Today's Golden age portrait is of the beautiful duo that is Ron & Jackie. They marked number 50 & 51 participants of the Golden age sessions I have completed.. which was really satisfying for me as I wanted to get to number 50, before I head into more cancer clinic stuff tomorrow & hopefully find out dates for surgery.
Ronald Ashurst (Ron)
Born August 1932. In, Middleton, Lancashire, England.
Two siblings, brother Brian and sister Brenda
His mother worked in a cotton mill as a weaver, father worked in a cotton mill as a sizer.
Childhood was difficult as we moved around a lot during the war years.
Came to Australia in 1945. We lived in Coogee for about 10 years until I married.
When they moved to Australia his mother worked as a seamstress, Father worked for Bradford Cotton mills and as a salesman for Brown & Dureau.
Ron left school at 15 & his first job was with a grocery shop, then as a butcher. He also worked for Coles in Bondi Junction. He then went to Sunbeam Corporation where he worked in Customer Service for 48 years. He retired as the Australian Service Manager for Sunbeam.
Married on 14 April 1956, had two children 1 boy 1 girl. 2 grandchildren, 1 boy and 1 girl.
He played golf and bowls. For a period of time was manager for his son's junior rugby union team at Eastwood.
Jacqueline Ann Pennington Ashurst. (Jackie) Maiden name Capon.
Date of birth October 1933
Born in Iver Heath Buckinghamshire England
Jackie was an only child.
Her mother was American & was a stay at home mum, but also did some Process Work as well.
Father was Electrician at Pinewood Studios in England working on films. In Australia worked in TV at Channel 7.
Jackie asked me not to make her wear the angel wings for her photos (not that I ever force anyone.. haha) Because she had a particularly distressing memory from the time she was almost an angel in a movie..
Her father had secured her a part in a film, she was around 3 years old. She had to recite the line "could I please have some more steak & kidney pie" they had practiced it a lot so she knew it well. The day came & she was dressed up in her angel costume with halo.. The director said, ok Jackie say your line.. Jackie refused.. & told them she wouldn't.. no one could persuade her otherwise. So she missed her chance at being a star, & still holds onto the disappointment that her parents had.
Jackie lived in a shop until she was 4 then during the war was evacuated aged 8 to America. Jackie was due to be evacuated & sent by boat to her Grandparents in Connecticut on a ship called the City of Benares, Her Mother had a change of heart & something told her not to send Jackie on this boat.. she refused to send Jackie unless she was travelling with her. As fate would have it, the ship was torpedoed by the Germans off the coast of Ireland, & of the 406 on board only 148 survived. Many children were killed and shot upon as they were sent into the water.
They then left together in 1941 on the ship named the Pasteur. She spent her 8th birthday on the ship, Pearl Harbour occurred not long after they arrived in America.
Jackie Lived in Bridgeport, Connecticut for a year then lived in Forestport New York in a small rural property aged 9 until 11. Returned to Bridgeport for a year and returned to England in December 1945.
Upon returning the England her Mother couldn't believe how much it had changed during the war & the decision was made to come to Australia.
The Family moved to Australia in July 1948.
Jackie finished school at 14 due to moving countries. Her first job was at Dalgetty as a bookkeeping machine operator from 1948 until 1954.
She worked with a lady named Brenda & they made a plan to head back to England to visit their Grandparents. Brenda wanted Jackie to first meet her family so they knew who her travelling companion would be.. she met Brenda's brother Ron.. & the trip never happened as they fell in love..
They met 1954, & Married 14 April 1956. I asked if her wedding photos had been painted to make her dress look green, but Jackie said that it was actually a green dress she was married in, which I thought was pretty amazing for that era.
Jackies father won the lottery! & gifted them some money which they used to buy a block of land in North Ryde which they built their house on.
Together they had 2 children, a daughter and a son.
Jackie stayed home for 20 years and then returned to work at AGC in Epping.
Together they now have 2 grandchildren a boy and girl.
Her hobbies include Sudoku, cards, knitting and crosswords.
Jackie has macular degeneration and is now vision impaired. She has to get needles injected into her eyes every 6-10 weeks to try & preserve her vison.
