We were married in St Marys Church, Snettisham on April 11th 1977. The Best Man was Stephen Jones, Janets husband, and the bridesmaids were Janet Jones, Sarah Sullivan and Debbie Leeson.
We had an honeymoon in Devon paid for by Bobs Mum and Dad.
We started off married life living with Bobs Parents in South Lopham, Nr Diss, they lived in and ran the village shop and we lived above it, at this time Bob worked at Young Austen Young (YAY) as a apprentice heating engineer in Norwich.
We were on the council waiting list, waiting for our house to become available as it was a new build, during that summer it became available, we moved into 76 Burgh Lane, Mattishall.
During this time i met our neighbour Gloria Green who had a little boy of about 1yr, and we became fast friends.
On November 30th 1977, i gave birth to my first child Steven Robert in Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.
Around this time Bobs apprenticeship finished and he lost his job so he was out of work, for about 4 months, in February 1978 Bob eventually found a job at Heatrae Sadia Heating in Norwich, where he was a Sales Engineer. However, he changed direction and started working as a computer programmer.
To help supplement our income Bob got a part time job as a barman in 1979, at The Romany Rye pub in on the ringroad in Norwich, he gave it up when i was pregnant with Jenny.
On 31st August 1980, i gave birth to my 2nd child Jennifer Dawn at home.
IN 1980 after i had Jen i made friends with a girl (her name escapes me), who lived in Mattishall and had a little boy born within a few days of Jenny, in approx November she was arrested for killing her baby, i was absolutely shocked, it was unbelievable, The health visitor who was lovely came to see me, and i was interviewed by the Police, she was sent to prison. It was very upsetting for years afterwards around Jens birthday i always thought of him and what he would be like if he had lived.
In 1982 Bob became a warranted assistant cub scout leader, he was known as Shere Khan, this lasted until 1986, he gave up due to work commitments, working away in London.
Approx 1982 Bob had a Driving job for about a year to supplement our income, he did this for about a year, The company was Avis, and the job involved driving cars from Norwich airport to other Avis locations and driving back to Norwich in a single car.
In 1982 Mum and Dad Celebrated their Silver Wedding
In 1983 we also attended Bobs cousins Trishs wedding to Matthew, the reception was on a Thames Riverboat.
In 1984 we moved to Wier Avenue in Mattishall.
Bobs Mum and Dad celebrated their Ruby Wedding in 1984, and we had a lovely big family party.
Bobs Mum and Dad with all the Grandchildren.
In December 1985 Bob had an opportunity to go Freelance and become a contractor after much discussion.
In 1986 i gave birth to my 3rd child on the 5th June Micheal Kenneth in Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
4 Female Generations in 1986.
In 1986 we discovered getting freelance contracts locally was not easy, and for a short time stood markets, we sold bags that we obtained from my cousin Martin, who was in the business, however Bob eventually got a contract working in London where contracts were easier to obtain, this meant living down London in B and B's during the week and coming home at the weekend.
I have always been anxious to go home to my beloved North West Norfolk, and there was no longer any reason to stay near Norwich.
In May 1987 we moved to 22 Main Road, Holme Next Sea, at last it felt like coming home.
In April 1988 we bought our first home at 3 Crescent Road, Hunstanton.
In 1989, during a break in contracting, we started a market stall in Kings Lynn, Fakenham and Wells selling stationery goods.
We were actively involved in running a Country Music Club The Golden Spurs, as well as attending many Country Music Festivals.
In 1990 Debbie and Jon got married.
1990 the last nice photograph of them.
In 1990 i joined a committee to raise money for some new play equipment in Hunstanton, the equipment was very outdated, we had to raise £35000, we decided the equipment should be suitable for able bodied and disabled children with a ramp and double width slide so a carer can accompany a child. Henry Bellingham MP became our Patron. We eventually raised money and the playground was officially opened in about 1995.
For about 6 months in 1990/1991, Bob lived his dream of being a boy racer and had an MR2.
In approximately 1991 i became secretary for 1st Hunstanton Scouts and Guides.
In 1992 1st Hunstanton Brownies were crying out for leaders so I became Assistant Brownie Guider, in 2002 i took on 1st Hunstanton Guides but felt this age group wasn't right for me, so as the Brownie Guider had decided to retire, i took over, as i was on my own and numbers of Brownies in Hunstanton had dropped, 1st and 3rd Hunstanton Brownies joined together in 2009. In 2006 i became PR for North West Division and in 2008 i became County PR. I also took my Holiday License so I can take Brownies away.
In 2010 i resigned my position as 1st Hunstanton Scout and Guide Secretary and my job as GirlguidingNorfolk County PR, as all the travelling to Norwich was getting me down.
On January 1991 i gave birth to my fourth child Kevin Henry at home.
In 1991 i went to an inaugral meeting of Hunstanton Mother and Toddler Group, where i met up with Poppy Nice, an ex school friend, between us we started Hunstanton Mother and Toddler Group
In 1992 i went on Redgate Middle School PTA and was on there till about 1995.
In 1993 i became one of the founders of Busy Bees Playgroup with Julie Smith and was the secretary for about 4 years.
After doing the market for 2 years, In October 1991, we started a stationers shop in Hunstanton called Express Stationery. Express Stationery started off in Westgate, then moved to High Street and back to Westgate, finally the shop died in the early part of the recession in 2007, customers still say they miss it today.
In 1992 my cousin Ian got married to Jo.
In 1994 we attended Bobs Friends David Bancalaris daughters wedding. Bob met David while they were working together in London.
David Bancalari.
In 1994 Nanna attended the Brownies 80th Birthday Tea Party.
In approx 1995, i fell over in Express and went crashing and landed hard on my shoulder, i was in so much pain, i ended up in hospital to have a hydro cortisone injection, it was a painful procedure, it is still fragile, and sore, i can't carry much or lay on it.
In 1996 we had a party to celebrate my Beloved Nans birthday, she died on 26th October (her Mums Birthday) 1998.
In 2000 me and Debbie took over Jacksons the shoe People, when Mum and Dad retired, making us the third generation of the family to run the business.
In July 2001, i was out with Steven, Kira and Kevin for the day, i got home and the house had been badly burned, we lost the whole of the upstairs, the electric metre had completely melted, luckily we were well insured. Jenny and Sophie moved in with Mum and we moved in with Steven in the flat, we didn't move back home until April 2002.
In April 2002 we celebrated our Silver Wedding by going on holiday to America, we travelled 7000 miles on a train tour, sometimes sleeping in a hotel, sometimes on the train, it was pretty incredible, we travelled through the Rockies, visited the Grand Canyon, saw the Hollywood sign, we spent our anniversary on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls, we were gone for 3 weeks, Kevin stayed at Mums.
In 2002 we went on a family holiday to Tenerife and visted my cousin Diane, we had a lovely weeks holiday, but on the last day had our passports stolen.
On December 12th 2002 my Uncle Wal died, his funeral was conducted by David Hulse of Union Church on 20th December 2002.
Mum and Dad at Jens wedding in 2004.
In 2004 we attended Bobs Nephew Marks Wedding to Rosanna.
Bobs final contract came to an end in 2006, he was unable to get a job and also felt after working away from home for over 20 years, he had had enough of the rat race.
He got a job at Anglia in Wisbech and was there for 18 months until he lost his job.
Bob has always suffered from breathing and sinus problems caused by allergies, years ago he was tested for allergies and discovered he was allergic to quite a few things, as he has got older it developed into Ashtma, and he developed acid reflux when he lay down, so he is on Inhalers and medication.
In 2005 Micheal and Stevens wife Jude, had quite violent disagreements, gradually their estrangement got steadily worse, although there is no problems now, they have nothing to do with each other which prevents us having a family party, it breaks my heart, if only they could put aside their joint antagonism for my sake, so we could at least get together occasionally. Family is just so important to me.
In 2006 Bob took on the Calender Club franchise for Kings Lynn, which he somehow fits in running every year with help from family members.
In 2006 Steven Married Jude.
Mum and Dad celebrated their Golden Wedding in 2007.
After several years of problems with Hunstanton Surgery we eventually complained to NHS Norfolk in 2008, and in July 2008 we were accepted as patients in Heacham Surgery.
In 2008 i started getting awful pain in my right knee, it was diagnosed as osteo arthritis, i am getting very little medical help, but as knee problems are a family trait i foresee it getting worse.
I have a weight problem and am always trying to lose weight, i have lost 3stone in 18mths.
Bob has had a series of casual work including Golden Lion and Tesco, he started working at Lavender Hill Service Station in Heacham in September 2009.
This serious drop in income during the recession has caused financial hardship which has meant putting the house up for sale or risk losing it.
In 2010 we were invited to Bobs niece wedding in Canada for obvious reasons like cost and distance we sent our apologies, a photo of the wedding we didn't attend. It was on the 5th June, the same day as Micheals Birthday.
Pets
The dates have to be approximate, because i have difficulty in remembering.
When we first married we had two kittens Fluffy and ..............., we later got a Black Labrador named Susie, about 1979/80, but Jenny was terrified of her and in 1983, we decided to let her go. Then we had a cat Lucky for many years, till she died of throat cancer. In approximately 1997 we got Penny, who instantly adopted Kevin. In July 2006 we got a 3 yr old retired Greyhound called Spot.
We also had at sometime a budgerigar, a Guinea Pig/Hamster and Rabbit.
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