{"id":339,"date":"2018-05-10T14:18:19","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T14:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lytle.org.uk\/wp\/?page_id=339"},"modified":"2018-05-24T15:52:31","modified_gmt":"2018-05-24T15:52:31","slug":"rodney-lytle","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lytle.org.uk\/wp\/?page_id=339","title":{"rendered":"Rodney Lytle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rodney<\/strong> Winston<\/strong> Sambrooke<\/strong> Lytle\u00a0 (1913<\/strong> \u2013<\/strong> 1989)<\/strong><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Rodney and Ruth 1915<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fair<\/em> angelic<\/em> looking<\/em> as<\/em> a<\/em> baby<\/em> and<\/em> small<\/em> boy.<\/em> Curious<\/em> about<\/em> animals,<\/em> birds,<\/em> fish<\/em> \u2013<\/em> he<\/em> should<\/em> have<\/em> been<\/em> helped<\/em> to<\/em> become<\/em> a<\/em> naturalist.<\/em> He<\/em> was<\/em> a<\/em> fair<\/em> water<\/em> colourist.<\/em> A<\/em> wandering<\/em> propensity<\/em> upset<\/em> my<\/em> parents,<\/em> they<\/em> frequently<\/em> phoned<\/em> the<\/em> local<\/em> police<\/em> station<\/em> after<\/em> he<\/em> had<\/em> been<\/em> given<\/em> a<\/em> bicycle<\/em> and<\/em> rode<\/em> off<\/em> on<\/em> Saturdays<\/em> and<\/em> attempted<\/em> such<\/em> long<\/em> journeys<\/em> of<\/em> the<\/em> Midlands<\/em> without<\/em> considering<\/em> when<\/em> to<\/em> return<\/em> home.<\/em> These<\/em> rides<\/em> took<\/em> him<\/em> to<\/em> Burton-on-Trent,<\/em> Abbots<\/em> Bromley,<\/em> Matlock.<\/em> Sometimes<\/em> my<\/em> Father<\/em> would<\/em> go<\/em> down<\/em> to<\/em> Trent<\/em> Bridge<\/em> hoping<\/em> he<\/em> might<\/em> see<\/em> him<\/em> crossing<\/em> into<\/em> the<\/em> Shire<\/em> from<\/em> the<\/em> city.\u00a0If he did meet him, poor Daddy had a two\u00a0<\/em>mile<\/em> walk<\/em> home<\/em> in<\/em> the<\/em> early<\/em> hours.<\/em> If<\/em> Rodney\u00a0<\/em>wasn\u2019t<\/em> coming<\/em> home<\/em> late,<\/em> exhausted<\/em> in<\/em> the\u00a0<\/em>night,<\/em> he<\/em> would<\/em> rise<\/em> at<\/em> dawn<\/em> and<\/em> go<\/em> out<\/em> to<\/em> some<\/em> cliffs<\/em> pigeon<\/em> shooting<\/em> and<\/em> Mama<\/em> cooked<\/em> pigeon<\/em> pie.<\/em> Rodney<\/em> also<\/em> preserved<\/em> rare<\/em> birds.<\/em> He<\/em> also<\/em> took<\/em> one<\/em> egg<\/em> from<\/em> a<\/em> nest<\/em> and<\/em> blew<\/em> it,<\/em> and<\/em> added<\/em> to<\/em> his<\/em> collection,<\/em> so<\/em> spring<\/em> time<\/em> was<\/em> his<\/em> best<\/em> season.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

He<\/em> had<\/em> a<\/em> jackdaw<\/em> for<\/em> years,<\/em> which<\/em> flew<\/em> down<\/em> the<\/em> road<\/em> every<\/em> afternoon<\/em> to<\/em> meet<\/em> him<\/em> and<\/em> ride<\/em> back<\/em> on<\/em> his<\/em> shoulder.<\/em> Jackie<\/em> was<\/em> a<\/em> thief.<\/em> If<\/em> neighbours<\/em> had<\/em> a<\/em> garden<\/em> party,<\/em> Jackie<\/em> would<\/em> fly<\/em> down<\/em> to<\/em> see<\/em> what<\/em> all<\/em> the<\/em> jolly<\/em> noises<\/em> were<\/em> about<\/em> and<\/em> come<\/em> back<\/em> with<\/em> a<\/em> teaspoon,<\/em> then<\/em> off<\/em> again<\/em> and<\/em> back<\/em> and<\/em> forth<\/em> until<\/em> the<\/em> party<\/em> had<\/em> no<\/em> spoons.<\/em> Then<\/em> one<\/em> of<\/em> us<\/em> had<\/em> to<\/em> go<\/em> along<\/em> to<\/em> return<\/em> them<\/em> with<\/em> apologies.<\/em> W<\/em>e<\/em> thought<\/em> it<\/em> fun<\/em> and<\/em> adored<\/em> his<\/em> tricks.<\/em> One<\/em> holiday<\/em> we<\/em> went<\/em> to<\/em> the<\/em> Isle<\/em> of<\/em> Man<\/em> and<\/em> when<\/em> we<\/em> returned<\/em> after<\/em> about<\/em> 3<\/em> weeks<\/em> there<\/em> was<\/em> no<\/em> Jackie.<\/em> Rodney<\/em> roamed<\/em> the<\/em> district<\/em> calling<\/em> Jack,<\/em> for<\/em> weeks,<\/em> when<\/em> one<\/em> day<\/em> Jack<\/em> met<\/em> him<\/em> coming<\/em> home<\/em> from<\/em> school<\/em> and<\/em> he<\/em> perched<\/em> on<\/em> his<\/em> shoulder<\/em> as<\/em> of<\/em> old.<\/em> One<\/em> dreadful<\/em> day<\/em> our<\/em> righthand-side<\/em> neighbour<\/em> used<\/em> a<\/em> clothes p<\/em>rop<\/em> to<\/em> hit<\/em> him<\/em> and<\/em> felled<\/em> him<\/em> just<\/em> behind<\/em> the<\/em> garage<\/em> \u2013<\/em> they<\/em> had<\/em> hated<\/em> Jackie<\/em> and<\/em> his<\/em> tricks.<\/em> Rodney<\/em> hated<\/em> them.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Snakes<\/em> became<\/em> his<\/em> next<\/em> passion<\/em> and<\/em> we<\/em> had<\/em> snakes<\/em> in<\/em> boxes<\/em> for<\/em> years.<\/em> This<\/em> meant<\/em> rides<\/em> to<\/em> the<\/em> Trent<\/em> Cliffs<\/em> and<\/em> long<\/em> silent<\/em> times<\/em> of<\/em> waiting<\/em> to<\/em> catch<\/em> a<\/em> lizard,<\/em> a<\/em> blind<\/em> worm,<\/em> a<\/em> grass<\/em> snake.<\/em> One<\/em> hols<\/em> we<\/em> went<\/em> to<\/em> Devon<\/em> and<\/em> we<\/em> children<\/em> had<\/em> bedrooms<\/em> in<\/em> a<\/em> hotel<\/em> annexe.<\/em> Devon<\/em> was<\/em> a<\/em> paradise<\/em> for<\/em> snakes,<\/em> so<\/em> Rodney<\/em> caught<\/em> several<\/em> reptiles<\/em> and<\/em> kept<\/em> them<\/em> in<\/em> one<\/em> of<\/em> my<\/em> dressing<\/em> table<\/em> drawers<\/em> until<\/em> Mama<\/em> came<\/em> over<\/em> to<\/em> pack<\/em> for<\/em> our<\/em> return.<\/em> She<\/em> sniffed<\/em> a<\/em> horrid<\/em> smell<\/em> and<\/em> discovered<\/em> a<\/em> couple<\/em> of<\/em> reptiles<\/em> had<\/em> died<\/em> in<\/em> the\u00a0<\/em>drawer.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I<\/em> think<\/em> Rodney<\/em> was<\/em> a<\/em> talented<\/em> chap,<\/em> but<\/em> not<\/em> at<\/em> anything<\/em> that<\/em> pointed<\/em> to<\/em> a<\/em> career.<\/em> At<\/em> last<\/em> my\u00a0<\/em>Papa<\/em> paid<\/em> a<\/em> premium<\/em> to<\/em> the<\/em> Coventry<\/em> f<\/em>i<\/em>rm<\/em> of<\/em> Alvis<\/em> for<\/em> him<\/em> to<\/em> be<\/em> apprenticed<\/em> for<\/em> years<\/em> from<\/em> the<\/em> factory<\/em> to<\/em> the<\/em> drawing<\/em> office.<\/em> Cycling<\/em> long<\/em> distances<\/em> continued<\/em> for<\/em> he<\/em> had<\/em> digs<\/em> in<\/em> Coventry<\/em> and<\/em> weekends<\/em> started<\/em> for<\/em> home<\/em> early<\/em> Saturday<\/em> afternoon<\/em> (five<\/em> and<\/em> a<\/em> half<\/em> day<\/em> week<\/em> then)<\/em> and<\/em> I<\/em> met<\/em> him<\/em> on<\/em> Leicester<\/em> by<\/em> pass,<\/em> heaved<\/em> the<\/em> bike<\/em> into<\/em> the<\/em> Carrier<\/em> and<\/em> he<\/em> took<\/em> the<\/em> wheel<\/em> of<\/em> the<\/em> Chrysler.<\/em> This<\/em> was<\/em> all<\/em> right<\/em> if<\/em> I<\/em> hadn\u2019t<\/em> an<\/em> engagement<\/em> or<\/em> a<\/em> tennis<\/em> party.<\/em> Finally<\/em> he<\/em> bought<\/em> an<\/em> Austin<\/em> 7,<\/em> very<\/em> old<\/em> indeed,<\/em> and<\/em> sometimes<\/em> he<\/em> made<\/em> the<\/em> journey<\/em> there<\/em> on<\/em> Monday<\/em> at<\/em> 5<\/em> a.m.<\/em> and<\/em> home<\/em> on<\/em> Saturday<\/em> p.m.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rodney 1934<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The<\/em> War<\/em> came<\/em> and<\/em> he<\/em> never<\/em> got<\/em> to<\/em> the<\/em> drawing<\/em> office<\/em> stage,<\/em> and<\/em> Alvis<\/em> went<\/em> into<\/em> aero<\/em> engines<\/em> in<\/em> a<\/em> big<\/em> way.<\/em> Rodney<\/em> went<\/em> into<\/em> a<\/em> Royal<\/em> Ordinance<\/em> Factory<\/em> because<\/em> as<\/em> an<\/em> engineer<\/em> he<\/em> was<\/em> in<\/em> a<\/em> reserved<\/em> occupation.<\/em> He<\/em> became<\/em> very<\/em> browned<\/em> off<\/em> and<\/em> put<\/em> in<\/em> for<\/em> the<\/em> Royal<\/em> Ordinance<\/em> Factory<\/em> at<\/em> Creekmoor<\/em> in<\/em> Dorset,<\/em> and<\/em> then<\/em> put<\/em> in<\/em> for<\/em> Vickers<\/em> Armstrong\u2019s<\/em> submarine<\/em> building<\/em> works<\/em> at<\/em> Gosport<\/em> and<\/em> for<\/em> a<\/em> wee<\/em> while<\/em> at<\/em> Woolwich,<\/em> living<\/em> in<\/em> Chiswick,<\/em> with<\/em> his<\/em> new<\/em> wife,<\/em> Rosamund,<\/em> and<\/em> small<\/em> son<\/em> –<\/em> moving<\/em> to<\/em> all<\/em> these<\/em> places\u00a0together.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Rodney, Mary and Alfred in deckchairs 1936<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Rodney and Rosamund’s wedding 1940<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rodney had married Rosamund Plummer in 1940, daughter of hotel owners in Bournemouth, and known to him from his teenage years when the Lytles had stayed at Ellerslie Mansions, the Plummer family hotel.<\/p>\n

After<\/em> the<\/em> War,<\/em> Rodney<\/em> went<\/em> back<\/em> to<\/em> Alvis<\/em> and<\/em> was<\/em> appointed<\/em> tester<\/em> at<\/em> their<\/em> Brentford<\/em> works<\/em> \u2013<\/em> so<\/em> the<\/em> bungalow<\/em> was<\/em> sold<\/em> for<\/em> a<\/em> pretty<\/em> house<\/em> in<\/em> Mill<\/em> Hill, L<\/em>ondon.<\/em> He<\/em> was<\/em> appointed<\/em> chief<\/em> tester<\/em> after<\/em> a<\/em> year\u00a0<\/em>or<\/em> so,<\/em> (this<\/em> work<\/em> involved<\/em> testing<\/em> and<\/em> \u2018breaking<\/em> in\u2019<\/em> new<\/em> Alvis<\/em> cars,<\/em> before<\/em> they<\/em> were<\/em> delivered<\/em> to<\/em> customers,<\/em> for<\/em> their<\/em> first<\/em> 2,000<\/em> miles.<\/em> He<\/em> had<\/em> to<\/em> drive<\/em> them<\/em> faster<\/em> and<\/em> faster,<\/em> up<\/em> and<\/em> down<\/em> the<\/em> Great<\/em> West<\/em> Road),<\/em> but<\/em> unfortunately<\/em> his<\/em> father-in-law,<\/em> Mr<\/em> Plummer,<\/em> died<\/em> suddenly,<\/em> and<\/em> he<\/em> was<\/em> asked<\/em> to<\/em> take<\/em> over<\/em> Ellerslie<\/em> Mansions,<\/em> the<\/em> family<\/em> hotel<\/em> in<\/em> Bournemouth,<\/em> and<\/em> live<\/em> there.<\/em> This<\/em> worked<\/em> until<\/em> his<\/em> mother-in-law,<\/em> an<\/em> arthritic<\/em> invalid<\/em> of<\/em> 40<\/em> years,<\/em> died<\/em> at<\/em> 74<\/em> years,<\/em> and<\/em> so<\/em> they<\/em> sold<\/em> Ellerslie<\/em> and<\/em> bought<\/em> a<\/em> house<\/em> in<\/em> Wimborne,<\/em> and<\/em> a<\/em> cabin<\/em> cruiser.<\/em> He<\/em> became<\/em> a<\/em> chap<\/em> of<\/em> leisure,<\/em> until<\/em> opening<\/em> a<\/em> curio<\/em> shop<\/em> in<\/em> Old<\/em> Christchurch<\/em> Road.<\/em> He<\/em> travelled<\/em> on<\/em> the<\/em> Continent<\/em> acquiring<\/em> stock.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Charles,<\/em> his<\/em> son,<\/em> at<\/em> 13<\/em> years<\/em> went<\/em> on<\/em> a<\/em> school<\/em> party<\/em> to<\/em> Holland<\/em> and<\/em> died<\/em> there<\/em> after<\/em> a<\/em> few<\/em> hours<\/em> illness,<\/em> of<\/em> a<\/em> suspected<\/em> heart<\/em> attack.<\/em> His<\/em> school<\/em> in<\/em> North<\/em> Somerset,<\/em> was<\/em> a<\/em> prep<\/em> school<\/em> for<\/em> Sherbourne.<\/em> His<\/em> sister<\/em> Diana,<\/em> went<\/em> to<\/em> Sherbourne<\/em> later.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Rodney moved his shop to Wimborne and became a successful antique dealer. He broke Ruth\u2019s heart when he put his Mother\u2019s antiques in his window soon after her death. Ruth saw them there, when she was on the bus going to give elocution lessons nearby. Ruth and Rodney had fallen out at the funeral itself, and after the antique selling row, they did not speak again, except when Ruth emigrated to Rhodesia in 1968 and she wanted to give him all his family photo albums back. He was abusive on the phone and made her cry.<\/p>\n

While their Mother, Mary, was elderly, and living near us in a bedsit, all was well between the siblings, but she became senile and moved in with us. Ruth could barely afford to feed we two children, and taking in her Mother was a real sacrifice. Added to which she depended on letting the spare bedroom to help pay the rent. Granny actually slept in my bed most of the time. Mary told Rodney that Ruth was poisoning her, and Rodney believed her. Rodney\u2019s money was largely Rosamund\u2019s and I expect she did not want to spend it on putting her mother-in-law into a home. So Ruth struggled on, but Rodney would not help her\u00a0out financially, with care. It all boiled up at the funeral. Dalmain left the country soon after, so did not get involved in the arguments.<\/p>\n

Rodney and Rosamund\u2019s children<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Charles\u00a0 (1944 – 1957)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Charles was born in 1944, and while on a school exchange to Holland, at the age of 13, he suffered a heart attach and died before his parents could fly out and reach him.<\/p>\n

Diana\u00a0 (1945 – 2009)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Diana was born in 1945. In her twenties she married a man who was a keen sailor, and they had two daughters, Michelle and Melissa. They lived near her parents in Wimborne. When the girls were small, he was drowned in a freak accident while racing his yacht in Poole Harbour, as his family looked on. Diana was helped out financially by her parents, but decided she had to work and support the girls in the longer term. She became the P.A. to Sir Alan Cobham, at the company he founded, Flight Refuelling, near Ferndown.<\/p>\n

Rodney had given her a lot of antiques and furniture when she was married, and these she prized. When the girls were in their teens, she met a charming man, who was prepared to take her and the girls on, and she married him. He moved into her house, but three months later, one day when Diana was out at work, he cleared the house out of all the antiques and furniture, and disappeared. No trace of him was ever found. It took years for Diana to recover from this tragedy. Meanwhile, she continued to work at Flight Refuelling.<\/p>\n

When Rodney had died in 1989, Diana had put the announcement in \u2018The Telegraph\u2019. Ruth read the obituaries every day, and when she saw her brother\u2019s name she wrote to the funeral directors saying that she was Rodney\u2019s long lost sister, and enclosed a cheque for flowers. Diana was thrilled to catch up with her aunt, and had no knowledge of the falling out of the three Lytle siblings, so she and Ruth agreed to meet at the Piccadilly Hotel in London, and I was invited as well. Ruth and I made a pact never to mention Rodney and Rosamund\u2019s behaviour to Ruth, and we three began a lovely friendship.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ruth, Juliet and Diana meeting at the Piccadily Hotel 1989<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For years, the head of security at the firm, David Fuller, courted Diana, but she refused his advances. However, in 1990, she finally agreed to marry him, and they had a happy time together, for the last 19 years of her life.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Diana and David’s wedding 1990<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Roger and I were invited to Diana and David\u2019s wedding, and went to visit them whenever we were holidaying in Bournemouth or Swanage. They came to visit us in Witney as well, and we met up at least once every year thereafter. They were very generous to Claire and James, and gave them presents at Christmas.<\/p>\n

In her 60\u2019s Diana suffered heart problems and had major surgery. A burst blood vessel killed her in 2009, at the age of 64. David died the same year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rodney Winston Sambrooke Lytle\u00a0 (1913 \u2013 1989) Fair angelic looking as a baby and small boy. Curious about animals, birds, fish \u2013 he should have been helped to become a naturalist. He was a fair water colourist. A wandering propensity upset my parents, they frequently phoned the local police station after he had been given … <\/p>\n

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