John R Tinning winning a race in Billingham as a young man

John R Tinning during the War in Egypt

John R Tinning in Egypt

John R Tinning haming it up as usual (2nd from left)

John’s wife Magda (left) and John’s sister Peg my Mam

John R Tinning after the War

John R Tinning after the War singing at an ICI function

My late uncle John R. Tinning was a very well-known person on Teesside. He was included in a book about our area called “Cricket-stumps and Sticklebacks: A Childhood on Teesside”. John served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War as a wireless operator in Destroyers and Mine Sweepers in the Med then, Submarines based in Scotland (where he met Magda his future wife) and finally in Destroyers again in the Far East.
After the war John went back to ICI Estate Department and then ran Travel and Visitors for HOC division. John was best known for his singing voice and sense of humour. He was offered a job as a professional entertainer by the BBC but, didn’t want to drag his
family all over the country so, stayed with ICI and then after retirement from there became a building inspector for Teesside. The photographs show John before the War, during the War and at a ICI function, doing what he enjoyed most, entertaining.

Photographs and details courtesy of Derek Appleton.