The Turner Family of Totley Bents

    Nurse Ethel Baron and Baron Turner

I was pleasantly surprised to read the article by Stephen Turner in the May issue of the Totley Independent, for it brought back many memories of the Turner and Cullingworth families and their association with my own. My middle brother Geoffrey married Mary Cullingworth in May 1940, the day the Germans invaded Belgium and we thought that the wedding would not take place when all leave was stopped. 

I remember Jean, Mary's Sister, who married Douglas, Parents of Stephen whom I first met when he was about four years old, and later, in 1967 when his sister Angela and my daughter Yvonne were both bridesmaids at the wedding of Mary and Geoff's daughter, my niece Christine. 

However, during our school years my eldest brother and I were closer in friendship with the two eldest of the Turner family, twins Baron and Ethel who were delivered with great difficulty according to my Mother and in gratitude were named after the District Nurse, Ethel Baron, who delivered them. They were both great friends of my Brother Elijah and myself for, although Ethel was two years my senior we saw `Eye to eye' as they say. I must say what a wonderful Mother they had, so gentle and friendly; very quiet and understanding of children; interested in their lives, and a good listener to their problems: I loved talking to her whenever we met.

The photograph came from my mother's Album. She said it was Nurse Baron, with baby Baron in her arms: she was very proud when the twins were named after her.

Jo Rundle

July 2008