Edward (TED) George Sellers (1 Apr 1939 - 3 May 2019)

EGS Obituary Page

Edward (Ted) George Sellers was born on Guernsey shortly before the outbreak of the second world war. The family moved back to Pompey and Eddie, as he was known by the family, spent time on Portsea Island, and then Paulsgrove and Wymering. Regular trips, with younger brother Ross, to the chalk quarries (their playground) led to Eddie keeping jackdaws as pets.

Family issues saw Eddie living with a number of Aunts, his favourite being Aunt Eve. Eddie was eventually fostered by the Taylors and his life stabilised enough for him to leave school at 15 and take up a dockyard apprenticeship as a Shipwright. The workshop in which Eddie, and hundreds of apprentices, learned their trade is now the heart of the Museum in the historic dockyard and those apprentices, the last of their trade at the time, were the subject of a documentary series in the noughties.

Motorbikes became a passion, with the British icon bikes of the late 50's, AJS, Brough, Matchless, Norton, Triumph, Royal Enfield, Greeves, BSA but never achieved his dream of owning a coveted Vincent.

Eddie, towards the end of his apprenticeship and away from family, became Ted and in 1959 at a dance (where else!) met the girl who became the love of his life, Jean Goadsby

Jean was an attractive and intelligent girl who, at this time, was deaf. Her Grammar School education meant that Jean lip-read and moved freely in both hearing and deaf circles. Ted learnt how to finger spell and some basic signs. He also learned to speak more slowly and less loudly!

Ted and Jean, early in their relationship developed nick names for each other. Ted was called Ego by Jean and Jean was called Bubs by Ted.

They married on St George's Day, 23rd April 1960 and commenced their family life, renting in Copnor, with Ted sub-contracting as a carpenter having completed his dockyard apprenticeship. Their first child, Stephen was born later that year. The family's first dog appeared, a retired racing greyhound. In 1962, their 2nd child, Colin was born and the growing family moved to a larger home in Keswick Avenue, Copnor. In 1963, Ted and Jean's third child, Richard was born. Richard was a poorly baby, later gaining strength and growing strongly. Ted was now playing rugby for the Dolphins, the 3rd team at Havant Rugby Club and was now also a committed Wildfowler with Langstone & District Wildfowling and Conservation Association (LADWACA). Stephen remembers being pulled out of the bath late one afternoon (he had obviously been naughty and needed to be chastised). Ted was still wearing Hoods Bullseye thigh boots and oilskin over-trousers when he applied said chastisement!!

By 1967, the family had outgrown the 2-bed house and moved to a 3-bed council house on the Leigh Park housing estate (at the time the largest public housing project in Europe). Officially the postal address was Bedhampton, always good for the snob looking to score a few points!

The larger home and location saw 3 active boys getting up to their usual scrapes and the acquisition of the first Land Rover. The dogs were now Labradors and the first of the Springer Spaniels, Honey (Lab) and Tess (SS) were probably the best working dogs of their many canine companions. Jean was active as a working mother, participating in the social side of her employment at the Tampax factory and with the Portsmouth and Havant deaf clubs. The 3 boys were treated to coach trips for the Christmas Pantomime at the King’s Theatre, organised for the children of the Tampax employees. Strangely, Ted was always able to prioritise a more adult centred activity (away trips with rugby seemed the preferred choice, beer optional!)

The Land Rover was a fixture in daily life moving building materials, dogs, family and shooting kit, occasionally all at the same time! On one occasion, whilst helping out with the harvest, there were 24 bales on the roof rack. The rack was a special Ted design with vertical risers from the ladder chassis rails.

As a sub-contractor, Ted worked on nearly all of the filling stations on the A3 between Waterlooville and Guildford, between 1963 and 1974, most of the sites also had a Little Chef, with a roof he had probably fallen from or through, at some time.

After 5 attempts, Jean passed her driving test and Ted purchased a series of cars for her, starting with a Ford Cortina Estate, which got stuck on the ramp coming out of the shopping centre car park and continuing with exotic marques such as an Austin 1300 Countryman, in which she travelled with Colin to Lincolnshire, shrugging off side swipes from lorries on the Hangar Lane gyratory, a Triumph Herald 13/60 estate, (an 850 mini (with an artex roof lining!!) and a Renault 4. They also got to drive her father's Humber Drophead coupe.

Ted by now had started his own general building company and he teamed up with Lance Vince to form Vince & Sellers, Builders. They worked on extensions, single house builds and ventured into development with multi-home sites across south Hampshire. Ted's building business began to evolve into restoration of farmhouses and other notable rural buildings and he also expanded his shooting interest taking up a gun in a syndicate. In time, Ted became Secretary of LADWACA. Accordingly, Stephen and Colin were regularly volunteered to take part in some of Ted’s club activities. They became 2 of the club’s regular trappers on charity clay shoot days. Great sport was had by the boys by deliberately presenting the most difficult of clays to family friends, particularly club officers.

It had become a tradition for the family to support a Boxing Day clay shoot at the Ferry Boat inn on Hayling Island (it being the festive season, alcohol was consumed by the adults). Ted had 2 days of the year when he would seriously partake of various amber nectars. The first would be the last Friday before Christmas at John Rothery’s shop in Marmion Road, the second, the Boxing Day Clay shoot. One particularly heavy session at the Boxing Day shoot one year, saw them travelling home in 2 taxis. They had got as far as the Esso filling station on the main road on Hayling Island when Ted advised the driver that he was feeling sick. “Not in my cab you’re not” and pulled into the filling station. As they drove past the pumps towards the toilet, Ted opened the front passenger door and rattled each of 4 pumps. The other taxi had turned off behind us and that cab driver got out and doubled up stating that was the funniest thing he had ever seen.

Colin recounts the day that Ted put a loaded clay trap in the back of the car and drove off. Needless to say, a mile down the road, Ted hit a bump and the trap fired, clouting him on the neck and shoulder. No-one saw that coming, did they! There was also the time a clay shoot was held at Rowlands Castle. Cars were parked in an adjacent field, with a rampant bay stallion intent on mounting the cars. A bunch of like-minded Wildfowlers then spent the best part of an hour comically failing to recover normality. Together with “shooting” Ted had always had a passion for sport, being proficient at football, cricket, and, as mentioned before, rugby. He had also learned (after a fashion) to play the violin, a skill he mostly kept well-hidden, especially with the size of his hands dwarfing the delicate neck of the instrument!

A surprise and delightful arrival on 14th May 1973 was Ted and Jean's fourth child, daughter Denise. The event took a toll on Jean's health for a while, as a result she lost what residual hearing she had. The family mucked in, with the boys looking after their sister and the family home with cooking, cleaning and washing.

LADWACA’s club officers were challenged when the freehold for their shooting rights was purchased by the RSPB. It took much effort and many years for the strong working relationship that now exists to develop. Colin recalls how on a blank wildfowling trip they spotted 2 Avocets. These had not been seen in the harbour for over 50 years. Ted reported the sighting to both the RSPB and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Naturalist Trust wardens, to be told he was mistaken. Avocets are now resident in the harbour in significant numbers.

Jean lost her mother in 1977 and her father in 1980. Her parents had left Jean their bungalow. This was not suitable as a family home, so Ted and Jean spent 6 months scouring the south coast looking for a suitable development opportunity as the next family home. At the time, property was in a boom and at auctions and sales, they were beaten by price on many occasions. During the summer of 1979, Ted and Jean undertook a 3-week tour of the UK looking for the next family home and found what they were looking for outside a village in Lincolnshire; Keal Cotes (never heard of it, neither had we!!) They made the decision to move and 2 years later Ted built the extension at Dawn Lodge that eased the slightly cramped conditions. Colin, Richard and Denise all completed their school education in Lincolnshire.

Stephen joined the Merchant Navy and spent 2 1/2 years on a coaster working the east coast and Ireland Home Trade. Ted and Jean slowly but surely built a network of friends and neighbours in the community and made Dawn Lodge their home. The move reinforced their devotion and commitment to each other and they were each able to share and indulge their passions; Jean as a homemaker, cook, gardener and small holder and Ted as a builder and field-sportsman. The home was now large enough for Jean to have her own house dog/family pet (Beau, Blue then Jack, adopted from Denise) and Ted built kennelling for his sporting dogs and later a stable for Denise’s beloved horse, Rasen. They also devoted significant time (and funds) to the poultry business they had taken on. As they became established, the opportunity to purchase the paddock alongside their property arose and they completed the purchase. They immediately set about creating an organic package with hedge and tree planting, drainage and the creation of a flight pond.

Colin recalls cricket matches with the East Keal village cricket team, with Ted either pillaging runs aplenty, or going out in a very early blaze of glory, somewhat akin to a burly David Gower! But with a very safe (and massive) pair of hands (and little obvious sign of the mobility needed to field elsewhere) was a fixture as a slip fielder, taking many fine catches (and only seeming to spill chances created by Colin!). Against the odds, the team one year won the annual district competition (played on coconut mat wickets) with Ted scoring quickly and top-scoring with a solid 40-ish. Colin is too modest to recall his (match-winning) bowling figures.

As life progressed Stephen, Colin and Denise all moved away from the area and regularly returned for significant events or just to visit.

Richard spent a year helping his father with an Environment Agency/Drainage Board contract. They worked around Huntingdon, on the Ouse, using Ted’s boat Sea Otter, to put up river and canal signage. They either slept in a tent at night or occasionally upped the ante and booked a B & B. Richard remembers that sleeping in the tent at night left them stiff and cold the following morning with Ted requiring Richard’s assistance to get him up and moving!

Colin settled in London with his young family and continued to progress as an Engineer and then as a Manager/Director taking on senior positions with the SRA, the BBC and currently IET. Colin, together with Jackie, daughter Emma and son Remi made Nimrod Road, Furzedown, their family home.

Denise moved to Nottingham eventually meeting and marrying Michael (Ahern), a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy and went on to have two children, Sean & Laura. The family settled in a village on the outskirts of Nottingham.

In 2011, Stephen was presented with an opportunity for a funded emigration to New Zealand to be followed a year later with the Aherns’ emigrating to Adelaide. Whilst initially upsetting for Ted and Jean, they lovingly gave their blessing to both enterprises. Stephen returned 12 months later having been made redundant before achieving Residency.

Denise and Michael flourished in Australia with both advancing their respective careers and Sean and Laura quickly settling into school and making friends in scouts/guides, football, basketball & cricket.

Denise remembers an occasion when she and Jean wanted to plan a surprise gathering for Ted’s 70th. Denise’s go-to was always a BBQ (she’s been known to do one or two!) and so it was arranged that a surprise BBQ would be put together. Invitations were sent and Jean and Denise duly planned everything without telling a thing to Ted. The day dawned, grey and miserable. Well, it was late March!

Ted was sent on some important errand that would take him away from Dawn Lodge for a few hours. Denise arrived with her BBQ and set it up. A quick change around had to happen as it was getting wetter and wetter, so the garage was set up as the cooking area with Stephen and Richard providing some much-needed rain cover with umbrellas. Balloons and banners were placed around, and people started to arrive. Luckily, they were able to take advantage of the field and people were able to park there, meaning Ted wouldn’t see the cars.

As the time for Ted’s arrival got closer, everyone was instructed to stay in the house. Ted arrived and had parked at the top of the driveway as instructed and walked down the drive past the various balloons and banners and came into the back door of Dawn Lodge to a roaring shout of “SURPRISE’ from everyone. And boy, was he! He hadn’t spotted any of the obvious signs and was clearly taken aback! A lovely afternoon was had and by the evening, Ted was well into a bottle of whiskey and holding court in his inimitable way, ending the evening with a slightly inebriated thankyou speech!

By now, Ted's health and age were catching up and he struggled to come to terms with the loss of sea-angling, wildfowling and the opportunity to work his dogs whilst carrying a gun. Having refurbished the kitchen in 2004, he and Jean settled down to enjoying each other’s company and Dawn Lodge. With Jean's passing in 2013, Ted initially surprised many of us with his adaptability in running the home and flying solo. The support from neighbours and friends was invaluable in helping Ted to achieve this.

Eventually however, time, age and health caught up with Ted and in January 2019, Ted was taken seriously ill, rushed into Pilgrim Hospital and diagnosed with a massive infection and various other health issues. After a round of hospital/care/home/hospital, Ted moved to Monson Retirement Home for a period of respite. During this time, he recovered slightly. This recovery enabled Denise to plan a 3-week visit to the UK to spend some time with her Ted as he recovered. Denise arrived in the UK just as another infection set in. Fortunately, Denise was able to spend some time with her Ted and to share a smile and a joke.

Many of you will recall the humour in some of Ted's remarks as he passed time in your company.

Stephen had a wry smile on his face on his last day with Ted. Ted was sat up in bed, when he came over all builder like, "up a touch on the right, left a tad, no, up a touch, nearly square, that's spot on". When Stephen looked around to see what Ted had been looking at, the daughter of a patient, in the opposite bed, had been putting a get well card up on the shelf above her dad's bed!!

THIS IS A FEW WORDS IN MEMORY OF TED SELLERS FROM PHILIP GRANT.

TED SELLERS OR TEDDY EDWARD AS MY SON ANDREW ALWAYS CALLED HIM, WAS A SPECIAL FRIEND, FELLOW COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE LANGSTONE AND DISTRICT WILDFOWLERS AND CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION, AN OCCASIONAL PLAYING MEMBER OF HAVANT RUGBY CLUB ANCIENT MARINERS TEAM AND A MAN WITH WHOM I OFTEN WENT SEA FISHING.

i WILL NEVER FORGET WHAT A BIG AND IMPOSING MAN HE WAS IN THOSE DAYS. TALL AND STRONG, WITH HANDS AS BIG AS A POLAR BEARS FEET. ONE DAY ON THE RUGBY FIELD ONE OF THE OPPOSITION SAID TO THE REFEREE ‘I WONT PLAY AGAINST HIM ‘TIL I HEAR HIM SPEAK’. TED WAS NOT A TACTICAL EXPERT, BUT PLAYED AS A BULL DOZER.

TED WAS THE HONORARY SECRETARY OF THE LANGSTONE WILDFOWLERS FOR MANY YEARS AND ESTABLISHED AN EXCELLENT WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE R.S.P.B. AND W.A.G.B.I, NOW
B.A.S.C. (THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR SHOOTING AND CONSERVATION), BUT I EXPECT ALAN MUSSELWHITE CAN GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS ABOUT TEDS’ LEGACY REGARDING THOSE TWO ORGANISATIONS.

TED AND I ATTENDED A FUNERAL OF A FORMER MEMBER OF THE LANGSTONE WILDFOWLERS. AS WE OBSERVED THE LARGE NUMBER OF MOURNERS, TED SAID TO ME ‘THIS LOT OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE
THAT IF YOU DON’T ATTEND A FRIENDS FUNERAL, YOU CAN’T EXPECT THEM TO COME TO YOURS’. A MAN OF HUMOUR, WITHOUT DOUBT.

I KNOW FROM TED HE WAS DEVASTATED WHEN JEAN PASSED AWAY AND IT TOOK HIM A LONG TIME TO PROPERLY GRIEVE. FOR A MOMENT THEN, THINK OF THE JOY THEIR REUNION IN A BETTER PLACE WILL BRING, AS THEY ARE NOW REUNITED.

GOODBYE MY BIG FRIEND. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED BY YOUR MATES DOWN SOUTH.

SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO ALL THE SELLERS FAMILY FROM;- PHIL WEST AND RICHARD GRAY, HAVANT RUGBY CLUB. DEREK LEWIS, VIC CATHCART AND GEORGE HARRIS. LANGSTONE WILDFOWLERS