Frances Beryl Lovett 17.10.1930 - 15.11.2007

Ten Years Gone

Today is the 10th anniversary of Mum's death and it seemed inappropriate not to mark that in some way.  This is a shot taken back in 1998, when Mum was just about the same age as I am now.  

While we miss Mum so much even now, it would be wrong, and she would not want us to wallow in the misery of her loss.  Much better to remember happy times.

Mum often went with her youngest sister Mary to dance at the Tower Ballroom in New Brighton, which is where they both met their husbands (my Dad and uncle Peter) on the same fateful evening in 1954.  On that first meeting the sisters were having such good time chatting and dancing that they managed to miss their last bus home.   Dad was then doing national service and had a motorcycle, so he was able to offer to ferry them each back home in turn on the back of his bike. It turned out to be an auspicious start and they married 3 years later.

At the start of their married life the sisters lived within walking distance and were a great help to each other with newly married life and the joys and tribulations of bringing up children, becoming ever closer friends as the years went by.  

When they got together the sisters could be little giddy.  Once when my Cousin John and I had pulled the heads of the neighbour’s prize tulips (we were just toddlers at the time) it was Mum and Aunty Mary who went round trying to stick the heads back on with sellotape.   I never did get to the bottom of just why they thought this would work –the subject caused gales of laughter whenever it was raised.

Thinking of you Mum, wherever you are.