Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2016-06-02, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016. Grandfather clock donation repays Legion's kindness One heck of a thank you Chuck Keating, right, gave the Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion a hand-crafted grandfather clock, shown above, as a means of thanking two members of the branch who had an old photo of the 161st Battalion from World War I remastered for him. Legion Branch President Ric McBurney, left, said Keating's story was a great one and that the Legion was very thankful for the gift. (Dennyscottphoto) By Denny Scott The Citizen Thanks to a few acts of kindness and a 100 -year-old photograph, the Blyth Legion has a new grandfather clock on display. Chuck Keating, a Wingham native who used to live in Exeter but now lives in London, was passing through the area with his girlfriend last year when he noticed the memorial displays in front of Blyth Community Memorial Hall. In the display, he saw a picture of members of the 161st (Huron) Battalion which was made up of young men from Huron County who would fight overseas in World War I. in the The battalion was a unit Canadian Expeditionary Force based out of London and, after sailing overseas, was absorbed into the 4th Reserve Battalion. In the photo, Keating recognized two of his uncles and decided to launch an investigation. "I went into the [Blyth Festival box office] and asked where the photo came from and where I could find it," Keating said in an interview with The Citizen at the Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. "I was told that it came from the Legion, which was just around the corner." Keating went to the Legion and spoke to a representative trying to explain which photo he was describing when he saw it in a display case in the building. "I pointed to it and said that one," he said. "They took the photo upstairs and came back down with a copy of it." While the photo was getting copied, Keating had a discussion with two gentlemen who were visiting the Legion and told them about his connection to the area. "I started talking about families and farms and they knew everything I knew," he said. "I told them I appreciated the photocopy and one of the gentlemen asked for my address, which I gave." The photocopy was exactly what Keating expected: a little faded, with some crease marks in it. He said he was happy to have it and planned on keeping it in his desk to show to visitors. Fast forward a little while and Keating came home one day to find a manilla envelope in his door. "It was marked with all sorts of stickers saying 'do not bend' and 'do Donation Len Churcher, a London clock maker, brought his considerable skill to bear on a special clock he made for the Blyth Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. contributed) (Photo not staple' and I had no idea what it was," he said. "I opened it up and there was the photo, restored. Someone from the Legion [who remains a mystery] had taken it to a restoration location and it looked brand new. It was darkened and the creases were gone. "I was so happy, I took it out and got it framed," Keating said. "It's now sitting on my wall in the den." Keating was so surprised and moved by the act of kindness that he decided to do something for the Blyth Legion Branch, which had originally put up the photo of his family members. Keating turned to Len Churcher, a London -area clock maker who builds clocks in the style of the 1700s, to create a one -of -a -kind gift for the Branch. "He makes these great clocks," he said. "The movement is from Germany and he uses all original tools. His son works in a machine shop, so he fixed up all the tools to make sure they would work." Churcher works with Herb Kirkby, a London artist who paints the faces of the clocks and does so to match the person or group receiving the clock. "For Legion clocks, we do a poppy with all the military disciplines on the outside of the clock face," Keating explained. "It's hand -painted" A bronze plaque, also made by a London craftsman, is also affixed to the clock. The end product, which now stands proudly in the downstairs of the Legion, is a 7'3" clock that is made in three pieces that Keating installed. "It bongs every half-hour once, and then bongs every other hour on the hour with the time," he said. "It has a nice sound to it." Keating said the clock was just his way of saying thanks for the display, the original photocopy and the remastered photo that he received. The clock itself is made of red oak with a walnut trim and constructed with hand tools dating back to early Canadian pioneers according to the documentation that Churcher provided. The movement should last one to one -and -a -half centuries, according to Churcher, if it is well maintained The clock, which is the 89th Churcher has constructed, is a Bell - Strike grandfather clock which operates based on the weights in the cabinet which have to be pulled every week to make sure it maintains time. Blyth Royal Canadian Legion Branch President Ric McBurney said, in a previous interview with The Citizen, that the clock is an amazing gift for the Legion and that the story about how it came to the organization was a great one that had to be heard from the source. A face for the ages The face of the clock donated to the Blyth Legion was painted by a London artist and the clock itself was built using antique tools by London -area clock maker Len Churcher. (Denny Scott photo) Rural -Themed Books for your enjoyment Barns of the Queen's Bush Jon Rado]kovx BARNS OF THE QUEEN'S BUSH From pioneer log barns to elegantly constructed timber -frame monsters, this book illustrates and tells of the barns that made the region flourish in agriculture (most stories from Grey and Bruce Counties). $34.99 EVEN Ct is Go 7o ;Aro114* Lou L. I-(OMEMADE 1-CAND J1E-DOWNS HOMEMADE & HAND-ME-DOWNS Arnold Mathers' stories have been entertaining Rural Voice readers for years. This new collection of 46 stories includes 17 which haven't been published in previous books. Mathers sees the humour in the way we were. $28.00 THE GLORY OF THE TREE: An Illustrated History 91 of the world's great tree species are celebrated in glorious colour in this tribute to one of nature's most generous gifts. Learn about our native trees like birch and maple and exotic trees from afar. $39.95 EVEN COWS GO TO HEAVEN Linda Knox tells the often funny story of her father Melville Knox who was born near Stratford, trained at Ontario Veterinary College, and practiced veterinary medicine in Grey County for many years. $14.95 413 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 TAKE ATOUR THROUGH HURON COUNTY KITCHENS Dozens of cooks donated hundreds of recipes for this cookbook published to support and honour the 2017 International Plowing Match at Walton. everything from appetizers to pickles. $15.00 (tax included) Common BIRDS Ontario J Dime Sept GREAT SCOTS! How the Scots C�`R l2 SCOTS! Created Canada Immigrants from Scotland played a huge role in shaping the Canada we know now, from exploring the country to establishing early government to the biggest businesses. $26.95 COMMON BIRDS OF ONTARIO This full -colour photo guide brims with detailed information on more than 140 of the most commonly seen bird species in Ontario so you can enjoy birds year round in your own backyard, at the beach or in a park. $12.95 FIFTY tANIMALS • 4 -a THAT • '""" CHANGED Fifty Animals HISTORY that Changed the Course' of We take 140, " History animals for ihrgranted but some have changed the course of human history. From horses, cattle, sheep, goats, chickens and turkeys to the earth worm, silk worms, beavers and seals this book tells their stories. $29.95 See these and other books at... The Citizen 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114