Page 36 - link magazine

36 The Link Magazine • February 2006
Old school gentleman with modern outlook
Lucy Proctor meets a 97 year old with a wealth of memories still very much in touch with the world around him
Ted Mackenzie's living room in Freshbrook tells a tale in itself. A magnificent wooden Korean chest stands beneath the stairs. A signed copy
of a Jack London novel sits on the bookshelves alongside a collection of sailing books. Desert roses from the Sahara and an Edwardian calling
card are kept safe in a cupboard.
The neat little house tucked Ted's brother-in- colonial service. He then
away in Chalgrove Fields is where law farmed the very ' F lived inKaduna in North-
97-year-old Ted chose to finally land on which Fresh- ern Nigeria until 1961,
settle down after a lifetime of ad- brook is built. Ted leaving after the country
venture and change, travelling the moved into his home gained independence
world. when it was new, i • from British rule. As
Upstairs is his computer, an im- 1978, and has watched Deputy Permanent Sec-
portant part of his more recent life the area grow out of retary for the Ministry of
in Swindon where he has gained a green fields. He re- Trade and Industry Ted
degree of fame for his interest in members a close com- ^^ got to know and love Ni-
modern technology. He was pre- munity, where any ^ geria and other parts of
sented with an award from Swin- new person to arrive Africa well - he once
don College for being their oldest in this urban village drove 3,000 miles across
student to complete a computing was called upon, and the Sahara in a Land-
course when he was 91, and a after all this time, he Ted Mackenzie, , e main tainin g his s tan dar d rover.
Mac
search for his name on Google still thinks it's a great k n i On leaving Africa Ted
of e z uatim and grammar r
churns out several articles on the place to live. bought himself a yacht
subject. "What a lovely place Freshbrook Ted was born in Edwardian Eng- and embarked on a two-year sail-
"They made a terrific fuss of me! is to live in. We have shops, a post land in 1908, in the days of impec- ing trip. During this time he trav-
It was quite ridiculous," he re- office, a church, school, a dentist cable manners and the Empire. His elled the world, sailing across the
called. "I was even given two thirds and a doctors, a pharmacy — I can't father was a brilliant journalist, a Atlantic, visiting the Caribbean,
of the centre page of the Times think of anything we need." one-time colleague of the infamous exploring the English coastline and
Education Supplement, not for He is also a huge fan of the new Jack London in Siberia and Man- crossing to France, almost a sec-
being clever but for being old." Great Western Hospital. "They churia and among the first to re- ond home to him, whenever he
He regularly keeps in touch with seem to be trained to be charming, port on the Russo-Japanese war of pleased.
friends and family, including a as if they were trying to sell you 1904-5. Ted was brought up to be a This love of freedom was too
great-niece in China, via e-mail, something, and you're never kept newspaperman, and entered Fleet strong to give up, but Ted knew he
and he always carries his mobile waiting," he says of the staff. Street as a young man working on couldn't go on sailing around with-
phone. On Satellite Navigation His enthusiasm for such an or- production for the Daily Mirror. out reason, and decided to find a
Systems he voices the awe and frus- dinary area of an ordinary town is When war broke out in 1939 life job to last him into retirement. He
tration of many — "I love them but surprising given his colourful life changed for everyone. Having then began his favourite period of
I hate them." story. learnt to fly before the war, Ted his life, as an RAC hotel inspector
became a link trainer instructor, in Southern England, Wales and
teaching pilots to fly on the ground France. He toured the country in a
in what was then Southern Rhode- mobile caravan, stopping off at
sia, now Zimbabwe. He was hotels and B and B's, until he was
awarded an MBE for services to 70. Ted said, "I was completely
flying at New Year in 1945, a fact independent, just driving around,"
he likes to keep secret, "I didn't he explains. "Nobody could tell
know I was going to get it - it came me what to do. And I love this part
out of the blue." of the country."
Ted resumed his newspaper ca- Ted's adventurous days might
YOUR LOCAL PVC-U MANUFACTURER reer in 1948 when he went to West be over, but he has his extraordi-
Africa. He spent a year getting the nary memories whilst the internet
y
• Buy direct from Nigerian Dail Times up to Fleet gives him windows on the world
Street standards before joining the
whenever he pleases.
our factor ' `' biii
• We make it and 100 years of experience
we fit it
Another Freshbrook resident with a fantastic history celebrated his
• High security centenary on 11 January.
• 10 year guarantee James Anderson-Dixon, whose
family tree stretches back to an
• Lowest prices - 18th Century Scottish soldier was
born in Rangoon, Burma in 2006.
Why not let He went to school in Calcutta
and later worked for the Standard
us handle Oil Company in Burma. He es-
caped at the outbreak of World
everything War II as the Japanese approached
4 I
by trekking for 12 days through
,, y from start to the jungle to India where he joined
the Royal Enginners.
3. finish? James retired to Britain in 1961 Janes with his grand-daudtgter
to be near to his sons who were
Call today 01793 790944 working here. In 1982 he came to Jennifer Anderson-Dixon
Swindon to be one of the first resi- Dixon's celebrated James' birth-
or 07973 232435 (evenings and weekends) dents of Elsie Hazel Court at the day with him, following a special
Freshbrook Village Centre. mass for him at St Peter's Church,
The Marsh, Lower Wanborough. SN4 OAS
Four generations of Anderson- Westlea.