Yvonne Pugh nee Forshaw – Old Girl (1945-1952)
Yvonne Pugh née Forshaw
MTGS 1945-52 Died 8th June 2014
Obituary
On the 29th August 1933, the stork delivered a bonny bouncing baby to the Crosby home of Phyllis and Charles Forshaw. She was their third child and a sister to Joyce and Adrian and because of her mother’s interest in French she was baptised Yvonne Desiree.
The first school she attended was Forefield Lane and later won a scholarship from Halsall Girls’ School and entered Merchant Taylors’ at 11 years of age. She was a good all-rounder and always played games to win. Unfortunately she had a bad fall on ice and fractured a leg so I had to wheel her to and from school each day in an old fashioned three wheeler wicker invalid carriage.
She loved all animals and during the war would clean out the shippens in Jump’s Dairy in order to get a ride on the pony and trap delivering milk.
After leaving MTGS she trained in cardiography at the Royal Infirmary, Southern Hospital, Walton Hospital and other medical institutions on Merseyside. She enjoyed her job and was especially interested in cardiac malfunction. Unfortunately, as a result of surgery to fractured legs, she developed pulmonary embolisms and because of this had a lot of discomfort through the years.
She was a Girl Guide and enjoyed camping and the outdoor life and was a member of Hightown Club. It was there she met Captain Charles Pugh of the King’s Regiment. He had called there on army leave to look up friends. Shortly after this Yvonne announced they were to marry and defied her father’s opposition as he didn’t want a Roman Catholic in the family simply because of religion. It is good that times have changed. Yvonne and Charles were married on 10th Sept 1955 and had a military wedding at St John’s RC Church, Formby. Their first child was Tony and the Regiment was posted to Germany where their second son, Mike, was born in 1957.
Her father suffered a severe coronary attack and was compelled to retire to a dressing gown existence but being an active person with fifty years of engineering skills he could not lead an inactive life so invented a paint roller, which filled with paint, from a perforated cocoa tin wrapped in a polyester sleeve. Charles Pugh retired as a Major and found employment in Liverpool. Phyllis and Charles Pugh decided to purchase a property licensed for light industry in Bath Street, Waterloo and the Pugh family lived in the upper part of this. Yvonne found herself, along with Joyce, working machinery manufacturing paint rollers and sponges. We went collecting empty cartons from shops which sold TVs and then made up orders which Yvonne delivered in an old second hand van.
Charles Forshaw senior died in 1972 and the company was restructured. Phyllis Forshaw was Chairman and Yvonne Works Director. She could operate every machine in the factory and trained others in different departments. She had a very responsible job and without doubt contributed greatly to the success of the company. The business had grown from a cellar to a workshop, a converted dairy and later a designer built factory in Sandy Road, Seaforth and employed 149 workers when it was sold. The Pugh family moved to Lydiate, but unfortunately Yvonne’s health deteriorated. Each time the farmer had sprayed his fields adjoining their property her breathing became more difficult so they returned to Blundellsands to live in an apartment.
In later years Yvonne carried portable oxygen and moved in a wheelchair. Her last attack was on June 8th 2014 when she passed away peacefully in the presence of her much loved husband and family. She was smiling, conscious and peaceful. It is sad that so many health problems beset her from a young age yet she always had a smile.
It is impossible to do justice in a short obituary to such a multi-talented and unique personality so I conclude with words she wrote for a dying woman in her story “Darwin be Damned”.
Heaven, that is my destination
For my soul is tormented
And it is searching for peace.
Strong winds blow my soul on its journey
Let me not lose direction
As I pass through the stars.
Travelling from the sunshine and shadow
In the wide open spaces
I have found some release.
Bright lights in the distance draw nearer
Weary souls feel the welcome
And are ready to rest.
Joyful is the greeting we get there
Feel the love overflowing
Fills our souls with new zest.
New life in this world of hereafter
For all souls it’s a haven
Called the Land of the Blessed.
Y D Pugh
Joyce Winter née Forshaw MTGS 1939-45
