Parents' memory book tribute to the dad little Elsie will never know
PARENTS of a tragic dad have painstakingly created a memory book charting his life to show to the daughter he never met.
They hope that as the little girl grows up it will be a permanent reminder of the dad whose life was tragically taken too early.
Hartlepool couple Fred and Barbara Dickson made the book after their son Tim Dickson's life was cut short just a month before his daughter, Elsie was born.
The 35-year-old passed away in September last year following a 16-month fight with liposarcoma cancer.
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Tim, a former pupil at Manor College of Technology and Hartlepool Sixth Form College, left behind wife Emily who was heavily pregnant at the time.
His parents, who live on the Fens estate, have now issued an emotional appeal asking for his friends to send in their own tributes and photographs to add to the book.
The book covers Tim's life including his time at school, college, university and family holidays.
Retired Fred and Barbara, who used to work at Asda, are also working on their own family histories to give to their only grandchild.
Elsie, who weighed 7lb and 8oz, was born in the early hours of the morning at Gillingham's Medway Maritime Hospital, on October 10.
Tim left Hartlepool when he was 19 and was living in Rochester, near Kent, when he died.
Mr Dickson, 62, said: "Elsie will never get to meet her dad so we wanted to produce this book in his memory. This is the least we can do for him, I just wish we didn't have to do it.
"Due to the circumstances of Tim's death we thought it was very important that, when Elsie is old enough to appreciate it, we give her this book charting her dad's life.We have done a lot of research and the book includes everything from his school days right up until the last few years.
"He was our only child and we always wanted the best for him. We had always tried hard to keep him away from danger and then this happened to us.
"Tim died almost a year ago but this book has helped us a lot and brought back some great memories."
His mum Barbara, 61, paid her own tribute to Tim saying how much he loved his sport and music.
She added: "Tim was a fantastic son, very kind and gentle with a great sense of humour and he was liked by everyone. He would have made a great dad to Elsie.
"She has his blue eyes and we call her our little angel, she is flawless."
Mr Dickson added: "We would greatly appreciate it if as many people as possible who knew Tim could write a short account of their memories.
"Also, if anyone has photographs of Tim we would be very pleased to have a copy of them to add to the book."
Featured in the family history book is Elsie's great-grandfather Tony Frain, who survived the bombing of the RMS Lancastria on June 17, 1940, in which 4,000 men died.
Mrs Dickson added: "I think of Elsie as our little miracle because if my father had died that day then she wouldn't be here."
Her other great-grandfather, Fred Dickson, who served in the Royal Navy for six years, is also featured.
Tim left town to study sociology and trained to be a teacher at Goldsmiths' College, at the University of London.
He met Emily and the pair, who were looking forward to the birth of their first child when tragedy struck, married in 2004.
The email address for anyone to send memories or pictures of Tim is; f.dickson@ntlworld.com
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Friday 25 May 2012
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