Agnes "aggles", "aunty Mon" Mcdermott

Eulogy for Agnes

(Read at her funeral on 17 Dec 2009 by Peter Hall, who wrote it)

I first met Agnes in the early eighties. I had been told a lot about her, but these tales did not do justice to the person I met, a lovely lady with a great sense of fun who made me welcome into her family immediately. My personal memories are of someone with a great sense of humour and a love of life.

Agnes was born in 1923 into the McDermott family in the Mill town of Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire. She recalled being woken as a child by the clattering of the mill workers\\' metal tipped clogs on cobbles, on their way to work. She was the eighth of ten children, eight girls and two boys. Imagine the queue for the bathroom!

Her early years coincided with the depression of the 1930\\'s, so were hard, but the overriding memories from both her and her siblings were that though they had little, they were loved. They lived in a close community - she told of sometimes finding a box of provisions on the doorstep, or of the local baker giving the children a bag of buns.

Her mother\\'s health was not good in these early years, so on doctors\\' advice, the family eventually moved to Blackpool. She felt she had come to paradise, with a new freedom to run on the beach, swim in the sea and cycle around the countryside. She was given a new bicycle when she was in her teens. It didn\\'t have a bell, and it is told that when she approached people she would shout \\'Excuse me!\\'

Agnes left school at 14, to start work. During the Second World War she worked at the Vickers factory, making engine cowlings for Wellington Bombers. She told of being a panel beater and of the accuracy with which they all had to work (Christine has a memory of her discussing tools and techniques with the Manx Blacksmith). She recalled incendiary bombs falling on the factory where she worked and of the confusion that ensued. She talked of walking home in the blackout. Of swinging on lampposts, of the hardships of war but the comradeship felt by people sharing a common task. The RAF Museum at Hendon contains the remains of a Wellington Bomber, possibly one she worked on. She played for the Vickers Women\\'s football team in the war years.


She loved swimming, and would often swim in the sea after work. There is a tale of her fearlessly diving off the high board (probably ten metres) on the shoulders of an RAF diving instructor at the Derby Baths. One of my overriding memories is of being with Christine, George and Agnes in the Canaries, Lanzaroti, and having a New Years Eve midnight swim in the pool.

She loved music and dancing. She talked of the Grand Theatre Blackpool, of concerts, of opera, of the Tower Ballroom, the Winter Gardens, of dancing almost every night during the war years. Except Friday, which was Amami night (Amami was a shampoo). I remember one Christmas in Christine\\'s tiny lounge, Agnes dancing with George to an old 78 recording of Glen Miller. They are rumoured to have won prizes for dancing.

The Edwards family had moved to Blackpool during the war. George became a family friend, with the Edwards and McDermott brothers at school together. George was in the REME during the war, in France and Germany amongst other postings. Agnes and George married in 1947 at St. Kentigerns, Blackpool. Agnes wore THE wedding dress made by her mother and worn by all the sisters at their weddings, before it was converted into a communion dress.

After a few years with various homes they settled at Stodart Road, Anerley, in 1954. They had five children: David, John, Paul, Christine and Cathy. All the family attended St Anthony\\'s Church, with Agnes attending for 55 years, and the children went to St Anthony\\'s School. Subsequently grandchildren came along: Adrian, Gordon, Rosalee, Georgina, Henry, and Nick, Greg, Lucy, Sam and Joe. She and George were founder members of the St. Anthony\\'s Parent Teachers Association, and often organised (and enjoyed) fund raising events such as cheese and wine parties.

The memories of some of her children from these times revolve around food. Their notes contain a long list of dishes, Saturday high teas, Sunday Roasts and the legendary Tantadlin Tarts. She was well known to all the Penge Market traders, and was very careful over the quality of her basic ingredients.

She enjoyed the company of her family, her children, and her grandchildren. She always joined in their games, playing Cricket, Tennis or Badminton in the garden. Memories of these times talk of trips, wine tastings, family picnics, concerts and fruit picking.


She worked in the Land Registry in her latter years. In retirement and even after George\\'s death in 2003, she was still very active both physically and mentally, swimming, walking, gardening, doing crossword puzzles and generally enjoying life. When asked what she wanted for her eightieth birthday she replied "A stretched Limmo trip to a London show with Champagne on the way, a meal out, and another to bring me home".

She was a calm person, didn\\'t tend to get upset easily. She did not rush in to anything, and never took offence. She never said unpleasant things about people, and did not gossip. She was a fighter. Even in the last few weeks of her life when she was battling a terrible illness, she was dignified and never complained.

I think a final fitting description of her character comes from her son Paul: "She was a model of solid family values and taught everyone around her the value of these things".



The family would like to thank everyone for coming today, especially in such inclement conditions, and would like to invite everyone to join them in celebrating Agnes\\'s life at Dave and Cheryl\\'s house later.