Les Bicknell

In the 1950s, I remember my grandfather - Les Bicknell - was involved with the Royal Antediluvian Order of the Buffaloes, and they used to meet at "the Wolfe". He lived in Deedmore Rd, Walsgrave. I was only a little kid then, and knew nothing of either buffaloes or wolves. As a teenager, I found a photo of him in his splendid uniform, and painted this portrait of him, which hung on the wall until both he and his wife, May, died. It now hangs on my wall in Australia. Does anyone remember Les, or know anything of his activities in the Buffaloes? Judging by the outfit, he was a man of some "rank" in the organisation. Interestingly, the "apron" is inscribed "Old Ball Lodge" No 662, which suggests a Ball Hill connection, but I can remember him saying often "I'm off to the Wolfe" and I don't remember any talk of Ball Hill at all.

Hi Johnnie, I'm pretty sure Deedmore Road is in Wood End rather than Walsgrave.

Yes Dutchman you're correct it comes under Wood End

Intriguing connection between the Bicknells and Lady Godiva - wouldn't THAT be nice for the family tree!! It seems that grandad was indeed "a somebody" in the Buffaloes - KOM meaning "Knight Order of Merit (Knight or Sir) (3rd degree)". He was apparently ex-army, and after WWII was involved in all the Poppy Days and anything like that. When I was VERY small I remember he played the bugle at such days. He became a bit disillusioned in later years, because when they were in need of help there didn't seem to be much available - I remember him offering me the advice "If ever tha does owt for nowt, do it fer thysen!". He and May lived in Townsend Cottage (I would love to find photos of the house!), which was the second (going out of town) of the row of houses between the two hump bridges on Deedmore Rd. I'm happy to accept the advice that it was in Wood End, but all their mail was addressed to Deedmore Rd Walsgrave, and we referred to Woodend as the area where the school is now - closer to Henley Road. He worked as a foreman for Alfred Herberts until he retired, pushbiking to work - always wearing his flat cap, and later using a moped. May used to work part-time in the little shop next door, so there was always an ice cream or a glass of dandelion and burdock when I visited. When the old house was sold, and demolished for units, they were moved to a council-assisted unit in Hermes Cresc, off Wyken Croft. He wasn't very mobile then though - he died in (I think) 1979, when he would have been aged 78.

Hello Everyone, I hope that your Christmas day was as lovely as ours. Thank you for your responses re 'The General Wolfe'. It would be good if someone bought it and restored it to its former glory, but I guess that's doubtful. I would hate for it to be demolished though. I cannot find anything re its history and would love to know more. When it was built? I love the stone that it is made of. Did General Wolfe have a connection with Coventry??? Is that who the pub was named after? Gilly

Thanks Gilly. I do feel very proud of him (and quite pleased with my attempt at his portrait too). In actual fact, he was not my "real" grandfather at all, as my "real" maternal grandfather died young. Les Bicknell was my mother's stepfather. I knew that my mother's maiden name was Bond, but I was 16 years old when it dawned on me what that meant. The guy that I called grandad (and she called dad) wasn't really! But he did a very good job, both as a father and as a grandfather. Nice to be able to remember him at Christmas! Have a good one!