My beautiful mum – I don’t even know where to start, there are so many thoughts and memories I have of her and it is these that I have drawn on over the last few difficult weeks. My heart breaks at the thought of never hearing her voice (she had the softest, calmest voice) or seeing her loving face again but as she told me “she will always be with me, she is part of me and I can find her on the 4^th cloud on the left”. This made me smile, she always had a way of making me smile even when I was in the depths of despair, Mum always knew the right thing to say. It’s why she was so loved and cherished by so many. She was an amazing mother to me and my sister and I am who I am today because of her (Dad you may have had some impact too but mostly mum J), she was a fantastic  nanny to my girls and had a very special relationship with Jessica my eldest. When I asked the girls what they remember about their nanny they told me:

Jessica (age 7) – Nanny was so glamourous, she made me the best baths with my own special bubble bath and perfume, I loved my sleepovers at nannies. We travelled to Southend on the bus and we made shepard’s pie and toad in the hole. I love my nanny she was the best.

Ella (age 5) – Nanny was so kind, she always loved my drawings’ even when I didn’t stay in the lines, we both love chocolate ice cream and chips!

Emilia (age 5) – Nanny was so good at cards she taught me snap and pairs and even let me win, when mummy said I couldn’t have anymore sweeties or biscuits I went to see nanny in the poolhouse and she always gave me a treat – but don’t be cross mummy, mine and nanny’s secret!

Life won’t be the same without her and we will miss her every second of every day. But we are so blessed to have had her in our lives and I feel so privileged to have had her as my mum and just hope I can be as good a mum to my girls as she was to me.

Love always Jacqueline