Mum always kept herself busy, she was never idle. It was the way she coped. She knew she could never just sit at home all day. She was always very determined to just get on with things.

She was always baking and cooking. She taught me. I used to watch her and help.  However, although mum baked lots of cakes, every year she ordered a birthday cake for me from Lewis’ department store for my birthday party on Halloween, which was one of the highlights of our year.

She always asked us what we wanted for dinner.  She always put dad and me first.  When she served dinner, she would give dad the largest portion, me the middle sized portion and herself the smallest.  She was never greedy. Even just a couple of weeks ago when I asked her if she was hungry, at first she said “Yes”, then she said “No, I’m alright if we can’t afford it”.