Holiday in The Lake District August 2003 - After a long hard climb !!

Enjoying a pizza at Flippers - Old Town Kissimmee 2004

 

Born September 19th 1956 in Coventry.

Parents- Leslie Henry Mackness and Edith Mary Mackness.

 

Mum and Dad on their Wedding Day, December 1939

 

One brother, Graham Leslie and one sister Jean Mary.

Graham had Muscular Dystrophy, and passed away in 1963.

 

A very young Tony Mackness

Mum Dad and Graham

 

 

Sister Jean and Brother Graham	Mum Dad Graham and Jean. Location Southsea but year unknown. Probably 1946/1947

Mum and Dads Golden Wedding Anniversary December 1989

 

Nanny Bus, Edith Buswell. (Nee Channer)

Great Grandad,  Jesse Channer

On Sunday 10th August 2014 a new addition to the family arrived when Isla Mackness was born to Alex and Jamie. 

Isla was born at 2.17am, weighing 5 pounds and 11 ounces.

Needless to say both Ellen and I are very, very happy grandparents.

On Wednesday 7th August 2019, we welcomed another new addition to the family Marley Mackness, a sister for Isla.

 

Needless to say both Ellen and I are very, very happy grandparents again !

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As you read on you will read about some of my interests. I enjoy listening to music and running. I used to be a regular three or four times a week squash player, playing at a club standard. I also used to enjoy a round of golf. Injuries to wrist and elbow made me take a squash sabatical, during which I started to run more and more, and , as a result I have never picked up a squash racket since. Again, due to more running I lost interest in Golf. Now I run anything between 5 and seven times a week, but you will find more about that in the "Running" pages. My favourite TV programmes are Coronation Street, and EastEnders. I was also an avid follower of Brookside.

Although Mum's name was Edith, everyone knew her as Mary. Mum sadly passed away 26th December 1994.

Her maiden name was Buswell. She grew up at Arnolds Cottage, 316 Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Coventry / Kenilworth. Her mother was also named Edith and her maiden name was Channer. She married Arthur Buswell.

"Nanny Bus" passed away 1967, aged 78. Mum and Nanny Bus shared the same birthday, December 28th.

 

The Channer's came from the Ley Hill area of Chesham in Buckinghamshire. Jesse was head of the family and his wife was Mary Ann How. They had 7 children. 4 Girls and 3 Boys.  Tragedy struck the family as all three boys died. It is thought that they had Muscular Dystrophy, which at the time was referred to a the "creeping paralysis".

 

Arthur Buswell came from Wasperton, a village not far from Wellesbourne in Warwickshire. His parents were John and Elizabeth Buswell. It is not known how Arthur met Edith.

 

My fathers grandparents lived in Leicester, not far from the county cricket ground, Grace Road. There are still a number of Mackness' in Leicester today although as far as I am aware none of them are related to me. Dad grew up in Somerset Road, Radford, Coventry, where his parents owned a sweet shop. His mothers name was Sarah and his fathers name was Henry.  After leaving Bablake School ,Coventry, Dad studied accountancy. He decided that accountancy wasn't for him, and followed in his fathers footsteps and became a coach trimmer at The Standard Triumph Motor Company. He stayed there until retirement.

Dad passed away 27th June 2004, aged 91years.

If you are reading this and recognise any of these names please email me.

As a child I attended The Templars Infants and Junior schools on Tile Hill Lane from 1961 to 1967. I remember the Junior school headmasters name was Mr Manning, and he drove a Ford Prefect. The original school was knocked down in 1995 to make way for new housing, and a new school built adjacent to the old one. Templars have a web site containing names and contact details of former pupils. You can find the site at http://www.gone-butnotforgotten.org.uk/tilehillkid     From the links down the left hand side of that page you can navigate to the Templars School information, and also many other aspects of Tile Hill's history.

In 1967 it was off to senior school - The Woodlands Boys Comprehensive . The school was based on the "house" system of which there were ten. I was in Stringer  - and the Housemaster throughout my five year stay was Mr "Jock" Edney. He wasn't Scottish, but I can't remember where the nickname came from. Probably been Jock for years  !!. One other teacher in Stringer was Clive "Batman" Bentley. He had the reputation as the hardest whacker in the school !! (see below)

Woodlands was well known for its strict disciplinary rules. Back then it was still permissible for the teachers to use corporal punishment. The cane, rubber tubing off a bunsen burner or the rope if you were in the gym were all used. It was rumoured that a pupil could not go through Woodlands without getting the cane and needless to say I did nothing to change that !!. I was punished for talking in assembly. After school that day I rushed home and dropped my trousers in front of the mirror to survey the damage. That would be the one and only caning for me. I never told my Mum about it as if I did I could expect the same from her for getting into trouble!!!. Mr Don Thompson was our headmaster and at one point he tried to ban pupils from wearing coloured underwear. It failed !!

Alexander followed in my footsteps and also went to Woodlands, although from what he told me things have certainly changed, and not for the better.

After leaving school I started work at The Coventry And District Co-Operative Society, Grocery warehouse, where I was responsible for passing invoices for payment. I also went to Tile Hill College on day release to study for my "Certificate in Office Studies" (COS). After a couple of years I moved jobs to work for the Management accountant, compiling weekly, monthly and annual sales accounts and statistics etc. Having passed my COS I then studied for my ONC Business studies, as well as doing "O" level English, Accountancy and English Law, and gained passes in all.

 

It was then a change of employer when in August 1979 I joined what was then "Chrysler UK Ltd", it has since been "Talbot Motor Company", "Peugeot Talbot Motor Company" "Peugeot Motor Company PLC" and as it is today, "Peugeot Citroën Automobiles UK" 

After 36 years service I left the company on September 30th 2015, to take voluntary redundancy. I had many happy years with the company and made some great friends. I miss them, the friendship and cameraderie, and continue to keep in touch.

There were some challenging times along the way. The company needed to cut costs and had undergone restructuring at the beginning of 2015. One of the biggest savings that they can make was to reduce salaries. It made sense to leave. I have no regrets.

Now I am free to get up at what time I like and to do (or NOT to do) whatever I like.