Retired farm worker William “Jackie” Mears made his television debut on Tuesday at the age of 82.  Sprightly Mr Mears, of St Mary’s Hill Woodnewton, appeared on the B.B.C. television programme “This is Your Life”.

But it was not his life.  The programme told the story of 86-year-old retired groom Arthur Baldwin, just celebrating his diamond wedding.  He was married at Stibbington in 1902. Mr Baldwin, who was born in Apethorpe in 1876 is now living at Kineton, Warwickshire.

SCHOOL PALS

He and Mr. Mears were school pals together at Apethorpe in the 1880s.  Said Mr. Mears “we had to get up at 7.30 in the morning to clean the school room out”.

Photographs of a gala day at King’s Cliffe and a class of schoolchildren at Apethorpe which were used in the programme lent by Miss Violet Snutch now living at the Bungalow, Apethorpe.  She was houseskeeper for many years to Mr. Baldwin’s late brother.

On Tuesday night, Mr Mears sat in the Horse and Jockey public house at Woodnewton and watched the programme which had been filmed two weeks before.

He and his daughter-in-law Mrs. Jean Mears, who lives next door to him, spent two days in Birmingham as guests of the BBC while the programme was being prepared.

EXCITING

Said Mr. Mears “I enjoyed seeing Arthur again after so many years, but the trip out was just as exciting.  It is something I shall never forget.  But the most difficult part of the whole thing was keeping it a secret.  Everyone in the village knew I had been away but no one knew where”.

The BBC’s “This is Your Life” team will never forget Mr. Mears either.  Before and after the programme, he entertained them with tales of life in Apethorpe at the turn of the century.  Said researcher, Miss Suzanne Twiston-Davies, “He was an absolute darling”.

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