Photo above: David, daughter Susie and dogs Duncan, Petra and Isis on holiday in Wales
Photo Memories of my Father by Susie Harrison
Little Daddy's
Young David with his mother Eileen
My father David was born just before the second world war and his brother Clive just after, both red haired boys, who would accomplish much in life. Later came a sister Lorraine (Lolly), not red haired like her brothers and mother, but a little blondie. Their mother, Eileen Spencer, was raised at the seaside in Dovercourt, of part Irish ancestry, and their father, George Harrison, was from the hills of Wales.
David as a schoolboy
David Harrison, red hair and freckles
The wedding of David and Joanna in Harwich
David won the hop, skip and jump medal on the day I was born
At the time I was born in France, my father was an RAF policeman in Fontainebleau, sometimes working at Camp Guynemer and sometimes at Melun airfield. Our family lived in Fontainebleau for two years and as I am told by my mother it was lovely, wonderful. It was an open air life, free and easy, with plenty of money, for which my father was able to buy a car. There was no rent to pay and special extra allowances. Their first car there was a 2nd hand Simca, then a new white Triumph Herald which we all had to go to Paris to collect and drive home to Fontainebleau.
Family life - David and Joanna with their children Susie and Sandy
My sister Sandy was born in England. My father did some intensive study at Edith Weston in Rutland for a year, learning Russian, after which we all moved to Berlin for four years. There David worked at Flugplatz Gatow, listening to radios on Russian planes, translating the conversations.
David tired of the RAF and bought himself out from there, studying economics at university in Norwich, getting the university prize for the best overall result. Both him and my mother became lecturers at Norwich City College, buying their first house in that city at 4 Winford Way and then a bigger place after some years at 8 Jasmine Close.
David and Joanna in the 70's
The family moved up to Warrington when David got a position there as vice principal, and then down to Slough when he became a principal there. In-between those two places tragedy struck with my sister Sandy dying while on holiday out in Thailand, in a road accident.
David, Susie and the dogs at St Davids in Wales
David was delighted to become a grandfather, on my giving birth to a son, Jai.
David meeting his newborn grandchild Jai in Wexham Park Hospital near Slough
David and his grandson Jai at home in Farnham Common
David, his grandson Jai and father George in Dovercourt
Susie, Jai and David in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife
David was not only a successful career man, but he was also deeply involved in politics, helping to create (behind the scenes) the new Social Democrat party in Britain.
David actually died from cancer, source unknown, but with it having spread to the liver. He was only aged 53 on our all being given this awful news. He passed away three days before the birth of my second child, Eleanor, for which the first place I ever took her out in public was to his funeral.