Local man sails away into the blue from Kent to Kettering (Tasmania). How a long weekend on a Thames sailing barge turned into the voyage of a lifetime on a square rigged sailing ship.
Although Gordon was born in Nottingham, he moved to Southam as a young man in 1946.
Whilst working as a builder, he met his wife in 1953 during a dance at what was the assembly hall, now the well known Warwick house.
Sailing to Tasmania
In the mid 70s Gordon sailed to various places, his favorite of which was Tasmania, Australia. He built a house here under a working visa which lasted only three months at a time, meaning he had to return to England regularly. It took four whole years before the house was completed, Gordon went on to return a further 22 times after the house was built.
Although Gordon has had many adventures around the world he also has left influences in our local area, throughout several nearby villages. For example he built Hackwell House in Napton, which was named after the “Hack Wells”. Located next to the house remians the hack wells spring, which flows till this day.
This story was created as part of an intergenerational digital inclusion project, in conjunction with Orbit Heart of England, with the assistance of students from Southam College.
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