Mum was born in 1929 in Stoke Newington. She
has an older sister Lillian, and also had an older brother who sadly died when
he was a teenager.

During World War 2 mum was evacuated as a young girl to the West Country, but her Mum missed her so much she went and brought her back to London, where Mum told us stories of having to hide under the table and in the air raid shelters, which she said was very frightening. At the same time a young man called Peter was serving in the Royal Marines and although they did not know each other then there paths would cross later.

One of the first job’s Mum gained when leaving school was in a florist’s, but unfortunately she had to leave it because of the cold and damp conditions. Mum also worked in a Chemist’s in Tottenham high road and it was during this time that she met Dad. They had both been dancing in the Tottenham Royal, and at the end of the evening while Dad was waiting for his bus home, Mum said goodbye to her male friend and actually approached Dad in the queue. They got chatting and Dad left the bus queue and walked her home from Bruce Grove to Edmonton, and if you are unfamiliar with the area, that is a long walk!!

After a courtship that involved many dances and trips to the cinema, Mum and Dad married in 1950, Mum was 21 and Dad was 25, and this year they will have been married 65 years.

They moved in to the upstairs rooms of Mum’s parents’ house in Edmonton where they had their first child a daughter Julie, and due to Dad gaining a promotion at work they moved from North London to Harold Hill.

A few years later Dad had a win on the football pools which, as well as unsurprisingly helping out lots of their family; also enabled Mum & Dad to put down a deposit on a new build house in Harold Park, and 4 years after Julie,
Mum and Dad had a 2nd daughter Lynne.

Mum took a job as an Avon lady, and Lynne has memories of her and Julie helping Mum pack up the orders and then walking or sometimes Mum riding her bike to deliver to customers in the local area.

In the words of my sister “when the girls were 8 and 12 a son was born”, which amongst other things opened up a new social circle for Mum and Dad, and although they were considered older parents at the time they were kept young not only by their children, but also with the new social life they had acquired.

In 1970 the family moved to the house that is home to this day. Although the removal men didn’t need a lorry as they moved to the house next door and so could carry their belongings over the fence.

Mum also gained a position as a dinner lady at Harold Court Primary School, and would cycle to work whatever the weather along Harold Court Road. Although my sisters had long since left the school I had two years left to be on my best behaviour, and remember having difficulty in deciding whether to call her Mum or Miss. Mum’s decision to join the school obviously wasn’t to keep an eye on me as long after I left to go to Secondary school Mum remained and became a favourite of the local children, even winning an award for being the longest serving Council employee at that time.

Mum was an amazing cook and all of us(including her 6 grandchildren Alison, Mathew, Heather, Philip, Josh, and Rochelle) have very fond memories of the wonderful recipes she would conjure up including biscuits, pastries, and desserts. However I also remember when I was a teenager I would joke around with Mum that the dinner of the day was 9 or 9 and a half out of 10, when obviously it was excellent.

Mum also had a beautiful voice and sang with a group of people including her neighbour Colin, at day centres and residential homes in the local area.

We always went away as a family on summer holidays, where Mum and Dad would whirl each other around the dance floor, and I have a lovely memory of a night when Mum entered a singing competition at a holiday camp, where the prize was another holiday. Mum sang “Can’t help loving that Man of mine” and got through to the final round. It was getting late when Mum had to sing again, and as the compare announced “and the winner is Joan Thomas” I remember running up to Mum and saying tonight Mum you were 10 out of 10.

Mum gained another 10 out of 10 when in her fifties she passed her driving test on the 7th attempt, which was a great example of her ethos she passed on to us all of “never give up”. Learning to drive gave Mum a new found freedom and she was able to take her older grandchildren to the theatre and to pantomimes.


After Mum retired from Harold Court School, she still wanted to help her community and started voluntary work in the Rainbow Trust Charity Shop in Harold Wood.

In 2003 Mum began to notice that she had difficulty walking and although we didn’t know it at the time these were the early symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease which was finally diagnosed in 2007.

However with Dad’s amazing 24 hour care and the regular and long term support of my sister Lynne, Mum continued to lead a life as full as possible including working at the Rainbow trust shop where she remained until January of this year, in fact she never retired even when she could not continue as she always hoped she would return at some point.

As communication became difficult Mum learned how to text which was so important to keep in touch with her friends and family, especially as she now had 6 great grandchildren, Jordan, Robyn, Jack, Daniel, Emily, and Hartley.

Although she was unable to get out as much as she used to Mum was an avid enterer of competitions and won a wealth of prizes
that she passed on to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

As Mum’s condition changed over the years she was also helped and supported by the wonderful MND team including Liz, Susie, and June, Alison and the OT staff, the district nurses, and eventually the Allcare team. Mum also learned to use a spelling board and despite us struggling on occasions to get what Mum was trying to tell us, she would never get frustrated and somehow would smile and even laugh at her situation.

When Mum became very unwell she was admitted to hospital and was cared for by the wonderful and attentive staff in Sunrise B ward at the Queens Hospital in Romford.


Despite being in hospital Mum was still able to smile as her family, some who had travelled from Scotland and even Abu Dhabi; reminisced, remembered stories from the past, and her granddaughter sang her favourite song to her, 'A house with love in it'.

Throughout Mum’s life the overriding memory we all cherish is of someone who was really kind, always thinking of others, was caring, loving, and despite the overwhelming difficulties she faced was able to smile and laugh at life, and so Mum I know I can speak for everyone whose lives you touched when I say you are and will always be 10 out of 10.