My paternal grandfather was Vallance Gibb Warren, known as Val to friends and family. To his grandchildren, he was our much loved 'Pop'.
He was born 10-11-12 in Dunedin, NZ to parents Robert Gibb Warren and Mary Evelyn Caldecoat. His full birth name was actually Vallance Thorold Gibb Warren, but he dropped the Thorold later on. Also, he wasn't a fan of surnames-as-first-names which is what Vallance and Gibb were, being family names which had come down through the family.
Val grew up in Dunedin, living at Upper Junction then later, Wakari where he attended Wakari school.
As a young chap he enjoyed cycling, with day trips down South to Henley and even further afield.
He worked in a local Hardware store Thompson, Bridger & Co. in Princes st.
He married Freda nee Hargreaves in 1937 and together they had 3 children. Their last child Janet, born 1942, sadly only lived one day.
Val played piano and piano accordion. He even had his own dance band - The New Century Dance Band.
In 1943 Val joined the RAF and spent time in Hobsonville, NZ then Winnipeg, Canada training as a wireless operator, although ultimately he did not see active service in WW2. He enjoyed his time training and the friendly cameraderie of his mates. One good friend was Jack Summers from Oamaru. He was discharged in Sept 1945. Click to enlarge pics.
Training in NZ (snaps from Pop's album)
Val and first wife Freda separated soon after the war, with Freda moving away in 1945. They divorced in 1948. At this time Val and his young son and daughter lived in Waikouaiti with his parents. They later moved back into Dunedin where Val met another Freda (Freda Cairney nee Roberts) a war widow with one daughter. I believe he was a taxi driver at this time, driving a big green Dodge. Val and Freda (2) married and later had a son. A blended family, they then lived above their shop - the Dundas corner dairy.
In the 1950s Nana and Pop moved to Bayview rd, Pop (Val) by this time working for Fletcher's Hardware store where he was a manager. The store moved to Anzac ave at some stage. Val retired in 1972 and he and Nana built a new home in Alexandra and moved there. I remember Christmas dinners with all the family, cousins at Bayview rd, and summer holidays at the new place in Alexandra. Summer fun in the Central Otago sunshine. We would all go to the Oamakau races in the New Year, having a picnic in the shade of the trees. We kids would cadge money from our parents for an iceblock or cool drink while the adults placed bets on the horses.
Val enjoyed playing pool and even built some pool tables. He later played golf and lawn bowls. He was a great gardener. They moved to a pensioner flat, then a rest home in Timaru in the 1990s. Pop died of a stroke in 2002 at age 89. He was a nice, fairly quiet man who loved his family and enjoyed the company of his mates. He had a twinkle in his eye and a hint of mischief about him. I was so sorry to miss his funeral due to a heavy snowfall closing the roads.
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