South Yorkshire Times, November 17th, 1951

Christmas in Algiers

Young Mexboro’ Boy Is Becoming Quite A Voyager

When five-year-old Jack Hakin goes back to Park Road School, Mexborough, next year he will be a much-travelled young man. He will have covered nearly 7,500 miles in his short life, and his younger brother Philip, who is only 15 months old will have done nearly 3,000.

Jack and Philip, with their mother 24-year-old Mrs. Monique Hakin, of 67, Chaucer Road, Mexborough, are taking a holiday next Sunday to Algiers in North Africa.  Jack, who was born in Algiers, came to England when he was two months old, later returning for a holiday.

Mrs. Hakin is spending Christmas at home with her parents in Algiers. French by birth, she was Mlle. Monique Leseve during the war.  While in Algiers, where her father is Secretary to the Chamber of Commerce, she acted as interpreter to British Forces serving in North Africa. She met and married Horace Hakin, then a corporal in the R.A.F. and now a lorry driver with the British Road Services.

Horace will be staying at home while his wife and children make their three months’ return visit.

Later, when the Hakins get their own house and Monique’s parents return to Paris, where they have a home, they hope to have a yearly interchange of visits.

Horace’s parents, with whom the family are living, are going to miss the children for the next three months. Philip, of course has little to say about the matter, but Jack is becoming more and more excited and telling everyone.

It may not be a white Christmas for Monique.  Snow does fall in Algeria – but the first time she saw any was when she came to England in 1946.