I was born on May 15th 1942 in Ashton -under-Lyne in Lancashire where my father ran his family coal company
My memories of my earlier childhood now are few , with the exception of being in a pram outside on a hillside and seeing bombs falling on Manchester (not sure if this is my memory or a story told to me) My father at the time apparently was in the Home Guard and guarding Wood Head tunnel with an empty sten gun!!
Me as a baby
Me with Mum (Dorothy)
My next memories were being sent to a weekly boarding school (coming home at the weekend) as my father was always of the belief I needed a good education and my mother wanted to play golf. Another lovely memory is of holidays on a farm in North Wales in a converted furniture van which remained at the farm for our holidays and I remember loving going there and enjoying feeding the animals.
The converted furniture van on the farm
As I got older my mother developed pneumonia and we moved from the North to Penmaenmawr North Wales near where we had stayed in the caravan and I went to Loreto Convent as a day girl in Llandudno. My grandparents came to stay and I loved going out with them to Conway and showing them Wales.
With Mum & Grandparents in Conway
My grandparents on the beach at Penmaenmawr
Grandparents enjoying the beach
Portrait of Harry my Grand-dad
We had a house on the beach which was great fun spending the whole day there, particularly playing on the sand and practicing headstands.
Outside our beach house with Mum, Uncle Ricki School friends and my dog Charlie
Unfortunately my father had to travel every day to his coal company in Stalybridge and it became too tiring for him and as my mother was back to good health they moved back to Hyde in Cheshire and I continued as a boarder at Loreto
Loreto Convent Llandudno
Me in class middle of front row
Me in school show
I remember going home to Hyde and going on my first holiday abroad and on an aeroplane
Me on first holiday abroad flying to Mallorca
At Loreto I was a member of various sports teams
Netball team Back Row on the end
On my holidays growing up I visited Italy with my Mum & Dad and also a good friend from school came back to Hyde and later Woodley Cheshire where Mum designed and had built a bungalow.
A boat trip with Dad (Stuart) in Italy
Visiting Santa Marguarita Italy with Mum
Positano Italy with Mum
Our house in Hyde Cheshire
Bungalow in Woodley Cheshire
Me growing up Teenage years
Out with School friend Christine and Charlie my dog
Charlie my lovely King Charles Spaniel
And another of Charlie
Coming back to the North when I finished school I visited a lot of dances etc. at Manchester University whilst I was studying at Miss Wilkinsons College for Young Gentle women!!!
Ball at Manchester Uni