....
Jack Merewood continues his autobiography.
February 16, 2012
15 - Seeing Stars
Continuing his tour of Western America, Jack Merewood saw some of Holywood's greatest stars.
February 09, 2012
14 - Old Faithful
...Below the ground on which we were standing boiling water was collecting. We were told we must stand well back, then suddenly steam appeared, followed quickly by the boiling water which in a matter of seconds built up and climbed to a height of 170 feet. In four minutes the performance was all over. But what a performance!...
Jack Merewood continues his account of a trip through America's western states.
February 02, 2012
13 - Rodeo
Jack Merewood is thrilled by what he sees at his first visit to a rodeo.
January 26, 2012
12 - Anchors Aweigh
"Tourists come to Central City from all over the country. One morning we were on our way back with the horses and there was a car parked at the roadside with New York number plates. Standing by it was a family, parents and three boys, and the boys were delighted as we passed them 'Oh - look at all these cowboys,' one called out, little knowing that one of the cowboys was a baker from England. This really boosted my ego!''
Jack Merewood continued his autobiography.
January 19, 2012
11 - A Black Cowboy Hat
...I loved Don's black cowboy hat, its brim adorned with fishing flies. Somehow it was a hat with real character. He persuaded me to help with the horses, though I didn't really need any persuading...
Jack Merewood tells of good times in the "real'' West.
January 12, 2012
10 - Mile High City
Continuing his autobiography, Jack Merewood tells of getting the Duke's signature.
January 05, 2012
9 - Golden
Jack Merewood tells of visiting the grave of Buffalo Bill.
December 29, 2011
8 - Pen Pals
Contininuing his autobiography, Jack Merewood tells how his sister came to live in America.
December 22, 2011
7 - Rugby And Cricket
Jack Merewood tells of his passion for rugby league and cricket.
December 15, 2011
6 - The Nearest We Got To America
...The nearest we ever got to America was when we went to the pictures, which we did often. We were then transported to another world, the world of Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, Betty Grable, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland...I could fill another page with names...
John Merewood continues his engaging autobiography.
December 08, 2011
5 - Work At Fourteen
...There was no doubt in my father's mind where I would work. Because of his own experience the verdict was 'You're not going into engineering - people will always have to eat, so it's the bakehouse.' I had no choice in the matter...
Jack Merewood continues his engaging autobiography.
December 01, 2011
4 - The Problem Was Smoke
...In the early years, when coal was delivered to the house it came in a horse-drawn coal wagon. The driver backed the horse towards the curb and then, winding a handle, tipped up the wagon and the coal spilled out onto the pavement...
Continuing his autobiography, Jack Merewood recalls childhood days.
November 24, 2011
3 - The Meatsafe
...We had no bathroom. The toilet (now a WC) was 'round the back'. There was no heat in the toilet, which we shared with our next door neighbours, the Boothroyds, so on cold nights in the winter a lighted candle was left in there to stop the pipes from freezing...
Continuing his autobiography, Jack Merewood tells of chillier times.
November 17, 2011
2 - The Cobbler
...When our shoes needed mending my father got out his cobbler's last and soled and heeled them himself. He always wore boots, and when I was younger, so did I...
Continuing his life story, Jack Merwood tells of his early life.
November 10, 2011
1 - Out Of The Army
Today we begin the serialisation of Jack Merewood's autobiography. Jack's wartime experiences To War With The Bays has already be serialised in Open Writing - and they are great read! http://www.openwriting.com/archives/to_war_with_the_bays/
Sadly Jack is no longer with us. We will be running his inspiring and entertaining life story as a tribute to a fine and remarkable man.
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