Bill's story of namesake (From Dorset Echo)

Bill's story of namesake

11:00am Tuesday 24th January 2012 in Looking Back By Ruth Meech

REGULAR reader and contributor Bill Macey has been in touch regarding a photograph that appeared in Looking Back on December 13 and January 3.

The photograph, which was sent in by Richard Smith from Dorchester, shows a group of young men, possibly from Crabb’s in Crescent Street, Weymouth, looking as though they are about to set off on a jolly in their car.

At the time, Mr Smith wrote: “I have been going through old family photos, but this one is a mystery as no one in the family can identify the individuals as members of our family, nor the event or place where it was taken.

“Maybe one of your readers might be able to do so? I suspect it may be Weymouth as my grandfather Frederick Hillier was a well-known character in the town and the Weymouth Sailing Club.

“The shop window appears to have an unusual frontage which may help someone.”

We heard little more information about the picture until Bill Macey popped in to see us the other day.

He thought that one of the youths might have been his father’s brother, also called Bill Macey, who was an apprentice at Crabb’s in the 1920s, and sent the photograph to his cousin, Pam, who lives in America.

Bill said: “Pam was delighted to see the photo and has confirmed that her father was the young man pictured to the left of the driver.

“She also sent me another photo which she thinks may have been taken in Weymouth many years ago.

“It looks like a gathering of motorcyclists of the day and any information would be welcome as Pam’s father is the dark-haired chap pictured at the left side of the photo.”

The Bill Macey in the photos was born in Weymouth in 1908 and became a mechanic at Crabb’s around 1922.

He moved to London for work, met and married a girl and they lived in Croydon until they moved to Canada in 1956.

Sadly, Bill died in 1969 when his garage was destroyed by a fire but his daughter Pam, son Christopher and their families still live in America.

If anyone can provide any further details or names to the motorcycling photograph, they will be very gratefully received.

Bill also mentioned that two important maritime anniversaries, one happy, one tragic, are coming up on January 26.

First of all, the naming of the town’s first lifeboat, the Agnes Harriet, took place on January 26, 1869.

The boat was paraded through the streets from the station to the beach and served the town from 1869 until 1887 when she was sold to local firm Cosens and Co.

The second anniversary to fall on that day was the sinking of the M2 submarine off Portland in 1932. She went down with all hands.