AUTHOR Sidney Wood, or to those who knew him Sid or Woody, was born at Crab Orchard Farm in Three Legged Cross in August 1918.
The son of a thatcher, who built the family home that still exists today, Sidney was the youngest of 12. He spent hours with his maternal grandmother, who lived in the cottage next-door and taught him the alphabet backwards – a skill he never forgot.
Sidney was always interested in words and penned many articles, short stories and poems including Ploughman of the Moon, an autobiographical description of his early life, and subsequently The Mad Hatters Army, a light hearted account of his army life in occupied France in the Second World War when he was a Corporal in the Royal Corps of Signals. The book was published in 2006 when Sidney was 88.
During the war years he also served in Madagascar, East Africa and the Middle East, including a spell in the Palestine police, using the varied locations to fuel his burning passion for writing.
On his return to England Sidney lived in Bournemouth, giving lectures in libraries and other venues on ancient Dorset history as well as indulging in his reminiscences and writing poetry.
A private person, Sidney never married and lived alone, but he had many friends and was part of a caring family who were interested in his work and proud of his many achievements.
His funeral took place at Bournemouth Crematorium in July, a few weeks before he was due to celebrate his 94th birthday.
