Thanks Petra, funny how one’s mind goes totally blank but here goes.
1. Born in a private Nursing Home in Hertfordshire in March 1946 (Pisces). Mum was relatively well off at the time.
2. Hated being taken sea fishing as a child with dad and brother to Dungeness – so cold, such a long walk to the sea and endless shingle. Now the site of a Nuclear Power Station and can appreciate its rugged beauty. Dad and his brothers bought an old sea fishing boat which was beached at Hastings. Went out fishing with them just once – most embarrassing to a 12/13 year old girl as there were no ‘facilities’ although it was OK for the men on board!!
3. Educated at a Convent in Folkestone, Kent and then sixth form at Ashford (Kent) Grammar school for girls. Passed about 9 O Levels but no A Levels. Had a place at Teacher Training College but decided 3 weeks before I was supposed to go that it wasn’t really for me so got a job as a filing clerk (promoted to cost clerk after two days) for a company producing ground power units for aircraft.
4. Throughout my working life, it always seemed as if I was destined to work in accounts and with accountants and I spent many years working as a freelance bookkeeper until May 2000 when I suffered a stroke. Although I’m now fine physically, I lost the ability to concentrate and that is a vital element of accountancy work.
5. Got married to George in 1971 and had a son, Rob, but things didn’t work out so we divorced in 1974 and I raised Rob as a single parent. These days, I suppose we wouldn’t have got married at all, just lived together. My ex-husband died in December 2008 and that was a day of very mixed emotions. My son went to the funeral with his partner and their daughter.
6. Places I have lived:
Barking (Essex) until 1948, Ashford, Kent until 1964, Richmond, Surrey until 1986, Isleworth, Middlesex until 2000, Claydon, nr Banbury, Oxfordshire since November 2000.
7. Places I have visited:
Scotland, Orkney where my brother now lives, Skye, Wales, France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, Italy, Denmark – more times than anywhere else, Sweden, but never outside Europe. I love Scandinavia. I was supposed to go to Antigua this year but couldn’t justify spending £750 on the air fare just for me.
8. Places I would like to visit:
Antigua when the air fare is a bit cheaper.
Australia – to visit my cousin in Adelaide.
Canada
Iceland
New Zealand – because everyone says it is very beautiful.
Norway
Washington DC to visit my step-daughter and her family.
9. Favourite film: West Side Story
10. Favourite pop song: Reach Out, I’ll be there – Four Tops
11. Favourite classical piece: Schubert’s 8th Symphony (Unfinished). We used to have it on a 78rpm record and play it on our Dansette record player. Do you remember them?
12. Favourite Rock Group: Rolling Stones – saw them at Twickenham Stadium in August 2006.
13. Favourite food: Chocolate, particularly Willie’s World Class Cacao Venezuelan72 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!! (Supposed to be healthier than most other chocolates?)
14. Favourite drink: Lemon juice (unsweetened) with diet tonic water.
15. Favourite book: A Cat in the Window – Derek Tangye.
16. First car: second hand Blue Mini with white roof – had to have a bank loan, guaranteed by my boss at the time, an architect, to buy it.
17. Passed second driving test even though I stalled the car on the hill start.
18. Home is now an ex-local authority house with a large garden and looks out both front and back onto open fields. Garden is big enough for dad to have a ride-on mower so he does a magnificent job of keeping our lawns neat and trim.
19. My family consists of Dad, Me, Son Rob and his partner Hannah and their daughter, Kerys. My son’s first daughter Nicole lived with us until last year and has now gone to live with her mother in Hampshire, she is going to be 17 this year. Fortunately the house has had several extensions and is large enough to accommodate all of us without everyone being on top of each other.
20. One of my reasons for joining the Alex Jeffreys program was to raise enough money for our next extension for which we already have planning and building regulation approvals. I’m planning to be able to do that during 2010.
21. Menagerie of chickens (4), rabbits (4), cat (1). We lost two chickens in mid July to a fox (we think). Something had bitten through the wire of the chicken run and got into the chicken house and killed the chickens, very distressing, because although one of the chickens was partially disembowelled, neither had been eaten. It wouldn’t have been quite so bad if the fox had wanted to feed its young but it seemed to just be killing for killings sake. The new chickens are in fox-proof houses, two Amber Lee and two Bovan Goldline in each house.
22. Gave up drinking too much in 1983, now only have an occasional glass of wine on Sundays, sometimes and a glass of sherry when celebrating a birthday at the Cluster Care Day Centre where I’m assistant co-ordinator.
23. Gave up smoking in May 2000 – 40 a day for 40 years was almost certainly a big factor in the stroke I suffered. It was the hardest thing and I spent a lot of time in tears but I’m so glad I stuck it out. I had huge support and encouragement from all of my family and the medical profession.
24. Learned to play the piano from a very early age and passed exams right through to grade 8 – both practice and theory at age 14. Unlike my mother who could play anything by ear – she learned to play the organ in a morning from her father who was organist at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, Soho Square, London – I had to learn everything by following the music so I didn’t keep it going. I can just about pick out nursery rhyme tunes on a keyboard for my 18 – month old granddaughter, though.
25. Writing all of these things has been a super distraction from the task of getting the blog properly organised. Time to get back to it!
Hey Veronica,
You have had one heck of an interesting life, if you ask me! You have traveled to lots of different countries and have overcome some big obstacles in your life. I’ve noticed that nobody thinks they have had an interesting life, until it is brought to their attention. If you go around and look at all of the people who posted their 25 things, everyone alludes to the fact that it is “boring”. Kind of funny!
Anyway, congrats on getting that monkey off of your back-GREAT JOB, Veronica…I feel as though I have gotten to know you much better.
Take care-I wish you the best!
Joann
Veronica,
WOW, And I thought I had an event filled life. Just goes to show you everyone is doing a whole lot of interesting stuff.
Sounds like you have a great family.
I’ve always love Austin Minis but I’m 6′4″ so that’s not going to work.
My dad plays piano by ear too… How he does it I’ll never know.
And what’s with not putting Canada on your visit list… just kidding… But Norway… We got to go visit Dave Whittle someday over there.
Take care, great list. See you on my webinar.
Rob
Hi Joann,
Thanks for your good wishes. In a funny way, it’s quite liberating to make the list and yes, somehow we all feel that we are not worthy, don’t we?
I love your photo, you look like such a nice happy person!
Veronica
Hi Rob,
Do you find you feel envious of gifted people like your Dad?
When will we see your 25 things?
Veronica
Hi Veronica,
sorry for stopping by so late, but you probably know how it is – life get’s in the way!
What a great list you have composed, I feel like I know you a lot better now! Here is what I want to say about a few of your points:
1) I am a pisces, too! Hello!
When you go and visit your cousin in Australia, why not stop by in Perth and say hello to me, too!
4) I have just now found what I like to do and am studying it at the moment – guess what, it’s bookkeeping!:)
20) I am sure you will achieve it. Just keep working on your goals.
25) I hope you had fun doing it, though!
Again, great list, and it will be nice to connect with you in Alex’s forum!
Take Care,
Petra
Hi Petra,
Hello fellow pisces! Thanks for the kind words. Very good luck with the bookkeeping – it served me well for most of my working life – it’s just that now I am unable to work out the accruals and prepayments side of things. How far is Perth from Adelaide?
Speak soon.
Veronica
Hi Veronica,
You have led an interesting life.
It seems we have more than one thing in common here – first car, a second hand blue Mini with a white roof (cord for door handle).
Grammar school as well.
Love to see you and Rob but I\’m afraid it will have to be Sweden, next door to Norway
BTW Perth is the other side of Australia to Adelaide – a long way away but well worth a visit.
Keep up the good work, Veronica. The blog is looking good.
Best regards,
Dave
Thanks Dave, I can still remember my first car’s registration number too – can you? Funny how that sort of thing sticks in the mind, and grammar school where?
Best wishes,
Veronica – I am working on a new post right now!
Hello Veronica,
How are you doing? I was really happy to see that you are a part of Rob Canyon’s class…what a wonderful group of people! I don’t know if you have had a chance to try Skype yet, but if you would like to try it out with someone, I would be honored to talk to you on it! I’ve only used it 4 times, but I know how it is when you are new to something and don’t know how to get started. My Skype ID is joann_henry, either reply to this email, or send me a message on Skype IF you would like to chat! We can come up with a time that suits both of us.
I REALLY wish you all of the success that you desire, Veronica-you seem like such a nice woman!
Take care,
Joann
Hi Joann,
Yes, I’m enjoying Rob Canyon’s class enormously, and I’ve now worked out how to see who else is on the call, just waiting for the further instructions for the task he has set us. How that you’ve given me your skype details, I’ll try and call you probably on Monday evening around 10pm my time – 5pm yours, unless I hear that it’s not convenient.
Veronica
Hi Veronica really enjoyed your life story
and love the way you have written it ,
your story comes through sincere and nothing is held back
nice read
cheers mick
Hi Mick,
It’s nice to see you on Rob Canyon’s course and thanks for your kind words about my 25 things. Has no-one tagged you for yours yet?
Hi Veronica
Thats an interesting and well written list you have there.
Thanks Peter for those kind words,
Hi Veronica,
That’s quite a list. I’m right in there with you on numbers 12 and 13. The Stones and Dark Chocolate-Yeah, Baby!
I really would have liked to here more about your travel junkets, but that is for another blog post, right?
Glad to hear you kicked the smoking habit. I started smoking as a teen and quit when I was working in the snow in the Sierra Nevada, when i was 19. Smoking gave me Bronchitis and that was enough for me.
I don’t play piano, but have played guitar by ear since I was a teen.
Anyway, great post and I have come to know you better from it.
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your kind words – they are really much appreciated.
Thanks
Veronica
Hi Veronica,
Very interesting, your 25 things. That one about the wicked fox is kind of scary…
I like chocolate too,
Jose