Frank Read (1922-2006)
Frank Read was born on 1st July 1922 in Norwich. His parents had a number of children, of whom several died in infancy, meaning that Frank had siblings much older than him, and then a big gap. During the 1939-45 war, the pub next to their house in Chapel Street, the Duke of Wellington, received a direct hit in the so-called ‘Baedeker’ raids in April 1942. Whether the Reads were in residence when this happened isn’t known, but it must have been a very frightening experience for young Frank. He married the following year, and in later years lived in Hethersett, on the western outskirts of Norwich. He had a dulcimer as a young man, and his daughter, Sandra Adcock (b.1944) had childhood memories of him playing the dulcimer, but kind-hearted Frank sold it in order to buy a piano accordion for her.
For Frank’s 40th wedding anniversary in 1983 the family contacted Dick Joice (a local celebrity who used to present the long-running Anglia Television programme ‘Bygones’) to see if he might know the whereabouts of another dulcimer. He suggested an antique dealer in Wymondham and there they found another dulcimer for Frank. This was the very fine instrument seen here, which had been made by renowned Norwich dulcimer maker Mark Widdows in the late 19th century.
Billy Bennington used to tune it for him and Sandra recalled going round to Billy’s house and the two of them playing together.
Frank died in October 2006.
There are no known recordings of Frank Read.
Frank Read’s dulcimer
More photos and information about Frank Read’s dulcimer (link goes to Henry Edwards – same instrument)
After Frank Read died, his daughter contacted us and asked if we would like to buy the dulcimer. We didn’t think twice, as it is a beautiful instrument with an interesting history, having been owned in the early 20th century by one Henry Edwards, who wrote his name on the outside of the case – and inside the case he had left some souvenirs of a trip to the USA just before the 1914-18 war.
Frank’s dulcimer is one of five known to have been made some time before 1889 by Norwich maker Mark Widdows (and is referred to here as Widdows no. 1) – there is more about Mark Widdows here, and you can also follow that link to compare instruments made by him.
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