My Aunt Nell was Mum's older sister, and they were very close. I used to call her "Aunt Nell with the wooden leg" when I was little, because she had a steel rod inserted into her leg in place of the bone, after suffering blood poisoning, she also had her right thumb removed, which did not stop her doing beautiful embroidery and knitting.
She was very strong lady, with an iron will in times of adversity. She had to overcome many trials in her life, including the loss of her dear little girl Molly Mary Magdalene.
She had cancer of the womb, and despite being desperately ill and enduring painful treatment with radium needles inserted into her, she survived which in those days was a feat indeed! She suffered so many illnesses, and I have lost count of the times that the police used to fetch us when they said she was dying, and still she bounced back. I remember my Gran saying that if the devil stood in the doorway, Aunt Nell would brush him aside and walk through! Her determination and willpower gave great courage to people.
She was in charge of the laundry in our local Mental Hospital, and used to bring patients home for the weekend who had been abandoned by their families, or who had none. and they all loved her and looked up to her to care for them. Wherever she went she drew people to her like a magnet with her personality. She used to organise outings to the seaside, and I remember spending the night there before we went and getting so excited. I remember her walking up and down the bus on the way there, singing to us all. She was a great entertainer, and one of her favourite things was to get up on the bar of the pub, and place the fire irons cross wise on there and then dance the highland fling (like they do over the crossed swords!) The fact that she had a stiff leg, did not deter her at all.
Times were very hard when she was growing up, and to supplement the family income when she was young, she used to buy a few sweets and oranges, and then go and dance and sing to the queues outside the cinema and sell them!
I remember when I was little and was ill, I used to ask my Mum to fetch my "Nell Nell" and she would come to see me and cheer me up, and when I spent 12 weeks in hospital, she would bring sweets and things for all the kids and go round the beds and talk to them and make them laugh.
I remember going to visit her during the war with my Mum. She had a house in the country, and it was right near to a munitions dump, and often there would be daylight air raids when they were trying to destroy it. She never showed any fear of anyone or anything, and was a rock to my Mum and Dad during times of trial within our family.
She enjoyed a flutter on the horses, and one day, she asked me which horse I liked, and I picked one called "Lovely Cottage", and it won! You can imagine my dismay when I asked when I could have him, and she had to tell me that you did not win the horse. I cried my eyes out, but she brought out the sweets which she always kept for me, and told me one of her funny stories and I was pacified.
She suffered ill health for many years, but never complained.
We finally lost her to Kidney failure and Pneumonia, she had struggled for weeks against illness and kept saying "I will beat it", like she had so many times, but this time,it was not to be, and it finally overcame her, despite her determination. She did not want to leave us.
I shall always remember my Aunt Nell with love and affection, she was someone who left an impression on all she met, and I know that my Mum felt like part of her had gone too when she died. No doubt she is singing and dancing with the Angels now!
She is buried in Kingsthorpe Cemetary. Northampton, England.
She was very strong lady, with an iron will in times of adversity. She had to overcome many trials in her life, including the loss of her dear little girl Molly Mary Magdalene.
She had cancer of the womb, and despite being desperately ill and enduring painful treatment with radium needles inserted into her, she survived which in those days was a feat indeed! She suffered so many illnesses, and I have lost count of the times that the police used to fetch us when they said she was dying, and still she bounced back. I remember my Gran saying that if the devil stood in the doorway, Aunt Nell would brush him aside and walk through! Her determination and willpower gave great courage to people.
She was in charge of the laundry in our local Mental Hospital, and used to bring patients home for the weekend who had been abandoned by their families, or who had none. and they all loved her and looked up to her to care for them. Wherever she went she drew people to her like a magnet with her personality. She used to organise outings to the seaside, and I remember spending the night there before we went and getting so excited. I remember her walking up and down the bus on the way there, singing to us all. She was a great entertainer, and one of her favourite things was to get up on the bar of the pub, and place the fire irons cross wise on there and then dance the highland fling (like they do over the crossed swords!) The fact that she had a stiff leg, did not deter her at all.
Times were very hard when she was growing up, and to supplement the family income when she was young, she used to buy a few sweets and oranges, and then go and dance and sing to the queues outside the cinema and sell them!
I remember when I was little and was ill, I used to ask my Mum to fetch my "Nell Nell" and she would come to see me and cheer me up, and when I spent 12 weeks in hospital, she would bring sweets and things for all the kids and go round the beds and talk to them and make them laugh.
I remember going to visit her during the war with my Mum. She had a house in the country, and it was right near to a munitions dump, and often there would be daylight air raids when they were trying to destroy it. She never showed any fear of anyone or anything, and was a rock to my Mum and Dad during times of trial within our family.
She enjoyed a flutter on the horses, and one day, she asked me which horse I liked, and I picked one called "Lovely Cottage", and it won! You can imagine my dismay when I asked when I could have him, and she had to tell me that you did not win the horse. I cried my eyes out, but she brought out the sweets which she always kept for me, and told me one of her funny stories and I was pacified.
She suffered ill health for many years, but never complained.
We finally lost her to Kidney failure and Pneumonia, she had struggled for weeks against illness and kept saying "I will beat it", like she had so many times, but this time,it was not to be, and it finally overcame her, despite her determination. She did not want to leave us.
I shall always remember my Aunt Nell with love and affection, she was someone who left an impression on all she met, and I know that my Mum felt like part of her had gone too when she died. No doubt she is singing and dancing with the Angels now!
She is buried in Kingsthorpe Cemetary. Northampton, England.
My Aunt Nell was Mum's older sister, and they were very close. I used to call her "Aunt Nell with the wooden leg" when I was little, because she had a steel rod inserted into her leg in place of the bone, after suffering blood poisoning, she also had her right thumb removed, which did not stop her doing beautiful embroidery and knitting.
She was very strong lady, with an iron will in times of adversity. She had to overcome many trials in her life, including the loss of her dear little girl Molly Mary Magdalene.
She had cancer of the womb, and despite being desperately ill and enduring painful treatment with radium needles inserted into her, she survived which in those days was a feat indeed! She suffered so many illnesses, and I have lost count of the times that the police used to fetch us when they said she was dying, and still she bounced back. I remember my Gran saying that if the devil stood in the doorway, Aunt Nell would brush him aside and walk through! Her determination and willpower gave great courage to people.
She was in charge of the laundry in our local Mental Hospital, and used to bring patients home for the weekend who had been abandoned by their families, or who had none. and they all loved her and looked up to her to care for them. Wherever she went she drew people to her like a magnet with her personality. She used to organise outings to the seaside, and I remember spending the night there before we went and getting so excited. I remember her walking up and down the bus on the way there, singing to us all. She was a great entertainer, and one of her favourite things was to get up on the bar of the pub, and place the fire irons cross wise on there and then dance the highland fling (like they do over the crossed swords!) The fact that she had a stiff leg, did not deter her at all.
Times were very hard when she was growing up, and to supplement the family income when she was young, she used to buy a few sweets and oranges, and then go and dance and sing to the queues outside the cinema and sell them!
I remember when I was little and was ill, I used to ask my Mum to fetch my "Nell Nell" and she would come to see me and cheer me up, and when I spent 12 weeks in hospital, she would bring sweets and things for all the kids and go round the beds and talk to them and make them laugh.
I remember going to visit her during the war with my Mum. She had a house in the country, and it was right near to a munitions dump, and often there would be daylight air raids when they were trying to destroy it. She never showed any fear of anyone or anything, and was a rock to my Mum and Dad during times of trial within our family.
She enjoyed a flutter on the horses, and one day, she asked me which horse I liked, and I picked one called "Lovely Cottage", and it won! You can imagine my dismay when I asked when I could have him, and she had to tell me that you did not win the horse. I cried my eyes out, but she brought out the sweets which she always kept for me, and told me one of her funny stories and I was pacified.
She suffered ill health for many years, but never complained.
We finally lost her to Kidney failure and Pneumonia, she had struggled for weeks against illness and kept saying "I will beat it", like she had so many times, but this time,it was not to be, and it finally overcame her, despite her determination. She did not want to leave us.
I shall always remember my Aunt Nell with love and affection, she was someone who left an impression on all she met, and I know that my Mum felt like part of her had gone too when she died. No doubt she is singing and dancing with the Angels now!
She is buried in Kingsthorpe Cemetary. Northampton, England.
She was very strong lady, with an iron will in times of adversity. She had to overcome many trials in her life, including the loss of her dear little girl Molly Mary Magdalene.
She had cancer of the womb, and despite being desperately ill and enduring painful treatment with radium needles inserted into her, she survived which in those days was a feat indeed! She suffered so many illnesses, and I have lost count of the times that the police used to fetch us when they said she was dying, and still she bounced back. I remember my Gran saying that if the devil stood in the doorway, Aunt Nell would brush him aside and walk through! Her determination and willpower gave great courage to people.
She was in charge of the laundry in our local Mental Hospital, and used to bring patients home for the weekend who had been abandoned by their families, or who had none. and they all loved her and looked up to her to care for them. Wherever she went she drew people to her like a magnet with her personality. She used to organise outings to the seaside, and I remember spending the night there before we went and getting so excited. I remember her walking up and down the bus on the way there, singing to us all. She was a great entertainer, and one of her favourite things was to get up on the bar of the pub, and place the fire irons cross wise on there and then dance the highland fling (like they do over the crossed swords!) The fact that she had a stiff leg, did not deter her at all.
Times were very hard when she was growing up, and to supplement the family income when she was young, she used to buy a few sweets and oranges, and then go and dance and sing to the queues outside the cinema and sell them!
I remember when I was little and was ill, I used to ask my Mum to fetch my "Nell Nell" and she would come to see me and cheer me up, and when I spent 12 weeks in hospital, she would bring sweets and things for all the kids and go round the beds and talk to them and make them laugh.
I remember going to visit her during the war with my Mum. She had a house in the country, and it was right near to a munitions dump, and often there would be daylight air raids when they were trying to destroy it. She never showed any fear of anyone or anything, and was a rock to my Mum and Dad during times of trial within our family.
She enjoyed a flutter on the horses, and one day, she asked me which horse I liked, and I picked one called "Lovely Cottage", and it won! You can imagine my dismay when I asked when I could have him, and she had to tell me that you did not win the horse. I cried my eyes out, but she brought out the sweets which she always kept for me, and told me one of her funny stories and I was pacified.
She suffered ill health for many years, but never complained.
We finally lost her to Kidney failure and Pneumonia, she had struggled for weeks against illness and kept saying "I will beat it", like she had so many times, but this time,it was not to be, and it finally overcame her, despite her determination. She did not want to leave us.
I shall always remember my Aunt Nell with love and affection, she was someone who left an impression on all she met, and I know that my Mum felt like part of her had gone too when she died. No doubt she is singing and dancing with the Angels now!
She is buried in Kingsthorpe Cemetary. Northampton, England.
