Biography of Michael Weston PARKER
[Ref. S.20]
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Index for PARKER |
Biography of Michael Weston PARKER
[Ref. S.20]
| Ancestors | |
Profile | |
Photos | |
Index for PARKER |
Michael Weston Parker Parker was born at 18 Wellington Road in the Handsworth district of Birmingham on 19 May 1937, the only child of Leslie and Mary Parker.
The family moved down to Friars Cliff near Christchurch in Hampshire whilst Michael was still young, and it was there that he attended school. He found that he was good at motorcycle trials riding and became a friend of Sammy Miller who was to become a National Champion at that sport. Mike himself was also highly proficient and successful in competition.
Having left school, Mike took up commercial fishing out of Mudeford Harbour. Besides trawling inshore, he was also one of those licenced to catch salmon in the run at Mudeford. At weekends he take out anglers. During the winter months he had to find other employment and, along with other of his colleagues, used to work in the Shand Kydd wallpaper factory in Somerford.
In 1959, Mike met Wendy Parsons who was on holiday in the area with her family and on 7 November 1960 they were married at Farnborough in Hampshire. The reception was held at the Hawley Hotel in Camberley then they spent their honeymoon at the Longville Manor Hotel in Jersey.
After their return, the couple went to live with Mike's recently widowed mother in Barton-on-Sea and where they were living when son Andrew was born on 16 May 1961. They stayed there for a few years then moved to Green Loadings in Mudeford. Not long after that they were allocated the cottage at 6 The Haven on Mudeford Quay which was ideally situated for Michael's fishing. They were living there when daughter Nicola was born on 6 October 1964. Another fisherman also called Mike Parker lived next door, so Mike gained the nickname of glasses Parker by way of distinction as he wore glasses.
During the winter of 1965-66, Malcolm Smith, the fiancée of Wendy Parker's sister, lodged with the family whilst he started work on renovating a cottage he had bought in Verwood. Sadly the marriage between Mike and Wendy did not endure and they split-up late in 1968. Mike remained in the house whilst Wendy and the children went to live with her sister and husband.
On 1 May 1970, Michael married divorcee Sally Joyce Smith (née Derham) and the couple lived in his house. The Derham family were well astablished in the fishing community at Mudeford.
Michael passed away at Christchurch Hospital on 24 September 1983, having made his Will a few days before.
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