(Part 01)
Although Winifred Tiplady was to eventually find happiness on Teardrop Lake, her life began hundreds of miles away in abject poverty, in the midst of the great depression.
Her life began at a grim time and then it only got worse.
She was born in Patrington, a small village a little more than 4 miles outside Withernsea, East Yorkshire.
It was in 1930 when she entered the harsh world where her father William was a brick maker.
She was born the youngest of 8 children and the only girl so therefore she was the apple of her father’s eye.
Winifred’s life could not be described in any way, shape or form as a privileged one, she had no rich parents to cosset her or a grand lavishly appointed home, a governess or a private education, nor did she have servants to wait upon her hand and foot.
She was born into a world when three hot meals a day during the depression were very much a dream rather than a realistic expectation.
Meanwhile in leafy Downshire, the Travers family were living very high on the hog and wondered what on earth a depression was.
There was certainly no chance that rickets or scabies would affect any of the wealthy members of Teardrop Lake
Society, they were far more likely to suffer from gout due to their gluttonous overindulgence.
At the outbreak of World war Two Winifred’s oldest brother, Bill, was already in the army and was to be part of the British Expeditionary Force due to sail for France and then Tom and James, always inseparable, joined the Royal Navy.
At which time William made the decision to move the rest of the family to Hull, a decision he would not live to regret.
In was a hard life in East Yorkshire in the 30s but it was a life made even harder by the outbreak of war.
And although the hardy folk of East Yorkshire had grit and were granite tough, but they were not indestructible.
War time life seemed to bring little change for the Lake sider’s, there were shortages of course, food, spirits and petrol but such deficiencies could be easily be overcome if you knew the right people and were able to pay.
Suffice is to say the Travers family did not go without.
In fact the entire Travers family were seated around their overladen dining table enjoying venison steaks amongst other things at the precise moment that Winifred’s mother Selina was reading the telegram informing her that her eldest son Bill had been killed on the beach at Dunkirk.
In May of 1941 Horace Travers and his new bride Elspeth Clifford were enjoying their honeymoon in the West of Ireland seemingly oblivious to the fact there was a war going on.
They were fast asleep in their beds when in the dawns early light of Thursday 24th May, HMS Hood steamed through the Denmark Strait and engaged with the Prinz Eugen.
And they still slept soundly when just after 6.00am a shell from a salvo from the pocket battleship Bismarck, struck the Hoods magazine and the ship was destroyed in a single explosion.
And that shell not only obliterated the pride of the British Navy, HMS Hood it also killed instantly, Tom and James Tiplady.
Proving the brothers were as inseparable in death as they were in life.
Having lied about his age another of Winifred’s brothers, John left England in June 1942 with the Yorkshire Regiment aged just 17.
John joined up in secret and left his home shores likewise, his only contact was a simple postcard to Selina telling her not to worry.
But she did worry, how could she not worry, having already lost three boys, and now a fourth was off to war.
And at the same time Selina’s family was being whittled down Horace and Elspeth Travers were making plans to start a family of their own.
By January of 1942 William was working 12 hour days at the docks with his sons Sam and Arthur and his wife worked at the munitions factory every night.
Winifred being a girl, found that most of her duties revolved around the house but she did earn a few shillings a week helping out the local butcher, Sam Holland, who ran a book on the side.
Winnie was good with numbers even at the age 12 and she also did a bit of “Running” for Sam as well on the pretext of delivering meat.
But she collected more than she delivered, in the form of bets.
(Part 02)
It was on one of those evenings when Win was helping Sam with his books in the back room of his shop that it happened.
And it was about eight o’clock on a January evening when the raid began.
They were fairly common place in Hull so Win didn’t panic, Sam kept her calm, he never went down shelter as he had claustrophobia and besides they’d never had a hit in their street.
Win wasn’t entirely convinced as one or two of the bangs were a might louder than she would have expected, but she pressed on and finished the job she was doing just before the “all clear” sounded.
“Here you are lass” Sam said and tossed her a half a crown “Now get off home”
“Thanks Sam” she said and left “Night”
It was only when she turned into Warwick street that she realised the terrace that her house used to be, wasn’t there anymore.
Win lost her dad and two more brothers, Sam and Arthur, in the raid.
Her mum Selina was safe as she was working at the Munitions Factory, making bombs when one fell on her house.
The irony was not lost on Winnie as she trudged back to Sam’s.
After the bombing Selina Tiplady was merely a shadow of a woman but she kept going for Winnie’s sake and for her remaining two sons.
Her resolve held firm until October when John was killed in the Second Battle of El Alamein.
In July 1944 at Hedgerley Court, a private Hospital located in the quiet Downshire village of Applesford, Elspeth Travers gave birth to a son, Daniel.
And everything in their privileged world was perfect, a perfect baby son for a perfect privileged couple.
But by the time little Daniel made his entry into the world Winifred Tiplady was an only child having lost the last of her brothers, Walter, in the fields of Normandy, on D-Day + 1.
And with that final telegram Selina was at last broken beyond repair and went into an asylum she would never leave.
After the war had ended, at the time when Daniel was taking his first tentative steps by peaceful Teardrop Lake, Winifred was taking bold steps of her own and she married butcher and bookie, Sam Holland’s younger brother George.
He was good looking fella, a bit of a hot head but she loved him.
And a year after they married, in 1947, her Mum Selina passed away.
The marriage to George, although a happy one, only lasted three years, but not through any fault of her own.
It was George, ever the hot head, brought it to an untimely end when he got knifed to death in a brawl with a German sailor in a dockside pub.
So after the funeral, just one more funeral in a long line funerals Winnie made a life changing decision, she was going south.
The gritty north had claimed almost everyone she held dear and if she didn’t leave while she could it would all too soon claim her too.
Daniel Travers was a Teardrop Lake lad, if not born then certainly bred.
He was born in 1944 at a private hospital but grew up during the post war austerity on Teardrop Lake.
Not that the Travers family suffered any shortages during the post war rationing any more than it did during the war.
It didn’t apply to the same degree to those with money anymore in peacetime than in war.
And the Travers family still had plenty of money.
His father Horace was a Stock Broker in the City and his mother Elspeth, was part of the Clifford’s Biscuit Empire.
The only thing they couldn’t buy was another child, so Daniel was an only child and as a consequence he was spoilt terribly and never went without anything he wanted, but although he was spoilt as a result he was not spoiled by any degree.
Despite his privileged beginnings however and much to his father’s distain he grew up to be something of a local philanthropist.
Nonetheless his mother looked upon her sons actions with a source of pride.
Another way in which he disappointed his father was that although his parent brought him up in the prejudicial light of atheism he still became a Christian and was very active in the church.
And as he grew up in Shallowfield he achieved a certain amount of popularity, and not a little respect, but had he received either he would have been undeterred by that.
(Part 03)
When Winifred Holland left Hull to travel down to London she was just twenty years old.
And as the train steamed its way across the countryside of England she was filled with optimism about the future.
Her thought process was along the lines that the future twenty years couldn’t possibly be as bad as the previous twenty were.
Her brother in law Sam had arranged digs for her at a respectable boarding house in Wood Green, which was owned by a distant cousin, Brenda Smithson.
As she approached the house in Palace Gates Road she stopped and looked up the steps to the front door and confirmed the house number she was looking for.
In the window was a hand written sign, “No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish”
As she was safe on all three counts she went up the steps and knocked on the door.
She found Brenda Smithson was much more welcoming than the sign suggested and they hit it off immediately.
Sam Holland also provided her with a small cash sum to set her up until she got on her feet.
As it turned out she very soon managed to get a job in a small accountancy firm in Muswell Hill called Cooper and Brandon and she very soon made herself indispensable.
Having moved such a distance from the familiar to a strange city, of all things that might have happened to her the most surprising thing was that despite all the tragedy she had under gone in her early years she had found solace in God.
Winifred wasn’t sure where it came from, it certainly wasn’t from her upbringing, and although her mother and father were both from strict Methodist families they were not believers themselves.
In fact Winnie had never even set foot in a Church until she was almost 21, when Cousin Brenda persuaded her to go to midnight mass at St Michael’s Church with her on Christmas Eve in 1950.
Brenda was the church organist and her presence was very much required.
Her usual companion was unwell so she was facing the walk there and back on her own.
But Brenda was of a nervous disposition and really needed the company so Winnie volunteered.
And as soon as she walked through the doors she felt it, it was like a hand settling on her shoulder and she immediately felt at home.
Work was quite all consuming for her, which she found very fulfilling and as a result she worked long days.
After becoming a widow at such a young age she was in no rush at all to complicate her life with another man so she needed a hobby.
As she had become a regular at Church she started to turn the pages for Brenda if she was playing an unfamiliar piece.
And after a while of watching Brenda play she decided she would like to have a go.
So she had Brenda teach her to play the organ and she turned out to be a natural and then she spent most of her evenings and any spare time practising.
When Brenda died in 1958 Winnie replaced her at St Michael’s.
Daniels journey to faith began at Roespring boarding school, which he hated, mainly because he missed his mum and the lake and his friends, and because it made him feel so small.
His literal salvation came when he was chosen for the school choir.
The Chapel became his second home and it was the only place at school where he felt safe and happy.
And from that sense of safety and happiness grew his faith.
Following school Daniel went on to attend Abbottsford University where he studied theology much to his father’s disgust.
Horace wanted him to study economics and work in the city as he had done.
But Daniel was adamant and stuck to his guns and defied his Father.
Winifred Holland, having lost everyone she had ever loved, resolved never to love anyone again and insulated herself against the world, apart from the Church and she concentrated on her job which after 20 years had become her career.
By the time of her 40th birthday the accountancy firm was no longer small and it was now named Cooper, Brandon and Holland.
After he graduated with a first in theology, Daniel Travers, took the position of Religious Knowledge teacher at Childean Grammar School.
(Part 04)
Shallowfield’s fortunes had always relied largely upon forestry and agriculture for its survival.
In the post war years with rationing and a shortage of work a lot of people moved away, to Abbottsford, Abbeyvale and beyond and it only barely survived.
And the community around Teardrop Lake fared even worse.
Only a few of the houses around the Lake were thriving, a lot of the houses had been rented out and those that hadn’t were in a poor state of repair, some too such an extent they were little more than ruins.
But by the 70s things were beginning to change, thanks mainly to tourism and an increase in leisure time.
More importantly these people had money in their pockets.
This trend was reflected by the fact that the derelict Shallowfield Lodge, which had been inherited by a young couple from Lincolnshire, Rob and Sheryl Brown, was being turned into a hotel.
Its completion formerly marked the rebirth of Teardrop Lake.
It was also in the 1970’s that the firm, Cooper, Brandon and Holland had decided to move out of London as the running costs were becoming prohibitive.
As the junior partner, Winnie was tasked with finding them alternative premises at a price that would reduce their running cost to such a degree that they would recoup the associated moving costs within a twelve month period.
After six months she presented the other partners with the three best alternatives and of the three they chose Shallowfield.
And so in the spring of 1972 Cooper, Brandon and Holland moved in to a converted wood mill on the outskirts of Shallowfield.
Most of the staff moved with them and those who didn’t caused no significant issue to replace.
Those who did make the move did so only professionally and chose to commute to Shallowfield, if only in the short term.
Winnie Holland was a little cannier than that however.
During the negotiations for the mill she mentioned to the agent that the company’s decision to take the Old Mill was wholly dependent upon her finding somewhere locally for herself.
Three days later the agent had secured her the renovated Old Mill Cottage nearby to rent and the deal was done.
At the time Winnie was moving into the Old Mill Cottage, Daniel Travers, was living alone at South View, his parents had retired the year before and were living in the south of France.
He felt at the age of 27 he really should be settling down himself but try as he might he couldn’t find the “one”.
At that time Daniel was dating a very nice geography teacher called Pamela Evans but the writing was on the wall for the relationship.
On the surface Pam ticked all the boxes, pretty, intelligent, funny, loving but there was something missing.
Win loved the cottage and soon settled down to life in Shallowfield and very quickly assimilated into country life.
She also became a regular at St Mary’s and felt the same hand on her shoulder that she had felt more than 20 years before.
A year after Winifred moved to Shallowfield Daniel parted company with Pamela and decided one of the things that missing from his life was the Church, although his faith was still strong he had let his Church attendance lapse over the previous five or six years, which was a hard thing to admit for a Religious Knowledge teacher.
So Daniel entered St Mary’s for the Easter service of 1973 and felt like he had come home when he was greeted by so many familiar faces.
“Good to see you again Daniel” said choirmaster Henry Blake “We’ve missed you”
But it was an unfamiliar face that caught his attention.
There was a new organist and she was a very striking looking woman with long black hair, tied in a French Plait, kept that way with a little help to keep the grey away.
As a single woman in a well-paid job Winnie could afford to dress well, both in quality and fit, and as a result she always looked very elegant.
She was also very straight backed and showed a confidence that some people found quite disarming.
But Daniel very much liked what he saw.
“I see you have a new organist” Daniel said
“Yes Mrs Holland” Henry replied “she plays beautifully and has a great repertoire”
“And Mr Holland?” Daniel asked “is he here?”
“Sadly long deceased” Henry replied
“I see” Daniel mused
“Any chance you might return to the choir?” Henry asked
“Yes I think so” he replied “if you can use me”
“Always dear boy, always” he said amiable “hang around at the end and I’ll introduce you to the new people”
(Part 05)
At the end of the service Daniel stayed on as he wanted to make sure he met the new members of the choir and in particular the elegant new organist.
Daniel Travers was best described as average, average height, average weight, average looking, and with averagely mousy hair.
In fact he was singularly unremarkable but as Winifred approached the small group standing at the back of the church she liked the look of him instantly.
“Ah Winifred” Henry said “let me introduce Daniel who is returning to the choristers fold”
“Pleased to meet you Daniel” she said and offered her hand.
She was older than he thought but she was charming, gracious and quite beautiful.
He shook her hand and it was divinely soft in his and as she spoke Win exuded a subtle perfume.
She spoke beautifully too, with just the slightest hint of an accent which he couldn’t quite place.
“I look forward to working with you, you play beautifully” Daniel said
“You’re too kind, my mind went blank during “How Great Though Art” and I had to fudge it” she responded
And for the next few months that was all they saw of each other, Church services and choir practice.
That was until one day in July when they bumped into one another in Shallowfield.
For him it was the School summer holidays so he was often out and about but on that day he had just been in to see Dr Collins about his asthma.
As he left the surgery he headed across the road to the newsagents to buy a Newspaper and as he was going in Winifred was coming out.
She was clearly dressed down, but for her being dressed down was someone else’s idea of dressing up.
She was immaculate, it put him in mind of Audrey Hepburn, although Win was much taller.
Hepburn could have worn bin bags and dusters and looked a million dollars, he thought Winifred Holland had that quality.
“Hello Win” he said “No work today?”
“Oh Daniel” she said and jumped “my giddy aunt you startled me”
It made Daniel smile as he had never seen Winifred flustered before, he liked it.
When she got her composure back she said
“I have the week off and as it’s a nice day I thought I would explore a bit”
“Excellent idea, but how about a cup of tea before you set off” he said and nodded in the direction of Addison’s Tea Shop.
“What a good idea” she acquiesced
They went into Addison’s which was very quiet, there was a middle aged couple that Daniel didn’t recognise and a young lad nursing a Coke that he did.
Paul Cooper was one of his neighbours on Teardrop Lake.
They sat down and the waitress came over to take their order
“Good morning” she said and took out her little note book
“Hello Lynn” Win and Dan said in unison, they both knew Lynn Fletcher from Church.
“What can I get you?” she asked brightly
“A pot of tea” Daniel replied
And to Win he added “And a cake?”
“Well I do have a weakness for a cream slice” she admitted
“And two cream slices please Lynn” Dan said
Lynn nodded, smiled and put her notebook away and went off to fulfil the order.
“So where are you going to explore?” Dan asked as Win poured the teas
“Your neck of the woods” she replied “I hear there are a few places of interest hidden away”
“There are indeed” he agreed “and some of them are well hidden”
“So I’ve heard” she said
“So which one is first on your list?” he asked “you know you won’t get to see them all in one day”
“I thought the Chapel and the falls” she said
“Good choice” said Dan
“I hear the chapel is very special and quite atmospheric” Win added
“Yes it’s very special” Daniel confirmed
“Well I like special places, and I love a waterfall” she said
“As long as I can find them”
“Well I could be your guide if you like” he offered
That was a stroke of luck Win was hoping he would offer
“That would be lovely”
Since her husband George had been knifed to death in a brawl twenty five years earlier she had insulated herself against emotional connections and personnel attachments.
But ever since she had first been introduced to Daniel she had felt drawn towards him.
“What harm can friendship do” she thought to her self
(Part 06)
As they got nearer to Teardrop Lake the first thing they saw was the “work in progress” that was the soon to be Shallowfield Lodge Hotel.
Wins first unobstructed view of the lake from the road took her breath away.
Although she couldn’t see it from where she was standing the lake was shaped like a teardrop, which gave the lake its name. Surrounded by the ancient woodland of the Dancingdean Forest the modest body of water, just over two miles long and almost a mile at its widest point, the lake shimmered in the July sunshine.
They were walking along the northern perimeter road from the narrow western end of the water.
“Which one is yours?” she asked
“It’s the second one along on the Southern side” he said and pointed across the lake “you can just see it through the trees to the right of the boathouse, it’s called South View”
“Oh I see it” she said
“You’ll be able to see it better as we go higher up the road towards the falls” Dan said
As they walked up the hill Danny pointed out the houses as they came into view and gave her a potted history of the buildings and its occupants where applicable.
Teardrop Lake and the surrounding woodland was privately owned and divided into twelve parcels of land, each with one significant dwelling on it and there were also a number of cottages dotted around the woods as well, quite a few of the properties were vacant and an equal number were derelict.
It was both idyllic and peaceful, there was little or no noise pollution and the lake was little used.
When they reached the point where the brook flowed under the road before they followed the water coarse into the woods Daniel pointed out South View again.
“It’s a lovely house Daniel” she said “and it’s beautifully situated”
“Yes it is” he agreed “I’m very lucky”
Heading up along the side of the brook, the first thing they got to was the long disused 16th century stone bridge and then they carried on upwards to the accompaniment of gurgling water.
The sound grew louder and louder with every yard they climbed until eventually they reached Shoe Buckle Falls.
It was so named, so legend had it, after a 17th century fugitive Cavalier who was pursued into the forest by Parliamentarian troops but disappeared in the vicinity of the falls without leaving any other trace other than a shoe buckle that they found in the vicinity.
The falls were not grand or spectacular but they were nice enough, Win seemed to find them so.
The water tumbled and spilled over the rocks gathering briefly in deep pools and then tumbling down again to the next pool.
It was dark beneath the ancient trees and refreshingly cool as the misty spray settled on them.
The rocks and trees closest to the falls were covered in bright green lichens.
Daniel and Win sat awhile and soaked their feet in one of the deep pools.
After about half an hour they set off for Olwen’s Chapel.
It was a much less strenuous walk to the Chapel from the falls, certainly compared to the walk up from the road.
The Olwen in question was an Anglo Saxon Lady who was one of the early converts to Christianity but her pagan husband’s tribe would not accept the new faith and she was forced to worship secretly in the forest.
“Wow” Win said as they emerged into a clearing that was the site of the old Chapel.
The Chapel in actuality appeared to be just an assortment of stones on the forest floor arranged around a granite altar stone in a woodland clearing though Win was impressed by its simplicity and smiled.
Daniel was also smiling but not because was not smiling because of the Chapel he smiled because of the joy in Win’s eyes.
When the Chapel had been rediscovered early in Queen Victoria reign a local society was formed and from that moment kept it lovingly maintained.
“It’s wonderful” Win said “it really is atmospheric”
“I’m sorry you’re not seeing it at its best” he said
“It’s normally kept much neater than this”
(Part 07)
When they got back down the road by the Shallowfield Lodge where the Lane led past the Hotel under construction, which then ran parallel to the River Brooke as it flowed from the head of the lake and on towards Shallowfield and beyond.
Win was just thinking how much she had enjoyed their expedition through the woods, so purely in the spirit of friendship she said
“I’m famished, let me buy you lunch as a thank you for being my guide”
“Well as we’re so close, why not come back to mine” suggested Daniel “I can’t promise you more than a ploughman’s lunch but you can wash it down with a glass of wine”
“Well I’m a Yorkshire lass” she said “So a glass of beer would be better”
“It’s a deal” Daniel agreed
When Daniel first saw Winifred Holland in St Mary’s Church on Easter morning he found her very striking indeed and when he found out she was a widow he was rather pleased, but when he met her at the end of the service and discovered she was considerably older than he imagined he was a little disappointed.
But spending time with her during choir practice he and Winifred became friends but that day at Teardrop Lake he saw her in an entirely different light and Winnie, against her better judgment found herself forming a personal attachment.
There were many more such explorations over the course of the summer.
However for the rest of the year nothing came of it despite the fact they spent time together as part of the choir and having also joined the Chapel Preservation Society and on the obligatory exploratory trips.
Neither of them wanted to jeopardize the friendship they were enjoying so much so they maintained the status quo.
That was until the third Sunday of Advent when as he approached St Marys, Winifred rushed towards him in a blind panic, saying
“Daniel, Daniel, I need you”
And with those words his heart soared
"What’s the problem?" he asked
"They’ve changed the first hymn that I have to play” she said with great alarm “I’ve only ever played it once before and ...."
"You want me to turn the pages" he said interrupting her
"Oh yes please" she said with some relief and she visibly relaxed and her panic was over.
It wasn’t that it was a particularly difficult piece to play but it was not one she familiar enough with to know it by heart.
As she began to play he was stood very close to her, close enough in fact to smell her perfume.
She smelt divine and he felt momentarily guilty for such improper thoughts in church but breathed in her perfume again anyway.
And as he turned the next page she looked at him and smiled at him and it was as she played and he turned another page that he decided.
It was the following night as a light snow fell when he drove to the Old Mill Cottage to see Winnie.
He parked the car and walked to the front door and knocked loudly.
The door opened and Win appeared with a surprised look on her face
“Hello!” she said and surprise turned into a smile
“Hi” he replied
“Is everything alright?” Win asked
“Yes fine”
“It’s not choir tonight is it?” She asked thinking she may have gotten her days mixed up
“No it’s not choir”
“Is there a Chapel Preservation Society meeting then?”
“No, no” he replied
“Ok” she said totally confused
“I need to talk to you about something important” he said enigmatically
“Come on in out of the cold then” she said ushering him inside.
Win sat down on her sofa and Daniel stood before the fire warming himself.
“So what do you need to talk about?” Win asked
“I want us to go out” he said
“It’s a bit cold out there” She replied
“No I mean I want us to “Go out” together” Daniel said
“Oh I see” she responded settling back into the cushions
“Look we have become very good friends who have a lot in common and who enjoy each other’s company” he explained and then he sat down next to Win
“But I think there is more, I want there to be more”
He waited while Winnie processed what he had said and then there was a knock at the door.
Win got up and went to the front door and found it was Lynn Fletcher, the girl from the Tea Shop, delivering Church Newsletters.
“Thanks Lynn, good night” Win said and shut the door.
If the people found out she was entertaining a man in her house tongues would wag but Win knew they wouldn’t find out from young Lynn.
She put the newsletter down on the table and sat back down next to Daniel.
Win perched on the seat and looked at him before taking his hand in hers.
“I like you too Daniel” she said “But I’m far too old for you”
He began to speak but she put a finger to his lips
“That was Lynn at the door” she continued “and I was her age when you were born, you are still a young man”
“I know you’re 15 years older me” Daniel said “and I don’t care, and my young heart doesn’t care, because I love you”
Win gasped as the words left his lips, it had been a very long time since the previous time they were spoken to her.
And she had thought she would never hear them spoken to her again.
And a moment later she heard herself saying
“I love you too”
Daniel saw her lips form the words, but dare not believe the evidence of his eyes until each word was delivered.
“You do?” he asked
“Yes I do” she said “now kiss me before I change my mind”
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