Walter George Dimes

  General Notes:

WALTER DIMES (1897-1972) Walter was born in Crondall, the eighth child and sixth son of Louisa and George and like his father was a longstanding bell ringer at All Saints church. He was a gardener and worked for Mr Anson at Itchel Manor. He was a good cricketer and appropriately was responsible for the cricket ground there which was reputed to be one of the finest private grounds in the south of the country.
In WW1, Walter was a rifleman S/11856 in the Rifle Brigade. He landed in France 30 June 1915.
Walter help at the 'beat' at Itchel, beating trees with sticks to scare the game birds into the open. Rooks were considered pests, and were treating like game, but not so good eating for the weatlhy. So, Walter would bring dead rooks home to his house where the family would de-feather them and make them into rook pie.
Walter liked an occasional drink, most days, and would spend time at the Hampshire Arms. His three main residents as an adult, on Pankridge Street, Crondall, were never more than 200 yards for 'The Hampshire'.
Walter's grave at Crondall Church, mistakenly says he died 31st July 1975 instead of 4th August 1972.

Walter married Lilian Ethel Brown, daughter of Frederick William Harper and Annie Maria Brown, in 1920 in Crondall, Hampshire, England. (Lilian Ethel Brown was born on 12 Aug 1893 in Paddington, London, England, died on 29 Sep 1981 in Crondall, Hampshire, England and was buried in Oct 1981 in Crondall, Hampshire, England.)