Have you got your warm drink at hand? Or maybe you prefer something stronger, whatever your choice do make yourself comfortable.

Where do I begin? Well maybe I should start with my earliest recollections.

I was born at the end of World War 2, not that I would remember that, but we lived at that time with my nana and pop pop, because my father was at war
He was in the first Airborne Regiment and was a Dunkirk Veteran.
He also served in Arnhem.

When I was two I went to the local nursery school, just around the corner from where my grandparents lived.
I must have really loved that school! because, I was found on many an occasion popping back into my grandparents through the hole in the wall which, was a route to the air shelter!.

When I was about three and the war was at an end we moved to our new home.
Our new home was a newly built house and at that time there were three children.
I had two brothers, one who was older and one younger.

My next recollection was one day my parents came home with a little bundle and I was told not to touch; this was my new baby sister.
I remember my father singing songs to this little bundle and at that tender age feeling a little jealous because, of course I did not have a daddy when I was as tiny - he was of course at war.

I then reached the age of four and went to my first proper school.
Whilst at school I met my first friend.
We were friends all the way through our school years and we lived ever so close to each other.
When we left school we both went to work and saw each of night time.
My friend and I used to go round the shops at night, when it was quiet looking at all the wonderful things in the windows.
I have fond memories of this strong friendship.

I went out to work in various jobs and at the age of sixteen I joined a local band, as their lead singer.
I enjoyed my time with the band and travelled all over with them.

At the age of seventeen I met my husband to be.
I met him in a local fish and chip shop and I remember thinking that he was nice.
My friend arranged that he would take me to the local cinema, but on the night I should have gone I had a sore throat.
We did get together and at the age of 18 we became engaged, this was another friendship in my life, all be it a different kind.

I decided to give up working with the band, so my fiancee and I started making preparations for our wedding.
I was to have one lady of honour and four bridesmaids.
The maid of honour was a friend and the bridesmaids were my cousins and my dear little sister.
We got married in the summer of 1964; it was a lovely day and the wedding went well.
It was all I could have wished for.

We rented our first house and spent many hours making it into a home.
My nana helped me with the curtains and pop pop helped with the carpets.
Everything looked so nice and really cosy and so began our new life together.

In the October of that year we bought our first pet; it was a little puppy, a cross between a Labrador and a whippet!!!!.
We called her Sheba and she was a little treasure.
Another little friend in my life.

My husband's mother was ill quite alot because, she had Parkinson's Desease, so we had to tend to her quite a lot.
In early December of our first year of marriage she died of cancer.
it was a very sad time for all of us. On January the second, of the next year my father in law also died, so within three weeks my husband had lost both his parents.

We bought the house, where we are still living in the April of that year; it was across the road from my grandparents house and it meant I could see them every day.
It was lovely popping across to help them out; they were elderly and because my nana had very bad chest problems she needed a lot of attention and as I was so close to her it was no problem to me to help out when I could.
I often went shopping with my nana and I helped her in any way I could.

I learnt a lot from my grandparents, fom my grandfather(pop pop) I learnt how to write in a fancy way; this has always stayed with me.
I learnt how to cook and clean from my nana and she always told me that when cleaning windows to make sure to clean the corners.

Time went by and I found I was having a baby - we were very excited.
I put on a lot of weight during my pregnancy but, all in all I was very well and the pregnancy went to plan.
I went over my due date and so I had to go into hopital to be induced, not a pleasent procedure in those days.
The next day at eight am in the morning our first child was born.
It was a hard labour and for some time I was left on my own.
We called our first child Samantha Ann.
I will not go further into our life with Samantha because I would like you to read about it by clicking on Samantha's Site on the list.