I began writing as a hobby back in the early eighties. This journey encouraged when I spotted a small ad in a local paper in Auckland. From an initial enquiry I advanced several poems.

 I became further inspired through friends to further my education part time. First back to school deliberately then university part-time. My next stage found me moving into helpful writing groups within university environs and privately for the next few years, meeting in the local library monthly.

 2015 found me moving away from the bustle of Auckland and down to the less humid and drier warmth of the Bay of Plenty, so rightly named! Currently I attend both writing and poetry sessions from which some of our writings end up in print form for our annual book.

During our upbringing in early childhood, both my younger brother and I were read and sung to a lot as young children. We learned French and attended a drama group on a Saturday morning led by a wonderful woman who’d had training as a Shakespearean actor. I also enjoyed being trained to read at Primary school in England. 

My current project involves shaping my existing parents notes and correspondence; their love story in other words across the WW 2. period.  Apparently the sharing of this period was/is a scarcity. Understandable but not helpful. My hope is that this journey may well bring future readers fresh positive insights, within this extraordinarily challenging period. This period seen through the eyes and the ears of Lou, my father; inside his many acts of camaraderie influenced through his dedicated leadership. All up he saw active service in France, and the Far East and was decorated for saving life on a fast flowing Thai River and also in Japan; (his latter action unrecognised.) He wanted his story told.

My mother’s life can be evidenced through the many letters exchanged between her and Lou, following the frustrated growth of their relationship in this difficult 1940’s period. Her talents allowed her to enjoy the challenge of stage plays. There are a number of play sheets of various performances she was in. She would bike into the nearby town to practise, whatever the weather. She played the piano and also sang in light opera. She shared little of herself with me, her daughter. We were busy people.

 My father had singing lessons for a number of years. He initiated concerts in the jungle. I have endeavoured to find out about my mother’s family and in so doing have captured a few stories on paper. My paternal grandfather wrote a story which includes info. on his being painted on a very well- known canvas which is stored in the ‘Tate Store’ and taken out periodically and shown in places like Bournemouth in England for example. My maternal grandfather became a self- taught master baker. He attended a dame school when young in the early eighties.

Both my grannies were wonderfully hard working women, my father’s mum Louisa concentrated on the family home of seven all up and my mother’s mother Sarah from Lincoln (Witt nee Dunn family) worked in both their business and home life. Left them behind when we migrated end of 1958.

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Lou    1915 – 2000. 

Evelyn    1912 – 2016.