Joe Moisey, 87, turned his memories into a wonderful book. With support from the Furzedown Project in London, Joe published Moisey into Sacks himself last year.
It all started in 1982. Visiting his elderly aunt in Northampton on Saturdays, Joe noticed a young woman also turned up sometimes. He didn’t know her identity until some years later, when a letter dropped through his door. Revealing herself to be Joe’s young cousin, Denny told Joe she’d always wondered what her father meant when he said, ‘It’s a wonder Joe turned out so well, considering the childhood he had.’
Joe knew that the two sides of the family had never mixed, but felt he should share the family history with Denny. So he started writing letters that brought the past to life. Describing his early life – sleeping in haystacks, working as a gamekeeper, flying RAF sorties during the war – brought back some painful memories. But Joe feels this was part of giving ‘the gift of history’ to Denny. Over several years of letter writing, they developed a close friendship.
Joe says, ‘I never thought it would become a book, but I’m grateful to Colette, who put it together, and I’m very proud of it.’
