Royston John Bayliss:  08/04/1936 – 30/04/2021
 
Life snippets
 
 
I was born at Summer Street Stroud and have many memories of my younger years during the second world war. 
We had to comply with black-out, search lights, air raid shelters, air raid sirens and huge water tanks.  I also went to school daily, carrying my gas mask in a case around my neck. 
 
I remember winters we very long, cold, frosty and snowy and summers were hot.  I liked to make the most of the weather conditions; sledging on home made sledges, made from wooden boxes and creating long slides on the hills.  Summers involved tadpoling in the canal and I often stripped off and got in to cool off in the water. 
 
Home life was very basic, with only the ground floor room, 1st floor bedroom and 2nd floor attic bedroom.  We had a gas cooker and cold tap with bowl stand under the stairs; no sink.  We shared an outside toilet and washing room with solid fuel copper and mangle.  We were able to bath once a week in a galvanised bath in front of a coal fire.  Coal for the fire was also stored under the stairs.  Entertainment was spinning tops, hoops, hop scotch, marbles, home made catapults, bows and arrows and pole vault.
 
I can claim to have had a very varied life with the inevitable peaks and troughs, deriving great pleasure from my four children, particularly tobogganing and family holidays.  I enjoyed several sports, particularly motor cycle and motor sports, participating in swimming and diving from a very young age.  I later played badminton, squash and for in excess of 40 years gaining the most pleasure from golf, which I played in many countries of the world.  During that time period I achieved 5 holes in one.  I also enjoyed organising many group tours. 
 
I enjoyed travelling to many parts of the world with my wife Margaret, meeting many new friends en-route.