Walter Mather

Monday September 17, 2007

Walter Mather was my Father

Walter Mather

Walter Mather, youngest son of John and Sarah, was born 7 September 1916, at 45 Thompson Street, Birkenhead: Son of parents John and Sarah and mischievous youngest brother of Jack, Albert, Jo, Nelly, Eileen, Jessie and Norah.

Before the war he started work as a "Butchers boy", and went across to Liverpool University where he studied to become a meat & food inspector.

During the war, Walter was in the Cheshire Regiment, and served in Malta and North Africa. He lost half a finger to a German bullet. He helped defend Malta, but sometimes it sounds more like a holiday, where he commandeered a yacht and went sailing with his mates. He gave Pat Rutlidge (Mrs Bucket) driving lessons. He was a "Desert Rat" in the North African 5th Army, and then (in his words) crossed to Italy to "Sort out the Italians". After returning to England he crossed to the continent to "finish off the Germans". Not quite sure what he did there but got several Medals (including two German ones).

After the army he worked as a mechanic at Cheshire Brothers, Storton Road. Then later, at the wages office at Camel Lairds.

Walter married Dorothy Joan Dittmer at Upton village church September 10th 1949 (Aged 33). I arrived in 1955, several years later. For most of his married life he was working for Towers and Co., a New Zealand company, as a commercial traveler, visiting many butchers’ shops in Southport, St. Helens & Wigan. As well as taking orders and collecting the money he also helped consume numerous pots of tea. Later he became office manager and trouble-shooter getting the Towers business going again after some hard times.

He would often be found pulling the birds …. Turkeys that is!” … in Whieldon’s Butchers most Christmases. However I suspect the attraction was one of his other favorite birds in the back of the shop … the Grouse Whisky!

He loved the outdoor and countryside: In his youth he was a keen fisherman. He loved the garden and the front garden at Town Lane was often admired by passers-by. He was also a keen handyman and would tackle anything from grinding the kitchen knives; making a new grass-box for the lawn-mower; to knocking down walls to make the thru-lounge; bulldozing the drive to build the garage and helping build the local scout hut.

We enjoyed traveling and most weekends, would be out in the car, touring the North Wales countryside in search of the "best bar-snacks in Wales". I think this is why I was taught to map read. There aren’t many pubs in North Wales we haven’t set foot in.

Recent history: He had two strokes in 2001 (following a minor hernia operation) and I think we thought then he was a gonna! However, he quickly regained much of his charm and wit.

On 25th November 2003 he was diagnosed with Colon Cancer, and since then (in his words) he’s been "Struggling" to keep going. Then things came to a head and he was back in hospital. He knew that this was the beginning of the end, and in his own witty and charming way, he described himself as "Buggered"! He died peacefully Wednesday evening 23rd November 2005 after two days in a nursing home … a place where he never wanted to end up!

He was great friends with William Harold Whieldon and his wife Violet (a.k.a. Bo and Vi). They were the local Butchers at Town Lane and he would go and help out each Christmas, sorting the Turkeys and drinking Tea and Whisky. Sadly, Violet passed away 14 June 1989 and Bo passed away 29 June 1997.

This site was last updated 15-Sep-2007