Way back in 1972 Pat started a new job at the Midland Bank in Woodford Green. On her first day she met all the staff except one – a Dutch girl currently away. We can probably all guess who that was and, on Jenny’s return, Pat and her soon became good friends.
She turned out to be a fun loving lady living in a top floor flat overlooking the green and, when possible, would climb through a window to sunbathe on the roof. When she first visited our home, she presented us with a lovely home-made Dutch Apple Pie though, owning nothing closer to a rolling pin than an empty milk bottle, the pastry turned out twice as thick on one side than on the other. Delicious though – just as they always have been!
Lost & Found played every Sunday night at the Bald Faced Stag in Buckhurst Hill. Great gigs and what’s more from within the audience every then unmarried band member found and married the love of their life. The first was the original bass player who, once engaged, bought a house many miles away and had to leave us.
At the time there was a chap called Grahame working in the same office as me who, I was told, played guitar as well as sung a bit, and he joined as a replacement. Being new to the area, Jenny didn’t know that many people, so Pat invited her along to our regular Sunday night gig. The rest, as they say, is history.
And not long after, Pat was very proud to be Jenny’s Matron of Honour at their wedding and also we must not forget John and Janice’s children, Stephanie and Neil, acting as attendants.
We can remember soon after, enjoying a lovely evening and our first ever fondue party at Jenny and Grahame’s first home – this seemed so posh and modern, we had to straightaway go and buy our own fondue set.
A few years later Jenny and Grahame moved to Clevedon and we met up with them at Weston-Super-Mare. By then children had arrived and somewhere we have a photo, I think I took, of three harassed looking parents sitting on the sea wall, hemmed in by five small children and two push-chairs. It would have made an ideal poster for the Family Planning Association!
We remember paddling four canoes – an adult and at least one child in each – along the beautiful River Wye and Jenny’s getting stuck on a rock by the rapids. How she got free, I don’t know, since hesitating as I passed her meant my canoe overturned and self and daughter tipped into the water – great fun!
We also remember Jenny at all those fun band reunions – the first one we played until three in the morning but now we stay at hotels and all need to be in bed by 10.15!
Our regular West Country holidays led to many meetings – sometimes in Clevedon and others on the Exmoor coast where we stayed. We consider ourselves so lucky that our last meeting was as recent as July when we all met for lunch. We shall never forget that strength of character she showed on that day.
We shall never forget her smile.
We shall never forget her laugh.
Rest in peace dear Jenny.