Mothers Brothers JOSEPH KNOX  1925 - 2000 Mothers   brother   Joseph   (always   called   Joe)   was   born   on   1   April   1925   at   Alnwick.   He   married   Ada Hopper    in    1953    at    Alnwick    Register    Office.    They    had    two    children,    Christine    and    Malcolm (Christine   from   a   previous   relationship)   and,   after   living   at   North   Side,   Shilbottle   for   a   few   years, moved   four   doors   away   from   my   mother   in   Percy   Road.   Joe   was   a   bit   of   a   ‘Jack   the   lad’   and enjoyed   a   pint   and   working   on   motor   bikes   and   cars.   There   were   always   bits   of   engines   and   other spares   lying   around.   He   played   the   drums   and   often   played   at   Shilbottle   Club   and   pubs   in   the   Red Row/Hadston   area.   The   first   time   I   ever   drove   a   car   was   on   the   way   home   from   Hadston.   Joe stopped   the   car   and   said   ‘come   on   then,   its   your   turn   now’.   I   think   I   was   about   sixteen   at   the   time. In   all   probability,   he   wouldn’t   remember   it   as   it   was   long   before   breathalisers   were   introduced.   He also   changed   the   big   ends   in   my   first   motorbike,   twice.   He   and   Ada   kept   a   well   stocked   vegetable garden   and   greenhouse,   producing   a   good   crop   of   tomatoes   every   year.   Sunday   lunchtimes   would find   him   at   the   Club   drinking   with   his   pal,   the   local   vicar,   known   affectionately   as   ‘Mick   The   Vic’, the   same   vicar   who   conducted   his   funeral   service   and   stated   that   ‘only   Joe   could   be   born   on   1 April   and   die   on   29   February’.   This   was   before   the   coffin   was   led   out   to   the   tune   of   ‘When   the Saints go marching in’ Christine   is   deaf   and   went   to   a   specialised   school   for   the   deaf   at   Newcastle,   opposite   the   Town Moor.   She   is   a   very   good   lip-reader   and   despite   her   handicap   her   speech   is   quite   recognisable.   She   married   Thomas   Peacock who was quite a bit older than her. After he died she married Colin Dewhurst. She did not have any children. Malcolm   is   a   chip   off   the   old   block.   On   leaving   school   he   worked   in   the   civil   service,   ministry   of   pensions   at   Longbenton.   I assume   he   met   his   first   wife   there   as   he   married   Susan   Beaumont   at   Ryton   in   1975.   Apparently   the   Shilbottle   contingent   went   to the   wedding   in   a   specially   hired   bus.   Malcolm   divorced   and   re-married,   this   time   to   an   ex   Shilbottle   girl,   Eileen   Dunlop.,   who   is a nurse at Berwick Hospital. KENNETH KNOX 1927 - 1954 Kenneth   (Kenny)   was   the   middle   brother.   He   was   born   on   10   December   1927   at   Alnwick.   I   can’t remember   much   about   him   apart   from   kicking   a   football   about   in   the   field   behind   Colliers   Close.   He kept   trying   to   get   me   to   kick   with   both   feet.   This   would   have   been   a   great   achievement   as   I   was   pretty useless   with   my   good   foot.   He   also   had   his   leg   broken.   While   sitting   at   the   edge   of   the   road   with   his legs   outstretched,   an   army   lorry   came   round   the   corner   and   ran   over   it.   Kenny   used   to   suffer   from epileptic   fits   and   Ronnie   wonders   if   this   may   have   contributed   to   his   early   death.   He   had   borrowed Joe’s   motorbike   to   visit   his   girlfriend   at   Lucker   and   came   off   on   his   way   back   home.   He   was   not wearing   a   crash   helmet   and   died   instantly   at   the   age   of   26.   No   other   vehicle   was   involved   although there   was   gravel   on   the   road.   He   started   work   at   Shilbottle   Colliery   but   had   to   finish   due   to   having fits. He worked at various farms in the area, his final job being at Snipe House. RONALD KNOX B1933 Ronnie   was   born   18   November   1933   at   Alnwick.   He   was   the   most   musically   gifted   in   the   family, playing   the   accordion,   clarinet   and   saxaphone,   although   I   never   saw   him   play   the   guitar!   I remember   him   playing   Acker   Bilks   Stranger   on   the   shore   at   the   club   one   night   and   it   was   as   good as   the   original   record.   When   I   was   young,   Ronnie   used   to   take   me   to   football   matches   at   St James   Park,   Newcastle,   one   time   seeing   Newcastle   beat   Manchester   United   7   -3,   with   Len   White scoring   a   hat   trick.   In   fact   he   used   to   run   me   around   quite   a   bit   in   his   motorbike   and   sidecar, taking   me   to   Newcastle   to   buy   a   budgie   for   Irenes   birthday   and   also   to   sign   the   HP   agreement which   allowed   me   to   buy   my   Hoffner   V3   electric   guitar.   I   wonder   if   he   ever   regretted   that   one. He   also   gave   me   lessons   on   the   saxophone,   one   in   total,   before   he   realised   my   potential.   He married   Ann   Margaret   Bound   on   16   February   1957   at   St   Johns   Church,   Alnmouth.   Ann   was   born in   Thornaby,   Yorkshire   on   25   June   1935.   Her   father   was   an   engine   driver   on   the   railways   so   they moved   around   with   the   job,   ending   up   at   Hipsburn,   near   Alnmouth   Station.   They   have   three children,   Derek,   born   2   April   1958   at   Alnwick,   Carol,   born   12   February   1960   at   Alnwick   and Graham,   born   24   November   1964,   also   at   Alnwick.   Derek   works   for   the   gas   board   and   married Ann   Black   on   3   March   1979   at   Alnwick   Catholic   Church    and   they   have   three   children,   Michelle, Sasha    and    Stephen.    Carol    married    Arthur    Turnbull    on    4    March    1984    at    St    James    Church, Shilbottle and they have two children, Elizabeth and David. Graham   married   Margaret   Farrar   on 6 June 1997 at Alnwick Register Office.  

 John Wilkinson    Family Tree 

Joe in his ATC Uniform