Lifes long winding road to discovery.

My family history will be to many familiar, but no one person can be the same as another, we all have a story to tell, this is mine.
Sometimes funny, sometimes sad,and at times a voyage of discovery.

Hello and Welcome.

In the beginning.

Rodney Charles William Gunner.

Born 11^th November, 1945.

Place of birth. Merton, South London.

Where. Nelson Hospital.

Time.11pm.

Parents. Father Harold Gunner

Mother Olive Gunner

Home address at time of birth second

Floor flat no? Thornton Hill Wimbledon

For the first two years of my life I lived with my parents in Wimbledon at the house in Thornton Hill, we lived in the top floor, and in the ground floor lived the singer Petula Clark, she was about twelve year older than me, she used to take me for walks in my pram. (Petula birthday is the 15^th November)

I do not remember much about my life at the flat, except that I feel down the stairs there and cut my hand, this resulted in a couple of stitches. My Father was a very good watercolour artist, he used to take his paintings down to coastal towns in Dorset and Devon to sell them. i do have some of his paintings which i must say are very good.

My father was all so a member of the Magic circle, he loved tricks of illusion, alas i never saw any of them, by parents be estranged.

My parents separated in 1948,for a time I was fostered out, why I do not know, but I do remember being locked in a cupboard in the dark if I did anything wrong. I understand that my Grandparents got to hear of this treatment, and this a why I went to live with them, my Mothers parents lived in Haynt Walk no 58,in Merton Park, about a mile and a half from the flat.

My Grandparents were great, my Grandfather was a Bus driver for some 40 years, same route, 77a, Raynes Park to Kings Cross.

In the Blitz he was driving his bus in central London, when a attack took place, well he was not going to leave his bus for German raider to get, so he drove it through the raid, getting it back to the garage in Merton , thus he got the nickname Crackers, this stuck with him till his death.

His life was fishing, he was the secretary of the Merton bus garage fishing club for many years, and later became connected with the London Angers association, he was a great Pike and Carp fisherman, winning many prizes at cup levels.

This site is about to be totally updated , lots of pics, news etc, watch this space 3rd August.