1. Tell us about the family you grew up in, parents, siblings, grandparents.
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| Granny and Grandad |
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| Mum and Dad |
My parents had the most inspirational marriage, they and my grandparents gave me the 'gold standard' against which marriages would be measured.
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| Bro and me with Dad |
I have one younger brother (two years younger) and whilst we had arguments like any siblings we also spent a huge amount of time playing together.
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| Granny Nita and Lucy |
Growing up I had a very extended family. We lived with my paternal grandmother 'Granny Nita' until her death. When we lived in London we saw a reasonable amount of my father's first cousins (and my second cousins).
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| My second cousin and I |
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| Bro and me with our first cousins |
Once we moved to Kent we saw less of them; but my Uncle (Mutti's brother) lived with us for a while so my first cousins became like a second brother and a sister to my brother and me.
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| Granny and Grandad's Golden Wedding |
My maternal grandmother 'Granny Pip' made sure that the family kept in touch. Any family celebration that could be celebrated would be celebrated. Great Aunts and Uncles, first and second cousins. Family to us was everything.
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| Will and I, all grown up (well, kind of!) |
2. Tell us about your husband, fiancé, boyfriend, significant other.
Husband and I were introduced after a football match by a mutual friend. Both being a bit shy a friend of Husband's gave us a little push to get us together! That was over a decade ago... last year after a long engagement we got married. Today is in fact our
first wedding anniversary! Because I only work part-time we get to spend an amazing amount of time together... we know each other (perhaps) too well as we will often exclaim the same thing at the same time, and whenever I need to play verbal charades because my brain has frozen Husband can always work it out. We share a lot of interests, which means spending time together is always fun. Husband is my rock, he looks after me when MS incapacitates me and makes sure that everything in life runs smoothly.
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| First Dance |
3. Tell us about your children. If you don’t have children, talk about your fur children.
We don't have any children, but our cat certainly thinks he is a small person in black fur! From conversation with friends he is approximately the equivalent of a three year old; gets up too early demanding food, needs constant attention and amusement and doesn't sleep when he ought to!
I don't have a life without children; I am lucky enough to have three god-daughters, Husband has a niece and nephew and there are lots of other little friends in my life.
4. Tell us about your best friends. How long have you known them? How did you meet?
I am lucky enough to be blessed with many friends in my life; but two of my rocks are the friends I asked to be my bridesmaids.
Thom, on the left, I met about a month after I started my first job, we've known each other fifteen years. Two novices together - they had more staff than desks so the two of us ended up in an an extension together without any senior staff to guide (or supervise) us. We learnt together, had fun together and shared a lot of highs and lows.
Liz, on the right, I met at school, we've known each other twenty five years. We bonded over a love of piano, Twin Peaks and the Beatles. We didn't actually share many classes, but we shared a lot of teenage growing up! Liz is the mother of my youngest god-daughter.
5. Tell us about any other special people in your life.
My Mother-in-Law (who we live with), I'm lucky to have such a great relationship with her. My godparents (who I don't get to see enough of) are amazing people; my god-mother came out of retirement to make my wedding dress (because she made my christening dress and promised then to make my wedding dress). My mum's best friend and her husband are like an honorary Aunt and Uncle because I've known them all my life and they've shared so many family occasions. My Twitter friends, a group of whom I meet up when we can arrange it; I might not have known them for years and years, but because we have similar interests and/or outlooks on life they are also important to me.
I could go on and on, friends and family are massively important to me! I am lucky to have such a great bunch.
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