John "Jack" Nolan (1908 - 1982)
A collection of writings
Home Stories Poems Memoirs When I Was Young (audio) Father's Story

Welcome. This site is dedicated to my grandpa, John "Jack" Nolan. He was creative and loved to write, and left behind an assortment of stories, memoirs and poems inspired by the places and people in his life, and a love of nature and the countryside. I remember him affectionately as a gentle man.

This creative output has been lying neglected in the attic, until now. By putting it online and making it available to family, friends, or anyone who might be interested, I hope to bring his memory to life.

He was from a working-class background, the son of a miner, and was a carpenter by trade. He was born and raised in St Bees, Cumberland. In 1940s he moved to the village of Washington, West Sussex at the foot of the South Downs with his wife Eve and son John, where he remained for the rest of his life, and where they shared many happy times.

This site's domain name "Howman" (or "How-man") refers to the cottage where they lived in Washington (bought in the 1960s as the shop next door, converted into a beautiful home).

This is the house I remember growing up, and it was a special place to visit (that's me on the left, my sister on the right):

It was renamed after the old house of the same name near St Bees, where his father lived as a boy.

Website compiled 2021 - 2024