From "Jim's Story" document distributed at Jim's funeral.

Ernest Robert James Foulston was born on 10 March 1906 in Stoke Newington, London. Named after his father, the young Ernest was known as, and has always been known as Jim, or in later life, Uncle Jim. He was the eldest of three children, having a younger sister Ivy and younger brother Sid.

At about four years of age young Jim contracted polio - or infantile paralysis as it was known at that time. The disease left him with a withered left leg requiring a leg iron and a built up boot. Jim told us that - His father would carry him across London to different hospitals where he received various treatments including placing his leg in a bucket of water and receiving electric shocks." He also told of - Being isolated at school where he was prevented from attending games and swimming lessons because of his disability.

During the Great War, Jim's father fought with the artillery and some time in 1918 during the last days of the war lost a leg. Jim told us how -He would travel by bus across London to be with his father who was convalescing in a military hospital. He told of how he would wait for a particular bus in which his Uncle was the conductor, in this way he would travel for free. It was during this period that Jim's father produced the embroidered cushion covers with the regimental badge design. Jim kept these until late in life he gave them to his niece Pat, who has them still.

As a young man, Jim joined a cycling club. He managed to ride a fixed wheel bicycle which carried the pedals round thus requiring little effort from his left leg. It is as a member of the cycle club that he met Kathleen McDermott his future wife. Jim told us - Kath was from an Irish family. She worked in a shoe shop in Romford. This led to many bike rides between Stoke Newington and Romford - and many late night return journeys.

Jim also told of - London to Brighton runs, multiple pile-ups in the Blackwall tunnel and of pushing Kath up the hills, which seems like one leg having to do the work of four. Jim would love to talk about the cycling club and one got the impression that it was a very happy time in his life.

In 1922 at age 16 Jim had started working for Glover and Main in Edmonton, who were famous for their cast iron gas stoves and water heating appliances. He rode motor cycles, both solo machines and with a sidecar combination. He was the first member of the family to own and drive a car.

On the 7th September 1929 at age 23 years, Jim married Kathleen McDermott at Hackney Register Office.

At about this period, Jim was a member of a football club in an administrative capacity, probably as treasurer. Jim told us - of the time his team turned up a player short so that he played the match as goalie. He told us that they lost the match but when asked the score, he could never remember.

A life long Spurs supporter, Jim regularly attended matches at White Hart Lane and travelled to important away matches. Late in life, in his nineties, he could still quote the whole of the team from the 1960's era. He would still give his unflattering opinion of Alan Sugar and could never accept George Graham as manager - an ex Arsenal man.

Although, later in life, Jim and Kath would holiday abroad, Jim spoke of many fond memories of holidays in Eastbourne, where they would go year after year to the same accommodation.

During the Second World War, Jim acted as an ARP warden. Whilst on watch he witnessed his brother Sid's house receive a direct hit from an enemy bomb. Sid being away at work at the time meant that his wife and baby daughter were alone in the house. Jim arrived to help them out of the Anderson shelter in the garden. Jim carried the baby, his niece Pat, over the rubble to safety. He told of his fear of fire from a leaking gas main, he also told of how Pat would not stop crying until she was returned to her mother.

At some time during the war, Jim received a shrapnel wound in the arm and told of its crude removal by the local doctor. Jim kept the piece of shrapnel in a jar as a memento.

During the war, and after, Jim kept chickens, ducks and rabbits. He proudly told of a favourite duck that had laid an egg on each of forty consecutive days. He joined a rabbit breeding society and told of how he had exhibited a special rabbit at Regents Park Zoo. Jim and Kath always had pets, both dogs and cats, they were particularly fond of Scottie dogs.

In 1947, Jim had received a barometer from Glover and Mains marking twenty five years of service to the company. Starting as a 'Commercial Clerk' he had risen to become sales manager and he often spoke of sales conferences in Scotland. He told of how, unable to join in playing the golf matches that seemed to be an essential part of the conference, he would volunteer to keep score. In 1962 he received a gold watch to mark forty years of service. When his sight had deteriorated to the point were a watch was of no use to him, he gave it to Pat's husband Brian for safe keeping.

Jim became the first member of the family to own a television. Pat remembers watching the tiny round screen in the darkened room. Pat also remembers day trips to the coast when Sid and May with the kids, Pat and Barbara went in one car, whilst Uncle Jim and Auntie Kath with Auntie Ivy and Nanna (Jims mum) and two scottie dogs went in Jim's car. Pat remembers that Kath always rode in the back with the two dogs even when travelling alone with Jim as the driver. Pat remembers they often visited the Essex coast with Clacton and Holland-on-Sea being favoured spots.

In his early sixties, Jim decided to take retirement an bought a bungalow in Holland-on-Sea, in order to tend the garden and play bowls and whist.

As for the rest of the Foulston family, his father died in 1953, his sister Ivy died childless in 1967 and his mother died in 1969. His aunts Polly, Dolly and Ciserly had all died childless. His known family then consisted of Jim and wife Kath, his brother Sid and his wife May plus Sid and May's two daughters Pat and Barbara. Barbara died tragically young aged 21 in 1970. Sid and May suffering from the shock retired early and joined Jim and Kath by buying a property at Holland-on-Sea. Sid died shortly after in 1977 at the age of 63. May often spoke of her gratitude to Jim at that difficult time, she was greatly helped by Jim in managing her financial affairs right up until her own death in 1988. Jim was then of great help to Pat in arranging her mother's funeral.

As she aged, Kath grew more infirm, and eventually became housebound with very little mobility. During her decline, Jim nursed Kath for about fourteen years, he cooked and kept the house immaculate as well as running errands for the 'old dears' (many younger than himself) who lived locally. Kath died in 1991 in her own home with Jim on hand, and thus Pat and her family were left as Jim's only living relatives.

After Kath's death, Jim was helped by his great niece Jane and her husband Steev who transported him to and from Chelmsford to sort out Kath's affairs. He had given up driving as he considered himself unsafe and had given his last car to his great nephew Steven who was in need of a vehicle at the time.

On another occasion, on hearing that his other great nephew, Adam, was unable to afford the flight from Italy to be home for Christmas, Jim insisted on paying the fare.

With his eyesight failing, Jim was persuaded to visit the opticians for some new glasses. The optician sent Jim to a specialist who dropped the bombshell that his condition was incurable and registered Jim as officially blind. His eyesight continued to deteriorate throughout the rest of his life.

Jim soldiered on, managing for himself with the assistance of 'meals on wheels, his friend Burt, and his 'special' friend Ann, plus a Zimmer frame supplied by the milkman who had noticed, in advance of Social Services, that Jim was having difficulties with walking. Jim seemed to accept that Zimmer frames were part of the rounds man's function.

Pat who by this time was living in Stoke-on-Trent, kept in regular telephone contact but became increasingly worried over Jim's deteriorating condition. After one distressing phone conversation, Steven and Anna who lived in the London area, made an emergency visit to Jim to check him out. Pat had researched residential homes both in Stoke-on-Trent and Holland-on-Sea. Unhappy with what she had seen in some of the homes she visited, she became convinced of the need for Jim to move to the Stoke-on-Trent area so that she could closely monitor the situation. Having found a place in a home of her choice, Grindly House in Blythe Bridge, Jim steadfastly refused to move and managed his independence for a further year. Eventually his failing eyesight, increasing deafness and poor mobility forced him to agree to a six week trial in the residential home. On leaving his home, his friends and Ann, we all had tears and Pat and her husband Brian were forced to promise to take him back to Holland-on-Sea if things didn't work out.

In fact, after a very short while, Jim demanded to be taken back and Brian agreed to take him home on a day of Jim's choice. However, when forced to make the final decision for himself, Jim backed down and never again demanded to be returned home. He had given Pat control of his affairs, he requested that his bungalow be sold and, in fact, simply gave it to Pat to dispose of as she saw fit, virtually never mentioning it again.

Grudgingly Jim settled to his new life and got to know the 'females' as he referred to the staff at Grindly House. He particularly enjoyed visiting Pat and Brian's home especially when their grandchildren (his great-great nephews and nieces), Charlotte, Phillip, Flossy, Gracie and Alex were about. With his increasing deafness he liked to hear the kids noisy games and with his limited vision to spot their rushing about. He also liked to stroke Jane's dog and feed him biscuits, an arrangement that suited them both. He liked a chat particularly with the men of the family, great nephews Steven and Adam and Jane's husband Steev. He got to know the in-laws Anna and Jill and always remembered their names and asked after them at every opportunity. In his latter years at Stoke-on-Trent, he truly became part of Pat's family. On visits without the kids he was always slightly disappointed and remarked on 'how quiet it was'.

In spite of new boots which Mrs Barker at 'the home' had kindly arranged to have made for him - his 'damn' leg, as he called it, got worse and he was hardly able to move. This made a wheelchair necessary. This had advantages in that we were able to move him from room to room and he could help with the washing up - a highlight of his visit. His last visit was Christmas 2000, when in spite of very poor vision he was still able to spot and make a grab for the mince pies.

Ultimately after about 3 years in Grindly House he needed more specialist care within a nursing home and from there as an emergency to he went into hospital.

Legs had played a big part in Jim's life and the ultimate cruel irony was that his good leg developed the blood clot that was to cause his demise. He died on Sunday 29th April ten years less one day after Kath had died.

Jim was notoriously careful when it came to his own needs, resenting every penny spent on himself. Some years ago, he gave Pat money to put aside to pay for his funeral. His instructions were to go to the Coop, offer cash and ask for a discount. This, we are pleased to say we have done successfully. However, he was also very generous to others particularly to Pat and her family and would give without hesitation. He always needed to be of use - he resented very much his needing the care of others. He had no known interest in music, the arts or literature. A pragmatic man he seemed to value his life in its usefulness to others. Latterly, blind and virtually deaf, he would often say 'What good am I like this?'. He could never understand why he, the weakling of the family, had survived his whole generation - perhaps it was his strength of mind that overcame all. In any case we are thankful that he did.

He was without sentimentality and had no religious views, and regarding an afterlife he believed that death was the end. He did, however, believe that things should be done properly at the proper place and time. So we hope that, in arranging this service in this way, we have done right by you Jim. On behalf of your extended family, the Gardners and the Stamfords, goodbye - we shall miss you.