Campden Voices 

by The Old 'Un, 28 May, 2006

Fred Coldicott

Fred Coldicott was born on Michaelmas day 29th September, 1910, in what was then his family home, now the Direct Imports shop, next door to the then Infants School, now the library. Being in such close proximity to a place of learning did nothing to fire his interest in education of the formal kind. He felt that schooling got in the way of learning about life, which perhaps explains why he was a regular absentee, especially on ‘Fair Days’, often to be found sitting on the sheep-pen hurdles, engrossed in the business of the market. 

On leaving school and finding employment at the practical end of civil engineering he followed many youthful passions. Amongst them were the keeping and racing of greyhounds with his father, water-colour painting, boxing - at which he was regarded as more than proficient – and, perhaps most of all, poaching. This activity was his main delight and brought him great satisfaction, both in the game that ‘came his way’ and the fact that he was never caught. As Fred would say, “The family knew, the butchers knew and the police knew. But knowing isn’t proof.”

Fred became the proud owner of a motor cycle, which took him to Evesham ‘pictures’ in ‘luxury’. He also had a driving licence, which enabled him to land the job as Pyment’s lorry driver. A problem with an expired driving licence found Fred in court with a fine of 10/-. This he felt Mr Pyment should pay, which he did, because the only time Fred drove was for him. He drove to many parts of the country delivering carvings and other work produced in wood and stone by some of the ‘Guild’ craftsmen.

During the ‘30s’ he became a family man, marrying Millie and becoming father to Betty. He was a member of the local Fire Brigade, remembering his finest hour as the time that he and Ossie Stanley were the only men to respond to an emergency call. They fought a ‘blaze’ in the High Street after first pushing the hand-cart from Sheep Street in several inches of snow. “The fire was in the roof, we set into the hydrant and managed to put it out, just the two of us. We were fair knackered at the end of it,” Said Fred. He was also a member of the Army Reserves and went with other reservists into full-time Army service at the outbreak of World War II, where he reached the rank of sergeant.

He carried on working for Pyments after the war until he formed his own building business with one of his closest friends, Valentine Hobbs. The post-war period saw Fred in many guises as a member of the British Legion concert parties. He also resumed his Fire Brigade duties and served on the Town Council. Fred lived life to the full and in 1994 his memories were published through CADHAS, though perhaps, not quite to the full.