Peggy Ryalls

Peggy was born on the 7^th June 1919 in the Wandsworth area of London where she grew up, an only child, with her parents and paternal grandmother.

She was a bright girl who won a free place at Streatham Hill and Clapham High Girls’ School where her more outstanding achievements were in maths and hockey – skills which sadly, none of us inherited.

On games afternoons, however, if the weather looked doubtful, she and her friends would skip hockey when a new Bing Crosby film was showing.

Peggy would have loved to have studied maths at university, however her father felt that this would be a waste of money sine “girls got married and have babies”. Instead he made her sit the entrance exams in the civil service and, although she tried hard to fail them, inevitably she was passed and became a clerical assistant in the Post Office Savings Bank.

This, of course, is where she met Alan, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Peggy trained as a primary school teacher when she was in her forties, taking her finals in 1964 when Janet was sitting Part 1 exams, Carolyn was sitting A levels and both Steven and Paul were O levelling. In retrospect we wondered how Alan survived.

As a very gifted entrant tin the profession, Peggy was quickly promoted to a deputy headship and soon after became headmistress of a challenging school, multi-ethnic, inner city and out of date.

New reading schemes, teaching methods and endless innovations were introduced. She was a new broom who swept clean and very well.

On retirement, Peggy and Alan came to Helmdon, a spot picked out on a map since it was approximately equidistant from the homes of their four children and their growing families.

Soon after moving into Acre’s End, they were invited to the Fellowship’s annual Christmas lunch. When they realised that, as retired folk, they were going to be “done for”, they said, “No we want to do for “ and thus they had to join the Fellowship.

Peggy was soon involved with the famous Christmas lunches, later to be moved to St Valentine’s Day, “when the weather is better”.

Peggy was soon involved with many other activities including fundraising. In those early days Fellowship fundraising also involved carol singing all round the village, ending up at Mrs Lee’s for mulled wine and mince pies and more carols around the Christmas tree in the big house.

And there was chiropody and teas in the Reading Room on Post Office days.

Peggy was also very active in the WI and was press officer and programme organizer for several years and president for one.

Baking and preserving were ongoing activities to help keep the tables at Brackley WI market filled with goodies – her superb scones were always in great demand. Yet she still found time to enter WI sewing and craft competitions.

To fill a few spare moments, Peggy joined the Culworth sewing class where she learnt many new skills and shared her own huge wealth of skills with others. When the class closed, the ex-class of Culworth kept going by meeting in each other’s homes – often at Acre’s End when Alan was playing bowls.

Since by now it was becoming obvious to Peggy and Alan that village life was mostly about cooking and sewing, they had to find other activities to fill their time.

They both enjoyed walking the footpaths and helping the then Footpaths Committee in its aims to advertise walks and to get the paths opened up.

They were both staunch members of the WEA, attending all the courses and supporting the activities until about 2 years ago. They particularly enjoyed the socials at the Old Glebe.

Peggy remained a member of the church kneeler’s group until very recently, sallying forth in her chariot, pushed by her stalwart friends.

However, for Peggy the last year has been very tough, trying to cope with failing health without her beloved Alan by her side.

When Peggy died peacefully in her own home on the 12^th of January, we lost a wonderful mum, granny and great granny and friend. However, despite our shock and grief, it feels as if somehow, the status quo has been restored in our lives. Peggy is now side by side with Alan again, as they always were in life.

The family wish to say a very big thank you for all the help and support that the village has given to Peggy and Alan during the past few years.

Janet Simpson

From Talkabout Spring 2004