South Yorkshire Times August 25 1939

Tragedy Mars Holiday

Sad News for Wombwell Family

The body of Mr. Noah Sykes (54), of 53, Wright Crescent, Wombwell, who was killed by lightning in a London Park on Monday, is to be brought to Wombwell for burial. The interment will take place at Wombwell Cemetery on either Saturday or Monday.

The inquest is to held at Ilford, London, to-day (Friday). Mrs. Sykes and her married son Norman were due to reach home from London last night, but it was not known when our reporter saw the family yesterday whether they would bring the boy red (15) who was injured, with them. Up to yesterday morning Fred was detained in hospital and it is understood that he was badly burned about the legs and ankles by the flash of lightning.

It appears that two of the children who were on holiday at Blackpool did not hear about the tragedy until one of them was informed by a person in the street on Tuesday morning. A daughter-in-law, Mrs. Norman Sykes of Roebuck Street, Wombwell, told our reporter yesterday, “At 8.30 on Tuesday morning I was out for a walk before breakfast when a woman reading a paper said, ‘I think your husband is Noah Sykes’ lad. When I replied that he was the woman said, ‘Then look at this, showing me the paper. I could not believe it at first. I then bought another paper and saw another report giving his name. I realised then that it must be true.

A little farther on we met my husband’s sister, Mrs. Hilda Dook of Blythe Street, Wombwell. with her husband and told them about it When we got back to our apartments there was a telegram asking for Norman to go to London at ‘ once. He caught the noon train.”

The whole family returned home as soon as possible, interrupting what up to that point had been a jolly holiday.

Meanwhile the sad news had been broken as gently as possible to fourteen years old Jack Sykes, who was in a school camp at Bridlington. Jack who attends Wombwell Modern Boys’ School, had gone with a party from Wombwell the previous Friday to join a camp organised by a physical training instructor of the West Riding County Council. Mr. Fred Tipping, a member of the staff of Wombwell Modern School, who is spending a month in the camp, told Jack of his bereavement. He was able to write to Wombwell later and say that “Jack ‘took it like a man,’ but his one desire was to get home ” He was due home yesterday.

Fred is now the only breadwinner in the family, but they hope in the circumstances that it will be possible to have Jack released from school earlier than otherwise would have been the case.

The funeral arrangements are in the hands of Mr. H. L. Guest, funeral undertaker, of 21, Park Street, Wombwell.