Welcome to the Loxley Bratton section of the website which is brought to you courtesy of my Sponsor
www.imag-e-nation.com
Dad is John Steel Bratton 1917-1992. His family roots are all explained in the"Gateshead Brattons" section but his main life is in this section, including a precis of his 4 years as a Prisoner of War ( POW ) at Stalag XVIIID and Stalag XVIIIA. The main POW story is elsewhere but can be seen by CLICKING HERE
Mam is Eva Bratton nee. Loxley.
Her mother and father were Robert James Loxley (Jim) and Frances Loxley nee. Munsey
http://www.ancestry.com/search/SurnamePage.aspx?html=b&ln=Loxley&sourcecode=13304
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lane/8771/loxley.html
http://www.townofloxley.org/history.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loxley,_Alabama
http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/kirk6479/mycustompage0002.htm
http://www.dcrump.freewire.co.uk/html/robin_hood.html
 << James Robert Loxley, as a young man
The Loxley family lived at 12 High Salters Road, Coxlodge, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne at the time of the 1901 census and comprised Elizabeth Grace Loxley nee. Walker (b 1866) the 35 year old head of the family, a self employed Stocking Knitter, 7 year old Robert James
(b 1894), 5 year old Constance M. (b 1896) and they also had lodging with them James Maughan (b 1882) 19 years old. Is this James the illegitimate son of Elizabeth Grace when she fell from grace at the age of 16 ? Does he now live with his Mother and half bro and sis now that Henry Loxley, Elizabeth's estranged husband has run off to Australia along with eldest daughter Henrietta
Well it's possible since according to the 1891 census, 10 years earlier, young James Maughan, then 9 was living at James (68) and Mary's (66) home,( his Grandad and Grandma ) at 11 Shiney Row Kenton along with Thomas Maughan then 34 and single...is
Tom the Dad ?...Is Elizabeth Grace the Mum ?
 <<< Here's Elizabeth Grace Loxley.
And as for wayward Henry Loxley it is rumoured that he shot a man on the ship while travelling to Australia... this needs further investigation
A little further background on Elizabeth Grace;
<<<<<<<<
She was born in Middlesex
to Scottish parents Ralph Walker (b 1839) and Mary Ann Walker (b 1839), who obviously couldn't settle since oldest son Ralph was born in Sussex,
Elizabeth Grace, Ellen and James were born in Middlesex and the youngest Mary Ann (Polly) was born in Scotland before they all settled in Byker, Newcastle upon Tyne, first at 52 Denmark Str (1881) and then 98 Tynemouth Road (1891)
Our Mother Eva tells us that when she was young and asked her Grandmother Elizabeth Grace where Grandad (Henry) was, she received the reply "In Hell, I hope"
Elizabeth Grace went to work for Thomas Elliott who had a Gents' tailors shop in Chester-le- Street and then Sacriston. She was his family's live-in housekeeper and the children were with her... Mam says her Dad, Robert James was virtually brought up by Tom Elliott. (Tom's two sons (per William Elliott, the grandson of one of them) both won scholarships to the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle and then went to University, so would have been away from home most of the time- perhaps then, Tom took special interest in Grace's children....indeed, per Mam, Tom wanted Robert James to work for him in his business but the lad declined) When old enough Robert James and sister Connie moved out and got lodgings in Sacriston.
Eventually, presumably after her retirement, Elizabeth Grace went to live with my Nana & Grandad, Robert James & Francis in Selbourne Ave in Low Fell and died in 1946, service in St Helen's Church and cremated at Birtley or Saltwell
Not certain but it is likely that James Walker (Elizabeth Grace's brother) married and had daughters Lily and Florrie. From anecdotal stuff from Mam, Lily married Stan Harlow, a graphic artist who worked for Fenwick's Dept Store. They had a daughter June Harlow who never married and worked in a bookshop. They lived at 6 Mayfair Road, Jesmond, Newcastle
Florrie married a chap who was a lamplighter on Newcastle Quayside
Mary Ann (Polly) was unmarried. She had an illegitimate child, who went on to live in Consett. Eventually Polly went to live with niece Lily in Mayfair Road
 And on that note, we turn to the Munseys
Click on the crest to find out more about the name Munsey
This is Frances Munsey >>>as a dark haired young woman. Her hair was white most of her adult life Frances was only 2 at the time of the 1901 census.
 Here's the entry
<< 14 Railway Street, Langley Park ( previously at Quebec St, )
* John R Munsey (b 1863) Coal Miner-Hewer born Waresley, Huntingdonshire.
(His father, a stone digger, and mother were Joseph & Mary (I kid you not) each b 1844 from Wrestlington in Bedfordshire who moved north and in 1881 were living at 26 Dyke Row, Quebec, Co Durham. Joseph's father and mother were John b 1815 and Mary b 1816 of Bedfordshire )
* Wife Mary J Munsey (b 1869), born Ecomb, Durham of parents George Rutherford (b 1833) from Durham & Elizabeth (b 1837) (nee Younger from Northumberland)
* Louisa (Louie) b 1891, 10 years old
* Thomas A (Tom) b 1893, 8 years old
* Elizabeth A (Lizzie) b 1896, 5 years old
* Florence (Florrie) b 1897, 4 years old
* Frances b 1898, 2 years old
* John R (Jack) b 1900, 9 months old
Born after the census, Alice let's say b 1901/02
and Ernest (Ernie) say 1902/03
To see more of Langley Park go to Cameron Gordon's shamelessly self promotional, (and why not?) but very nice site by clicking HERE
 This is
Frances
with
younger
brothers
Ernie (L)
Jack (R)
Tom married Edith and had no children
Elizabeth Ann Munsey became Annie Oakley and begat Thomas, Robert, Jack and James.
Louisa became a Danforth and begat Alice and Millicent
Alice became a Snowball and had Jean
John R married and had Jack, Noreen, Gwen, Frank and Nick
Florrie married Jack Cooper and had Millie, Jack and George
Ernie married Mary Charlton
Mary J, the Mother when she was 22 and still Mary Rutherford had an illegitimate
daughter she called Mary Rutherford. She was sent to her relatives in Northumberland to have the baby
So perhaps that's what drew Robert James and Frances together.
"My mother had an illegitimate child"
"So did mine"
 Robert James at 14 left the school at St Peter's ("they couldn't teach him anything more") and went down the pit
<< this pit Sacriston Colliery which at it's peak employed just under 1,000 men. For more details click HERE
To get a flavour of what life was like living and working in the Durham coalfieds I can do no better than recommend you grab a cup of tea and take a half hour out bowsing Dick Fawcett's very entertaining and moving website. If interested click on DICK
When old enough James Robert and his sister Connie went into lodgings, James with the Chapmans in Eliza Street and Connie lodged up at Heugh Edge. She met and married a Catholic lad Jim Tomney and had son Jim and daughter Joan.
James Robert was 20 at the outbreak of World War I and he fought at the Battle of the Somme where a record breaking 58,000 Allied troops died on 1st July 1916, the first day of the 4.5 month battle. He was wounded and thankfully sent home and rather than going back down the pit he worked at the Royal Ordnance Factory in Birtley. He met Frances at a dance in Langley Park and they married on Christmas Day 1917
 They lived in Sacriston, raising their ever increasing family, at a succession of tiny houses, << 5 Davison Tce., ("between the churches" with RC at one end of the street and C of E at t'other) was the first and where Connie (b 1921) Betty (b 1923) and Eva (b 1924) were born. In about 1928 James Robert went to work at the Colliery again and they moved into a colliery house, Kelsey's Buildings
 This is the back yard of the Rickerby's home at 1 Kelsey's Buildings
(from Memories of Sacriston by Dorothy Rand and George Nairn
For details CLICK HERE )
By now Lily (b 20th Feb1928) was added to the brood
In about 1934 they moved into another colliery house
 No 185 Staffordshire Str.,(Street "B")2 rows of streets built about 1860 to house miners from Staffordshire
You can see the end of "A" Street between the men standing outside the Co-Op and the Memorial Institute (with clock).
Street "B" is on other side of Institute. Between the two streets from the back of the Institute onwards was a wide open space where shows and hoppings were staged. It was at this house that Joan (b 1931) Mary (b 1933) and Freda (b 20th Feb 1937) became yet more pattering feet. Connie was 14 and left to work in service in Manchester
 In about 1936 James went to work at the Ordnance Factory again and they had to move out of the colliery house
They moved to << 28 Victoria Str., rented from Ushaws. By now with the arrival of baby James (b 1938) there was 8 kids and Ma & Pa making 9 (minus Connie) which must have been a bit cosy in a house designed for 4
 Before leaving Sacriston this is the school that all the Loxley girls attended
To see more of canny Sacriston go to Helen Britteon's site by clicking HERE
For several reasons it was time to move to Low Fell
1 Low Fell is God's country
2 They needed a bigger house and, through Ushaws, a large 3 storeyed home in Low Fell became available
3 Frances wanted to get James away from Sacriston Club
4 The next two oldest girls Betty and Eva were working and there wasn't much work in and around Sacriston
 And so in 1941 they moved to << 8 Selbourne Ave Low Fell Gateshead
They must have been delighted that at long last they could swing the cat..the cat wasn't so delighted and scarpered back to Seggerson
And now the offspring
 Connie Loxley had gone into service in Manchester, but then returned to Low Fell to work at the Ordnance factory. She was transferred by them back to Manchester and met Tom Bairstow, a naval man based on the Manchester Ship Canal. Connie married Tom, settled in Bradford and had one child Margaret, who became Mrs Margaret Hallam and has now married again. There are several photos of Margaret as a bridesmaid
 Connie Loxley
and Navy man
Tom
Bairstows'
Wedding
Back right
Robert
James
and
Frances
Bridesmaids
Front L to R
Betty
Eva
Next to Eva
seated is
her paternal
Grand
mother
Elizabeth Grace
Betty didn't get married and, sadly, died in 1962, at the age of 39 with heart disease. There's lots of pictures of Miss E.G. Loxley (Betty) being her sisters' bridesmaid
Eva was a sweet girl ..she worked at Horner's in Chester-le- Street...She married John Steel Bratton (Jack) in 1946
 Left to right
Best man
Jack
Cordner,
Sylvia
Bratton,
Eva Bratton, Jack Bratton
Freda Loxley
and
Betty Loxley
Eva and Jack have 4 boys- more of them later
Lily married Dave Thomas and had 3 girls, Brenda, Anne and Christine b 7 Nov.60
Here they
are on their
Wedding
Day.
In
Nov 1963 they emigrated
to Canada. This picture is of a Good-bye Party for the cousins at Selbourne Ave
Starting with Jim in the bottom right, and going clockwise there's Jon, Anne, Rob, Susan and Derek
 Lily, sadly,
died in
March 1986
aged 58
years. Dave died 18 Feb 2007
 Eldest daughter Brenda Loxley married Len Palchynski on 17 Mar 72. Len,sadly,died in 2004
< This photo of a very handsome couple is included as a tribute to Len who gained and lost riches several times. Constantly battling with Crohn's Disease,
he achieved so much, while retaining his "very nice fella" status.
Sadly missed by Brenda and mutual daughter, Jennifer b 31 Dec 74, and daughters to
Len, from his previous marriage, Maureen Dean b 20 Dec 65 and Charlene Marie b 1 Jul 1967 (St. Catharines' Centennial baby receiving gifts from local businesses in congratulations for being born on the 100th birthday of Canada 1867 - 1967. She had her birth announcement and photo in the local newspaper.)
Maureen married Marty Walker. She has two daughters MacKenzie born March 5, 1988 and Mykel born December 2, 1991
 Charlene married a widower David Van Tol August 21, 1999. Dave has a son Brady Van Tol who was born Oct 21, 1994. He and Charlene had a son Carson Riley Van Tol born November 16, 2000.
<<<
 Jennifer married Ryan Mather May 18, 2002 and have two sons Gavin Jacob Mather and Connor Patrick Mather. Gavin <<<was born Oct 16, 2004
 and Connor was born December 10, 2005.
Anne Loxley remained single for many years but in Oct 2003 she married.<<Here with hubby Earl Baker, Mrs Anne Loxley Baker lives in British Columbia, Canada. Brenda is on the right
 Christine eventually married Jeff and became Mrs Cook and now they live in Maynooth,Ontario,Canada.
Children are Craig (1982)
Brittany (1991)
 Chelsea (1994)
 plus
Grandchild Leighton
 Here's Mary Loxley>>>>>>>>>>>>
who went on to............
 ....marry Dave
Bowman in 1954 ....
<<<<<<<<
...and they have one daughter, Patricia Anne Bowman b 7.Nov.59 >>.
Patricia married Andrew John Wilkinson in Sept 1985
Joan Loxley married Joe Lawson in 1966... and they had one son, John. Joe died when John was still young
 John >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
hasn't married but he and his partner have children...
...details to follow
Freda Loxley married Les Coulson and have 2 chidren Susan and Derek ...Derek's birthday is 20th Feb which is shared by his mother and his Aunt Lil
They also emigrated to Canada.
Susan and Derek are shown as small children in the goodbye party for Lily, Dave and family. More recent photos to follow
 Susan married
John Ross and their children are Alyson Adele Ross born Sep 4 1987 and John Derek Alexander Ross born April 26 1990.
The photo below is also Les and Freda's wedding and is included because it has all the siblings together
 50 years on, here's Freda, Les, Derek and Susan gathered in Jan 2008 for the 50th Anniversary
 L to R
Back
Robert
James(Dad)
Lily
Eva
Freda
Joan
Betty
Mary
Jim
Front
Connie
Frances
(Mam)
That photo is also Les and Freda's wedding and is included because it has all the siblings together
 Jim Loxley married
Doris and
had son
Stephen
and
daughter
Christine.
Details of
grand
children
are awaited. Stephen has recently signed in to this sites' guestbook
And here's a photo of five of the siblings in more advanced years...
 L to R
Joan
Lily
Eva
Mary
Jim
L to R
Freda
Eva
Doris(in Law)
Betty
And now we turn to more of Eva and Jack and family...well come on, it's our website
Here's some early stuff of Dad
 This is John Steel Bratton
at Provincial
Laundries
as a young
man
(pre War)
On 15th March 1940 he became T169093 a Driver in the RASC. After intensive training using broomshanks for weapons he set off for war ( 4th Light Field Ambulance supporting the Royal Medical Corps )and by Christmas 1940 he was in Egypt
This is him in Egypt in early 1941
 ..as is this, John Steel Bratton in Egypt 1941, being just like that!!
In 1941, based on a political rather than military decision British troops, including Dad, were sent to Crete, along with New Zealanders and Australians, to fight a battle they had no chance of winning.
Dad was in the 4th Light Field Ambulance located in the Souda Bay sector on Crete. The Battle of Crete raged between 20th May 1941 and 1st June 1941 when the Commonwealth troops were ordered to surrender, basically to stop the loss of Royal Navy vessels being used to evacuate the island
80% were evacuated in the face of certain defeat but 10,000 men were sacrificed and had to endure four long years as prisoners of war.
After leaving POW Camp Corinthia in Greece in June 1941 and an horrific 20 day or so journey by marching and by being crammed in a stinking disgraceful cattle truck he arrived at Stalag XVIIID 306 at Marburg in Slovenia and later in March 1943 transferred toStalag XVIIIA (18A) at Wolfsberg in Austria. Click HERE then click on "Roll Call" and then B and you will see the entry for Dvr J S Bratton POW No 5685
After a time in the main Stalag, the prisoners were put to work . Dad worked in a number of different GW (Trade and Industry ) work camps....5/GW, 64GW, GW67, GW64, GW65 in/around Marburg and Landscape/ Agricultural workcamps at 78L and 139L in/around Wolfsburg. Conditions were so bad in the main camp a workcamp could be no worse. Dad seemed to enjoy the work on the two different farms, run by decent Austrian families and conditions weren't too bad and he was treated reasonably by the farmers' families.
Overall, Dad spent most of the 4 years, at best, hungry and at worst, close to starvation and that is born out by testimony in Ian Brown's excellent website
And this one
 A view of Stalag XVIIIA.
Dad was based here from March 1943 to May 1945, although actually located most of the time on nearby farms
 Inside one of the huts
 Photos, letters and postcards were the only communication. They were allowed to send 2 letters and 4 postcards per month by airmail
Dad suffered most of the rest of his life from Bronchitis believed to have originated during the journey from Greece to the POW camps. This description from a soldier's diary paints the picture
9 June 1941 March 32 miles of dust and hell. 100's fall out, 5 die on the way...Dead beat, sore, stiff and hungry.... 10 June . Walk 3 kilometers more, very sore...11 June A night of hell. Arrive Salonika, can hardly move. . Walk 5 miles under terrible conditions. Thousands here, no food. Sick and weak.12 June . Pouring with rain. Can't move a step more...13 June Feeling ill. Every part of me aches. Everyone the same. Food very poor but Red Cross gives us an egg each. My stomach is terrible, pain is wicked.
16 June Boiling hot by day.. . Getting over the soreness but still ravenously hungry. 17 June . Several boys die. .18 June Malaria breaks out and spreads. . Still starving. Tons of sickness and several deaths. Scores of lads still suffering with their feet from the march, as some did not have boots.
24 June packed into a railway wagon designed for carrying cattle, with fifty other prisoners of war. There followed days of hunger, thirst and lack of sleep as the train made its slow way up through Yugoslavia to southern Austria
We get jammed in railway truck. . Air terrible, doors locked. Lie on top of each other. . Air is foul, can't get water. . Trucks dirty and lousy. Sweat pours out of us and lice crawling everywhere. They won't open the doors. Several boys have dysentery. Stink is shocking. 27 June Get soup at Belgrade from Red Cross. First time we get out since the journey began. As the doors open the girls get shocked by the smell. We are all filthy dirty, full of lice and dirt, smelling wicked. Nearly mad with hunger and thirst.
29 June we arrive at Wolfsberg, . Can hardly walk. Lots of stretcher cases. Got a bit of bread and, what a thrill, a bit of jam. Tastes like the best I ever had.
What I wouldn't have given for that account when trying to convince the Pension Tribunal all those years later. Even without all the information now available on the internet we did succeed in securing a pension
To see our contribution to the body of knowledge CLICK HERE for a host of information about life as a POW gleaned from the hugh pile of letters written and received by Dad between 1941 and 1945.
On release in 1945 Dad returned to Old Blighty and in a relatively short period of time met and married Mam, Eva Loxley
 This is
another of
their
wedding
Left
back is
Betty
Loxley, left
front
is Sylvia
Bratton
Right back
is best man
Jack
Cordner
right front
is
Freda Loxley
The wedding was on 26th January 1946 at St Helen's Church, Low Fell
Dad worked at the Laundries from leaving school, spent 5 years in the army during WW2 then the next 20 years or so, back at the Laundries
He eventually gave up working outside when Bronchitis, acquired while a POW during WW2, made the Winter extremely difficult. He did factory work, had a spell unemployed but eventually became a Civil Servant at the DHSS in Longbenton, doing internal mail deliveries. He retired a little ahead of time as Alzheimers was kicking in and affecting his work
 This is JackCordner
with his van
included because it
is a great picture
Jack and Eva spent their first few years of marriage living in at their parents homes. Alan was born on 12 Aug 1946 at QE Hospital, Low Fell,
This is
Eva Bratton with
baby Alan
 Jon was next born on 8 Oct 1948 at the QE Hospital.
When Rob was born on 5 Aug 1953 at the Bensham Hospital they had managed to get a Council flat on the newly built Springwell Estate.
>>>>>>>>
Shortly after that they moved to 1a Dean Street, Low Fell.
On 19 April 1957 Jim was born at the QE Hospital.
<<<< This is Rob in 1957
All four went to Kells Lane Primary School and then
Alan and Jon went to Gateshead Grammar
 Rob went to Elgin Secondary Technical
Jim went to Greenwell and then Dryden Rd Senior High
This is Jon Bratton and Alan Bratton shortly after they joined the US Cavalry
 Alan Bratton met and married Pauline Kirton (b 23.1.48) at Denewell Ave Pres Church on 17 Sept 1966
Alan and Pauline emigrated to Canada in Sept 1966. They have two sons John Alan b 15.5.67 and Scott David b 25.8.70
Jon Bratton married Liz Stobbs (b 21.8.46) on 11 Oct 1969 at St Andrews Church, Fewster Square, Leam Lane
Jon and Liz have son Gary Jon born 27 Oct 1976 and daughter Lesley Anne born 25 June 1979.
They all spent 7 years in Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 1990
<< this is Susan and Derek Coulson presenting a bouquet
Rob Bratton married Margaret Scott on 23rd March ? at St Cuthbert's Church Bensham
(Sir Walter Scott penned these words, allegedly
I swear by Almighty God
As sure as I 've got my hat on
I shall not rest until a Scott
Gets married to a Bratton
Said at the wedding by me, the best man)
Rob and Marg emigrated to Canada in 1976. They had son Peter Robert b 22.8.80 there..
and son David James b 21.12.87 on their return to England
Here's Marg Bratton in 2005
Jim Bratton married Erica Penwright (b 19.1.?) at St Helen's Church, Low Fell on 19th January 1987
Jim and Erica have daughter Michelle Carole b 25.2.89 and son Lee James b 7.3.91
All four lads are separated from their respective wives, one is now divorced the first three after 27 years apiece, that's coincidence, not a rule, and Jim after a meagre 17years
And now for a brief explanation as to why the domain names is www.39steps.com
 39 steps was so important to this family as the kids were growing up. Dad liked to go to the local pub, The Black Horse, and he always said that it was 39 steps to the pub from our house, 1A Dean Street. As kids we believed him but it was in fact about 100 steps...but 100 steps has no literary significance
Dad never read a novel in his life, but he did see the movie, Hitchcock's 18th and reputedly his favourite, made in 1935, starring Robert Donat and based very loosley on John Buchan's novel of 1915
We could have lived in a beautiful detached house but it was never considered because it was more than 39 steps from the Black Horse. Dad never missed a day at the pub in var nye 40 years, not even when he was bad .The photo below, which is proof positive, was taken by a bloke called Reg Smythe
 There's a Catherine Cookson style novel right there just waiting to be written...and I'm the bloke to write it.
Now this is a bit spooky because that book, my book, would be tracking a family from Springwell to Dean Street, (and ultimately to Kellfied Road) with The Black Horse featuring more highly than it should. Well, you wouldn't credit it, but such a book has already been written by a bloke living in Normandy...only those paying the closest of attention to this website will spot that extra bit of spookiness
 Because it completely steals my thunder, I ought not to give it any publicity but, unfortunately, it's beautifully written, and more particularly, remembered in a detail that would have escaped me. Written by Robert Rowell, the Nick Hornby of Dean Street, 'Back Lanes and Muddy Pitches' is very funny and yet pulls no punches..at least one former Dean Street resident will, undoubtedly, be suing for defamation ....of trousers.
It comes highly recommended at £6.99 from Waterstones.
I have a real soft spot for the Rowells (e.g.Ellen of my youth... having a pint, in my non-youth, outside the BH, waving at Margaret and Mam going to the Wesleyan... watching Harry, only a couple of years back, in my wise years, felling trees and fixing fences at Kellfield Road... in his eighties but acting like a 40 year old and, curiously, whistling 'Oh I do like to be beside the seaside' -what's that all about?) but I have to say this. Scoring a goal every time against the Toon, and worse yet, celebrating with gusto, is ne way te gan on and brings shame on the Rowells. You know who you are, SS.
Seriously, well done Robert, and good luck with the sales. When negotiating film rights, diven't let them give the lead to a Californian.
<<<
And here is The famous
Black Horse
<<<
His quality of life at zero through advanced Alzheimer's, John Steel Bratton died on 17th March 1992 in St Mary's Mental Hospital, Stannington (built in 1910 as an asylum for Gateshead's lunatic paupers).
I resented registering his death at Morpeth when he had lived all his life in Gateshead and was only there because, although the 21st Century was just around the corner, Gateshead still shipped it's loonies out the borough
 The previous photo of Eva, is her aged 46, when she came 2nd in the Glamorous Grandma Competition at Butlins in 1970
This is Eva at 80. The photo was taken on Christmas Day 2004, only days after she had moved from her 3 storeyed house Maple Cottage, 11 Kellfield Road into a one bedroomed flat in Central Low Fell, in a block occupied by many of her long standing friends. At any age, a house move is traumatic and the strain shows on her face
Jack and Rob standing at the door of the now famous 1A Dean Street, now merely one of several famous Dean Street front doors, thanks to one of them Authors
 L to R
Dad, Robert
Alan, Jim
Mam, Jon
Nana
This was
taken 1966
 This is 20
years on, in about 1986
L to R
Alan Bratton, Jon Bratton,
Rob Bratton, Jim Bratton
And here
V
in 2006 we are 20 years
further on.
 You can
see them
now....
balding and
beer-bellied
 but by God's good grace the balding one is slim and the fat one has a full head of
hair.
The other two are defying the ageing process by being retired...and some
Grecian 2000, I'll be bound .
 But first, here's Eva Bratton as a young looking 82 year old
 This is Alan Bratton nowadays, taken during his visit to the UK in August 2006
He has been retired from General Motors for several years now and he winters in Florida, where he has bought a home, and summers in Canada where he shares a home with his partner Cathy
He is a keen boatsman and follows NUFC via TV and Internet
 This is a recent picture of Jon Bratton, fat, but with hair.
Jon is in a family business, comprising Liz and Gary and Lesley operating three framing and craft shops plus an eShop
Because he says he is efficient and has perfected the art of delegation he is in semi retirement dividing his extended leisure time between developing this and other websites, golf and beer/red wine drinking.
 Here's Rob Bratton taken only yesterday in the pub. It could have been the day before yesterday or the day before that and it would still have been the pub. Rob is retired, early on medical grounds, from The Prison Service and divides his time between developing his website, which is about pubs, and drinking in the pub. He also does a lot of walking ..around Gateshead...photographing...pubs
While studying computers, he met Amanda and now studies her with more gusto than he used to study pubs or computers. Indeed he and Amanda, when they get up, now co-study pubs...so expect more on the computer based pub study www.gateshead-pubs.com
 This is Jim.Bratton He's been in Prison for most of his working life and is now a Governor. He was part of the management team at Durham, but because of suicidal tendencies (not his, obviously) his career's gone south...... to Stockton
Because of other commitments, Jim's been forced to give up his beloved car booting and at his girlfriend, Karen's behest, he's also swapped supping for singing...instead of suffering headaches, he now inflicts 'em.
Just one backward step after another, it seems. This was written when completely sober
 And here is Alan Bratton with partner Cathy
As you can see, Cathy is sporting a fetching, if not overstated, floral hat
Or is she merely standing beneath a hanging basket outside the Vic...you decide
 Here's Jon Bratton with partner Margaret, separated by Mumsie and Cathy
 Here's Jim with partner Karen standing outside the Vic. From the wistful look on Jim's face, not to mention the restraining hands of Karen, he is clearly wishing that she'd let him go inside the pub, like in the old days
 Here's the next generation. This is clearly a montage as there are about 24
years separating John, the oldest from Lee, the youngest. They were also,
at this age, separated on three different continents
L to R back Michelle, Peter, David, John, Lee
L to R front Lesley, Scott, Gary
Currently awaiting recent picture of John
Lesley Bratton, taken on Boxing Day 2004
Lesley is now an item with Stuart
She is 28 years old and works in the family business, alongside brother Gary, Gary's girlfriend Danielle and her Mum and Dad
To see her growing up click HERE
Gary Bratton, taken in June 2005, on Fathers' Day
Gary is 30 and, as said, works in the family busines.
His girlfriend is Danielle, who also works in the same business
To see him growing up click HERE
 Peeta Bratton
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97 3170 Tillicum Road
Victoria BC V9A 7C5
Phone# 1 250 405 7400 Fax# 1 250 405 7406
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Email peeta_bratton.bc@flightcentre.ca
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This is David Bratton, taken on Boxing Day 2004 just shortly after his 17th birthday, on which he acquired a scooter, which he used for travelling to work and in and around Crawcrook and Low Fell.It is now no more. Car sought...
David is an apprentice electrician and has ambitions to join his brother in Canada, once he's qualified
 This is Michelle Bratton, Sept 2005, with a whole bunch of recently acquired A's in GCSE's . A smart cookie with an X factor. Now at Loughborough University
 This is Lee Bratton, a very nice lad, but with attitude. He is a young bloke, with some wayward ways, which hopefully he will outgrow very soon and make his old and frail Nana very proud
 And this is Scott Bratton in 2006, along with his cousins Lesley, Gary and David
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