In her own words:

I was born 9th August 1936 in Bristol. The war started when I was 3 years and 1 month old, and I remember the day well, as the adults were very serious and my mother, unheard of, was talking to Mrs Yandle next door. It had to be a Sunday as Mrs Yandle worked 6 days a week at their village shop.

The house became an ARP station and the nightly two hour front door bell ringing, as fire watchers knocked on and off, became an institution. My brother Derek and I slept in the cupboard under the stairs, Derek on the floor, me on the shelf, which had to be lengthened as I grew. A blast wall was built outside the French windows of the dining room which was fun to scramble up and jump down on to the lawn. The night sky was lit up with search lights, bombers droned overhead, bombs were dropped on Bristol and Filton (where the Bristol Aircraft Factory was situated), anti-aircraft fire was heard and, in the morning, shrapnel could be collected when roaming over the fields and little local hills.

After the war, aged 8 we moved to a very cold house in Bristol and I learned to dress without getting out of bed. Here I got my first dog, Tim and after him my second dog, Jim from the Dog Rescue and was with us for a long time. I went to school at Kingsdown Elementary in Cotham. This school proved to be a nightmare for me, as there was a group of children who lived on my way home – who singled me out for jeering and brick throwing, there was no shortage of bricks with bomb sites everywhere. My brother Derek took it upon himself to meet me from school on his bike and walk home with me. I had to wait at the dreaded playground until he arrived. It didn’t occur to us to tell our parents! In the meantime, I was sitting entrance exams for the posh schools, 200 plus girls chasing 7 places but eventually I went to Duncan House on the Promenade in Clifton, a two mile cycle ride.

Being tall for my age, and there being too many souls in the class for my age, I was put in a higher one, the youngest by two years, and ended up four years later in the class before school certificate at the age of 12! I found biology and maths difficult, hardly surprising given I had skipped two years of schooling. Being too tall for Brownies at age 10, I went straight into the Guides and for three Christmases running, Derek (in the Scouts) and I were in the Scout and Guide pantomimes.

Age 12, the family moved to Sidmouth. Imagine pink cliffs, sea front of one third of a mile, a bike and a dog, the maisonette a mere 5 minute walk from the sea. Heaven.

Here I went to the Convent of the Assumption, Station Road, Sidmouth. I met some interesting people and had a great respect for the Mother Superior. Reports had reached her of pupils undressing on the beach. I was on the carpet. I assured Mother Superior that we had put our bathing costumes and mackintoshes on at my house and walked down to the beach, swam and DRESSED on the beach. She tried not to smile and asked me to ensure that I we did not wear school uniform whilst doing this again.

After two years, growing daily more good at the Convent, I was removed from the convent and sent to my last school in Sidbury. This was a four mile cycle ride, the last mile being the private drive to Sidbury Manor in which the school was situated. In summer, my friend used to arrive on her pony, having ridden through woods, the pony was stabled in the stable block for the day.

For the last year, I was a boarder at this school, which was bearable because I was in the so called sixth form and doing O levels. All the sixth formers had to perform prefect duties, but following an incident at the school we were all de-prefected. Then the headmistress, found she could not manage without the prefect system and half the class were made prefects again. Needless to say, I was not included among the elite and can only boast of being a prefect for a week. Age 16, O levels taken, maths, English G. English L, Geography, History and Biology, failed French, off with a huge sigh of relief – away from school forever!

I was off to London to The London College of Secretaries in Queensgate, very near the Natural History Museum. The college hostel was in Earls Court and my pals and I used to walk to the college, taking about 40 minutes. Quite a few debs swanned around, but they spent so much time comparing notes about where one was going and whom one saw, they weren’t much competition for marks. Here, after nine months, I emerged with 110 wpm shorthand, 70 wpm typing, Civics & Book-keeping!

My first job was at Esso Petroleum, at 101 Piccadilly, opposite Green Park. I was living in London Hostels Association buildings which were just below basic, but cheap. I worked in the Personnel Department all very posh. My boss was always wanting to know what I had been doing over the weekend and on hearing the very “embroidered” stories, used to threaten to phone my parents!

Esso relocated their offices to the Haymarket. About this time, the family moved from Sidmouth to Worthing. My friend and I hitchhiked down to see this place. We ended up on the seafront looking at 12 deckchairs, with the occupants all huddled together – and after a short look around, I told Jane I could never live in this town. Life was quite hectic in the Haymarket, stilettos fight in Glasshouse Street, seeing quite a few celebrities wandering around.

I had my bike in London and cycled to work, the only person to do so, and stowed the bike behind the lift shaft. Hanging 3 library books tied with string from the handlebars and cycling down Piccadilly, was quite exciting. At this time my brother moved for work to Worthing. He told me that it wasn’t too bad and why didn’t I come down too. So, I resigned my job and moved back home to Worthing and have lived there for most of the rest of my life.

After some boring jobs, I went to work at Martins Bank in Worthing. After I had been there for a few months, a man called Richard came back having been away ill with T.B, in January 1958. We were married in March 1959 and had the reception at home so my dog Kim could come as well. We had three children, Robin (February 1961), Chris (December 1962) and Martin (November 1964). In 1966 we moved for Richard’s work first to Bedfordshire, way out in the countryside and then to Reading 11 months. During that time Martins Bank was sold out to Barclays and Richard managed to get a posting back to Sussex in 1970.

As soon as the boys were all at school, I got another dog Toby, who helped bring up the boys, always in scrapes with them! I started working at the bank to cover for holidays and sickness. When Martin was 14,1 accepted a part time contract and remained with Barclays until I retired at the age of 57.

During this time, I went back to studying. I spent years with the WEA looking at various aspects of English Literature studying everything from Shakespeare to 20th century authors.

Then I studied for Botany A level and passed that 19 months later. I then signed up for Open University to study general science. Mostly biology, geology but also courses on astronomy, oceanography, and after eight years, I obtained my BSc, at the grand old age of 65.

My main interests were classical music, reading, natural history particuarly wild plants. I did many surveys for the Sussex Plant Atlas and organised botany walks for Natural History Society.

My three boys have managed to give me eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren as well as several family dogs that stayed with me whenever anyone went on holiday and couldn’t take the dog.

Died 7th February 2025