England Never Slept

John Hignett grew up in war torn England, a child of air-raid shelters, evacuation, rationing, yet with remarkable remembrances of those early years of his life. A natural storyteller with a gift for knowing hundreds of delightful and very apt British sayings as well as a stunning knowledge of the natural world that surrounded him, John Hignett’s awareness of war-torn Britain both amazes and delights. Hignett became a scientist with the British government holding both a Master’s and a Doctorate from the University of Newcastle, working on the design and construction of the Channel Tunnel. He was a highly honored geo-technical engineer with many scientific papers filling his library. When his son showed a passion for farming, John and his family bought a farm in Cornwall. He taught at the Cambourne School of Mines, often voted as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Upon the death of his wife, he remarried an American woman whose late husband had been his good friend, moving to Colorado and settling down to accomplish many things, like perfect his golf game and write his remembrances of the war. For months when his wife would return from work, he would bring her a cup of tea and read the latest part of his book, England Never Slept. For him, it was a tribute to all the older men who formed the Home Guard and the incredible force of women who kept the spirit of English courage and tenacity alive.