Dear Adele,
My name is Dene Waring, 57-year-old son of Jasper Anthony Harland Holt Waring (b. Christchurch New Zealand 1920, d.1995), who was son of Rupert Terrence Waring and Agnes Ramsay.

Rupert Terrence Waring had five children with Agnes before separating and remarrying. Nessica (Nessie), Rupert (Rhubarb), Ralph, Judy and Jasper (not positive about the order).

Rhubarb and Jasper were placed in an orphanage after the separation and had a tough time of it. Ralph died in a Lancaster bomber landing crash on return from a mission in WWII. Nessie and Judy were the "straight" ones who married once each and raised families traditionally. Rhubarb was colourful, to say the least - all the family had a high level of wit and intelligence.

My father Jasper went on from the orphanage after many mishaps to end up in borstal, then Aldershot Glass House for his brief enlistment during WWII, then many brushes with the law over the rest of his years. He was a larger than life character, sometimes for better, often for worse (I have half-written some anecdotes which you can find online at http://www.theheartboxmemoirs.com).

He was estranged from his father Rupert throughout his life, the two never got on, so I knew nothing of my grandfather and never met him although he was living in Christchurch. As a result I have always wondered who he was and what family he left behind when he embarked to NZ. In the late 1990's I once tried to call his surviving second wife when she was in her 80's and a widow (Rupert died in approx 1967-69) to ask about him, but when she heard I was Jasper's son, she hung up yelling that I was "The spawn of the devil!", so there's an indication of some animosities, of which I may never know the origins.

I would love to have photos of him, and to know of his family in Britain. I would appreciate anything you can offer? There is collateral damage on each side of the Earth, it seems.

Feel free to email me directly if you wish: dene.waring@gmail.com.