Herbert Pooley Petch was born in 1900 in Gedney, Lincolnshire, the son of Herbert Petch and Elizabeth Jane (née Jackson). He married Lillian May Pitts in 1922 and there are three known children. He died in 1983 in Holbeach, Lincolnshire.
Mr. Herbert Petch of Park Lane, Holbeach, retired this month, after 26 years as a lorry driver for the East Elloe Rural Council.
Mr. Petch was born at Long Sutton and was the eldest son of Mr. H. Petch, a baker of Gedney. Before working for the council, he was a long distance lorry driver.
In his younger days, Mr. Petch played football for Holbeach and he also played quoits with the Carter[…?] team.
For many years Mr. Petch played billiards for the United Services Club and darts for several teams in the town.
Two Holbeach brothers are making a success of the job that no-one wanted — school crossing patrol where five roads converge at the Market Hill junction, Holbeach.
They are Mr. William Eric Petch (60), of 29 Park Lane, and Mr. Herbert Petch (65), who lives close by at 35 Park Lane.
Following the death of the previous crossing patrol, Mr. Clarkson, the police made several unsuccessful attempts to fill the vacancy.
No one seemed to want the job, but eventually Mr. William Petch accepted the responsibility.
This was at the beginning of June last year. Nearly six months later brother Herbert joined William and now they take it in turns each week to look after the different roads.
Mr. Herbert Petch who retired last August after 26 years in the employment of East Elloe Rural Council, described his work as “interesting.”
His brother worked for 40 years with the G.P.O. before his retirement.
Mr. Herbert. Petch told a reporter that while many of the younger children did as they were told when it came to crossing the road, some of the older ones set a bad example.
The traffic light system worked “all right” but it was surprising he said how many “old women don’t watch them and give you a lot of lip.”
Mr. Petch’s opinion of motorists: “Most of them are very considerate.”
Lincolnshire Free Press (8 March 1966)
Holiday gift for ‘golden couple’
The children of Holbeach will have to do without “Mr Lollipop Man”. Mr Herbert Petch for the next week for he and his wife have gone to Bournemouth for a week’s holiday.
The holiday is a gift from their three daughters and families to celebrate their parents golden wedding.
It will also be a convalescent holiday for Mrs Petch who has been in hospital recently.
Miss Lily May Pitts and Mr Herbert Petch were married on May 3 1922 by Canon P. Hutchinson, at All Saints’ Church, Holbeach.
Mr Petch as been a crossing control man since he retired six years ago.
For nearly 27 years he was employed by the East Elloe Rural Council as a driver in the public cleansing department. Before this he was a long distance lorry driver.
On Wednesday, Mr and Mrs Petch had the first of the family parties at the home of one of their daughters. Another party will take place at Hatfield after their holiday at Bournemouth.
They were sure of plenty of greeting cards on their anniversary for they have 16 grandchildren.
Lincolnshire Free Press (9 May 1972)
Praise for the lollipop men
As heavy lorries piled through Holbeach on the A17 diversion the men being praised for their calmness in a very difficult situation were the lollipop men.
The two lollipop men with the most difficult job cover the cross roads of High Street, West End, Boston Road, Park Road and Church Street.
Surprisingly, they were not at all worried by the heavy traffic which made their jobs dangerous for three weeks, while the A17 was closed for road works.
“You just have to walk right out into the road, you have got to watch the lights and work with them. The roads here just aren’t big enough for these heavy lorries, that’s what makes our job difficult,” said 72-year-old Mr Herbert Petch. Mr Petch takes the schoolchildren safely across Church Street and High Street.
His partner, Mr Edward Tidman, who covers Park Road and Boston Road, says the past few weeks have been very busy for them.
“The traffic doesn’t worry me. It did the first day but you get used to it. The noise is the worst thing. The trouble is the children are so interested in the lorries they always want to look round the corner to see the lorries coming up the road,” he says.
“We do our best to get old people across the road. We are only meant to take children across the road but we also take grown-ups and old people,” explains 65-year-old Mr Tidman.
“The traffic is pretty bad. They picked the worst time for the diversion with all the tulip time traffic about.”
Shop assistant Mr Colin Coupland who works at Cheers, mens outfitters, on the corner of Park Road and West End was full of priase for the lollipop men.
“It’s a treat to watch them. They are doing as much traffic control as helping the kids to cross the road. The kiddies have a wonderful respect for the lollipop men, most of them do exactly as they are told.”
Infants school headmistres Miss H. M. Harrison was also full of praise. “The man out side our school has been very good with the little children The children have complete faith in him. They have quite a job to do, and I think they have done a grand job.”
Miss Harrison said she was rather worried that the children were not bothered by the traffic. “It’s a bit worrying because they put complete faith in their crossing wardens and don’t realise the traffic can be deadly to them. They don’t realise the responsibility the wardens have.”
Spalding Guardian (18 May 1973)
PETCH, Herbert Pooley, of Stukeley Hall, Holbeach, husband of the late Lillian, and dear father and Grandad, passed away on September 25, 1983, aged 83 years. Funeral service at Boston Crematorium, Thursday, September 29, at 1.30pm. No flowers by request.
Lincolnshire Free Press (27 September 1983)
Mr H. P. Petch
A funeral service for Mr Herbert Pooley Petch, of Stukeley Hall, Holbeach, was held on Thursday at Boston crematorium, conducted by the Rev R. Priestley.
Mr Petch died at Holbeach Hospital on Sunday week after a long illness. He was 83.
A widower, Mr Petch is survived by his three daughters.
