A lifesaving award presented to Herbert in 1956 for saving two boys from the sea at Great
Crosby. Like father, like son...This image of the award and the following two photographs of a trophy are submitted by Sonny Powsey, one of Herbert's grandson's.




Two photographs taken by Sonny Powsey of a trophy passed down to him by Herbert. Herbert was trained to perform and dive by Professor Powsey with his sister Gladys, and his obituary below specifically mentions this fact. Professor Powsey himself travelled to Scandinavia to perform (for the King of Denmark according to the poster below) and it would appear that Herbert may have as well. Hodjhoppare sounds Scandinavian. High diver perhaps? I have an aquaintance who speaks both Swedish and Finnish but not so good with Danish, and says it indeed sounds like highdiver. He told me to ask the King of Demark to for confirmation.

Herbert 'Bert' Powsey.

At the Canadian Powsey end not a lot is known of Herbert; there are some family myths about him; apparently he was quite a character, and the stories at our end involve him being diagnosed with a terminal disease and travelling the world in a final fling with his wife only to discover he wasn't dying, and also a story of him being a POW in WW2. Diane Ajula, his daughter hadn't heard of stories those when we met her, so some of the myths at our end may have become larger than life. At some point in the near future Sonny Powsey will assemble some factual notes and anecdotes about Herbert and I'd be delighted to post them here.

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