A’s story
A’s early life includes being schooled in Egypt, growing up by the sea as a child in Kent, and eventually moving to Croydon in later childhood after her father changes his job.
At 18 she moves to Oxford for nursery nurse training and meets her husband and marries.
At weekends they start to take children from his school to a centre in Wales for outdoor pursuits. Eventually they seek a loan to buy their own cottage to run as a centre and move north to Chester in 1971 to be nearer to it.
Woven lives
With the cottage renovated they continue to take children on the Christian weekends for the next 35 years, creating opportunities for fun and support for so many. They’re active in their own church community too, hosting and supporting those around them.
A life woven into other people’s lives, bringing some hope and help.
Her husband’s heath suffers and after a battle with blood cancer, and he passes away in 2015.
His poems about how he felt during that time are eventually used in lectures to help students understand the challenges of his and similar illness.
The weekend activity cottage is sold and the money is used to convert their local church for better use to be able to continue to supporting the community and the next generation.
The cottage has become a bit of celebrity in its village! Children who visited returning as adults to again see the place where they’d had so much fun and support, and were given so many opportunities.
Legacy
In spreading Mike’s ashes and visiting the local church she bumps into two people who came to the cottage as children and had come back to visit, they’re both doing positive things with their lives and were thankful for the time they’d had there.
It felt like a reminder of the legacy their work has left, that continues to flow through the lives of the people they touched.
Having retired from nursery nursing and running her own childminding business, A is still an active person, taking piano lessons, (having made her biggest personal purchase of a piano!), singing with the local choir and crafting for charity.
A gently soul who continues to be woven into the community.
Insight
Amazing to hear her stories, and be encouraged that the things we do really can leave a life long legacy.
Weaving concept based on the colours of her husband’s favourite colours he used to wear.
Fancy joining in?
Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone’s story is valuable.
Share some stories from your life with a view to encouraging others by sharing the ups and downs of your journey, with opportunities to join in with some creative responses if you want to!