The Boys family lived in a small semi-detached house but the four eldest boys slept in a room above a bakery on the opposite side of the street. In about 1928 the house next door became vacant, an inner door was knocked through and the family were together once more.

Howard's mother played a number of musical instruments including the organ and continued playing in the local church into her eighties; she also gave music lessons and Howard learned to play the violin. Howard must have inherited his manual dexterity from both parents.

Bridge near Billing

In 1922 Howard started using a sketch book which had sporadic use as a diary as well as for his sketches until 1946. The sketches were originally done in pencil and later most of them were inked over. Nearly all of them would have been made as he cycled around the countryside and, remembering that Howard was only 16 when he started, they show a simplicity of line which foreshadowed his later work in aero modelling and as a draughtsman.

Showing an early interest in radio technology, during the late 1920's Howard built a whole series of radio sets from crystal to 3 valve and, as one did in those days, he also made the loudspeakers. There was a 3-ply exponential horn made from an old tea chest but the main sitting-room speaker consisted of Japanese silk, glued to a wood framework, pulled out into a cone and doped a technique he was later to use in aero-modelling.

Previous or Next or Jim's Index

Please feel free to contact me, my email address is here Jim Boys

© Copyright 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Jim Boys