Andrew Peter Dowle born on 10th January 1955 to Muriel (Min) and Tom Dowle in Erith.

Shortly after he was born Tom, Min, and his elder sister Carole moved from Slade Green near Erith to Park Road, Hamptons, which is between Hadlow and Shipbourne. Lovely days spent playing in the fields or finding his Dad on his tractor with Mum taking tea and cake to the field opposite the house. Walking in the snow and building igloos in the back garden. Fruit picking with his Mum and his Sister. Gone all day, home in time for tea!

Weekends were for visiting Grandparents, The Tutts (Mother's family) in Detling which included a trip to the Cock Horse before Sunday lunch with Uncles and Aunties. Sometimes the dinner was burnt when we got back!! His Dad’s parents lived on a farm in a lane near Blue Bell Hill on the way to Chatham. Again lovely walks and playing outside on Grandads Dowles tractor and hiding around the farmyard.

He went to school at Plaxtol Primary School at the age of 5. The family moved from Hamptons when Andrew was 11 to Rose Cottage in Shipbourne. Soon after he started secondary school at The Hugh Christie Secondary School in Tonbridge.

Shipbourne was to be the family home for over 50 years. Until his Father passed away at the age of 86 in 2018, his Mother passed at the aged of 82 in 2013. A tree was planted on Shipbourne Green in their memory by The Fairlawne Estate.

He left school at the age of 16 to start an apprenticeship in Car Mechanics at Tonbridge Motor Company in Pembury Road. His Father worked on the farm on the Fairlawn Estate originally for the Cazalet Family and latterly on the estate for the Saudi Arabian family, his Mother worked there as a housekeeper. Briefly after his apprenticeship he joined the family on the Estate, his Sister also worked in the main house so it was a bit of a family thing! He then went on to work for the Renault Dealer in Hildenborough as a mechanic.

He used to frequent places in Tonbridge, Teen and Twenty Club, 6 in One Club, Hilden Manor, and various pubs including the Kentish Rifleman - Dunks Green, Papermakers – Plaxtol, The Royal Oak at Haysden, Man of Kent in Tonbridge, The Mitre in Tunbridge Wells, and later years the New Drum. You could always find him in a pub!! He loved his curries, Prawn Vindaloo and chips were one of the first!

He had a small motorbike in the early days, a memorable journey from Shipbourne to the Rifleman at Dunks Green for Carole on the back on icy roads!

In 1984 he started the successful business of Spit and Polish with business partner Glenn Russell refurbishing alloy wheels in East Peckham on the Industrial Estate then moved premises to Tonbridge where they still operate today. Very fond memories with ‘the boys’.

An avid aviation enthusiast, Andrew was for a long time a small aircraft pilot and spent the Summers of 1993 and 1994 competing in the International Aerobatics Championships, earning the Earnst Belt two years in a row (Last place!). He was also a frequent member of The Tiger Club at Headcorn, spending the odd Sunday Morning cleaning and prepping WW1 Tiger Moth planes.

For leisure, there was a wide range of enjoyments for Andrew. Sunday trips to Chummies in Folkestone for Whelks and seafood, with the annual trip on Easter Sunday for a glass of bubbly or two. He played squash then went on to golf later, a devote member to Nizels, and later a member of Newquay Golf Club. He also had a season ticket at Chelsea Football Club where Andrew relived his younger days with the ‘D Mob’.

Andrew had 3 children, Claire, Anna, and Samuel. They mainly spent their time together at ‘The Flat’ on Avebury Avenue in Tonbridge in the early 2000's. Later this gave him two Grandchildren in Tilly and Hayden who were bombarded with Chelsea kits and accessories as you can imagine!

In 2004 Andrew married Sue and the family extended to her children, Holly, Lauren, Megan, and Matthew. The house in Leigh became the hub of activity for the family, with many fantastic memories and later the addition of Grandchildren who he cared for very much, known fondly as ‘Grandad Oi Oi’.

Later years were spent exploring Cornwall with many different friends and family. The Headland in Newquay was where he found comfort during recovery, and many a night drinking Rattler with whoever he could lend an ear.