Where did it all begin? This is a question I ask myself quite a lot, so here is what I came up with. As a young child I grew up in a cul de sac. This was no ordinary cul de sac. We lived right opposite Loughborough College in Leicestershire, it was very popular for…
My mother always wanted a girl and finally in July 1968 her wish came true. In 2018 I received this message from her. In 2023 my Cousin Joseph in Ballycastle Co Antrim sent to me a photo of my mother holding me as a baby. I hold you in my arms my gentle loving child…
(Pictured, Oliver at the back. Left is Bernadette, Mary and in front is Susan. Taken at Granny and Vera’s house I would often visit my grandmother and Aunt Vera’s house. They lived at 119 Ratcliffe Road in Loughborough. The had a lovely little house and a beautiful Garden. One year Granny and Vera had…
Here is Granny and Aunty Vera in their home Pictured Left, Oliver, John, Paddy, Granny, Mary, Vera, John McGowan and Tommy. Oliver, John, Paddy and Tommy are Vera’s brothers. Mary is Paddy’s Wife and John McGowan is married to my mum’s sister. If there is one thing that the Irish know how to do and…
Whenever you went to Granny and Vera’s house, they always had lots of drinks and treats for the children. Our parents would sit on the settee and have a cup of tea. Not in a mug, no, it was a cup and saucer, and Aunt Vera would always bring in a bit of fruit cake…
This picture was taken on the day of my Christening. I am Margaret Ann Cunningham (Ann) and Aunty Vera is my godmother. I was born in July 1968. This is 15 Oaklands Avenue, Loughborough, where I was born In this picture is Top Left, Vera, My Mother Margaret and me and My Aunt Margaret who…
When I first started school at St. Marys’s R.C in Loughborough my mother used to take me on the back of her bicycle. It was a purple ladies bike and it had a tiny seat on the back.She would ride down a road called Golgrove, that has the most amazing gardens. Most were rockeries with…
I love this little dog with all of my heart. She had been with the family as a pup when I was a baby. My brother Patrick had brought her home. He used to take her down the meadows to go rabbiting. When he got married and left home he left the dog with us…
I have come to believe over the years that when we lose a loved one, they are still with us. They may not be in a physical body, but their soul and spirit is still alive. It has taken me many years to finally accept that I am being looked after, along with my daughter…
