MY MEMORIES OF PAT BY VALERIE PENNIE I HAVE KNOWN PAT ALL MY LIFE WE ARE/ WERE VERY CLOSE COUSINS, IN FACT MORE LIKE SISTERS, OUR BIRTHDAYS WERE ONLY 14 MONTHS APART. WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER GREW UP TOGETHER IN YORKSHIRE UNTIL THE AGE OF ABOUT 11 WHEN THE FAMILIES MOVED SOUTH; PAT AND FAMILY TO CHELTENHAM MYSELF AND FAMILY TO SHRIVENHAM , WILTS. (ARMY BASE). EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN’T LIVE IN SUCH CLOSE PROXIMITY WE WERE STILL IN CLOSE CONTACT WE WENT DANCING AT THE TOWN HALL, TO THE “DAFFODIL”PICTURE HOUSE , AND OF COURSE SHOPPING, SHE WAS GREAT TO GO SHOPPING WITH; KNEW EXACTLY WHAT COLOUR AND STYLE WOULD SUIT. WE WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER (SEE PHOTO) HAD RACES IN THE PARK ON OUR TRICYCLES -FREQUENTLY ENDING UP IN A HEAP! ONE YEAR WE LIT THE CANDLES ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE (WE MUST HAVE BEEN BORED AFTER OPENING ALL THE PRESENTS AND EATING ALL THE SWEETS) FORTUNATELY NO DAMAGE WAS DONE AS A RESPONSIBLE PERSON (WHO?) CAME TO SEE WHY WERE WE SO QUIET”!! TRIED TO EMULATE THE CURRENT POPULAR SINGERS SUCH AS DIANA SHORE, VERA LYNN ETC (SOME HOPE!) AND A BIT OF DANCING/JITTERBUGGING , PAT HAD A GOOD SENSE OF RHYTHM WHICH STAYED WITH HER UNTIL SHE BECAME TOO UNWELL - JIVING IN THE KITCHEN AT PAINSWICK TOGETHER WITH JOHN'S LOVE OF JAZZ MUSIC WAS GREAT FUN. PAT’S ARTISTIC TALENT CAME OUT IN HER (VERY SUCCESFUL) ABILITY TO VISUALISE HER HOME AND GARDEN HOW SHE WANTED, WITH DIFFERENT COLOURS AND STYLES. HOME, GARDEN AND FAMILY WERE VERY IMPORTANT TO PAT SHE WAS SO PROUD OF THEM, HER HUSBAND JOHN, CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN - NOT FORGETTING THE VARIOUS DOGS AND THE OCCASIONAL HORSE- THEY ALL GAVE HER SUCH ENORMOUS PLEASURE. NOTHING SHE LIKED BETTER THAN COUNTRY WALKS WITH FAMILY, A DOG AND IN EARLIER TIMES, A HORSE! I SHALL MISS HER A GREAT DEAL – SHE WAS MY SOULMATE.