Local Face: Ursula Deering

Ursula Frost was born in Berlin on 16 November l922 and therefore celebrates her 85th birthday this month. Ursula first visited the UK when she came to Peterborough for one year as an au pair in 1952. She then moved to Mill Hill Convent to care for the elderly nuns. She later worked for the parish church in Mill Hill in Flower Lane.

Ursula first met Stanley Deering whilst travelling on a train on her first holiday back to Germany. Stanley was born in Clay Lane in Wendover and was educated here too. He was in the armed forces. Ursula was headed for Berlin and Stanley was headed for Oldenborg where he was stationed at that time. They were sitting on opposite ends of the train but Stanley had walked the length and breadth of the train as he was a railway fanatic. When he came to her compartment he offered to buy the young Ursula a drink. Ursula refused this and told him she could buy her own! On alighting the train at Dover, Stanley offered to carry her suitcase. When she pointed at the TWO large suitcases, he was obliged to carry both of them. He told her later if he had known how heavy they were he would not have offered. On arrival at Ostende they travelled in separate compartments because the line was going to split for their two different destinations. Stanley still managed to find her and sit with her until he was forced to move and when he found out that Ursula was going to visit her mother for her birthday he gave her money to buy her mother a bunch of flowers from “The Englishman”.

The next time they saw each other, Stanley had already been to the presbytery to request the afternoon off for Ursula so that he could take her to an Arsenal Football match. Shortly afterwards Ursula came to live in Wendover and got a job in Cow & Gate in Aylesbury. When Cow & Gate closed Ursula went to work for Hazells in the bookbinding department and on the gilding machine. After this, she worked at Nestles in Aylesbury in quality control. She has such happy memories of working there and was so upset when they recently knocked it down to build all those new houses.

In 1971 without telling anyone, Ursula and Stanley nipped off and got married. They lived in Hampden Road for many years. After leaving the forces, Stanley got a job at the Royal Bucks Hospital in an administrative role. He then worked in a rivet factory and then for the Bucks Water Board in Wendover Dean. When Stanley became ill they moved to Holland Close. Stanley died in 1989 and Ursula still lives in Holland Close. She is a volunteer deliverer of Wendover News and delivers to all in Holland Close each month. In the last few years Ursula has been burgled twice but has been so grateful for all the support she has received from the local police force.

Ursula was born a Catholic and has strong tries with both St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Church and Wendover Free Church. She is an active member of both congregations and after the 9.00 am Mass on Sunday mornings she collects up any left over hymn books etc. and then tidies them away and starts to get the books ready to welcome the parishioners of the Free Church for their 11.00 am Service. Ursula is a member of Age Concern and still helps with their lunches and fundraisers. Ursula can always be found at any church function where help is needed.