As computers get faster their users seem to get more impatient. They drum their fingers, tap their feet and say things like "Hurry up! Come on!" if any page takes a few seconds more than expected to load. Their attention span seems to shrink and they need a new distraction every few seconds to keep them happy.
One reason for this editorial moan is to give surfers afflicted in this way something to look at while the pix on this page download. As ever this site likes to cater to the special needs of the disabled.
Before meeting the kids you had better have a look at their mother, Elizabeth, also known as Liz or Liza. Here she is
Was this the face that launched a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Er... Yea... Probably... Yes I think so.
My God! Isn't she stunning?
Er... Um... Yes, of course she is. You think I'd marry any old dog?
She's also Artistic, Bright, Critical, Delightful, Eccentric, Fairly irritating at times, Good-natured, Horticulturally gifted, Intelligent, Jealousy-free (she claims), Kind, Loving, Motherly, Neighbourly, Ordinary, Perceptive, Quite unclassifiable, Revolutionary, Sex-crazed, Trusting and trustworthy, Unscrupulous when need be, Versatile, Witty, Xtraordinary, Young in spirit, Zealous about certain things.
She also has a number of less endearing characteristics that it would be profitless to list here.
Born 1940, Cheshire, first-born of Eric and Lillian from local area. Father surveyor in local government. Family moved around mostly in southern half of England during war, often billeted with other families. (Can just recall the bombing of Coventry - sound of heavy piston-engined aircraft still sparks anxiety.)
Brother David born in 1946. Family settled in Horsforth, Yorkshire, on northern outskirts of Leeds, around 1950. Mother, Lil, still lives there. Ilkley Grammar School, A levels Art, English and Biology. Bath Academy of Art (Corsham) for two years, Teachers' Certificate. Teacher (mainly Art) in secondary schools for three years before birth of first child Lucy, 1966, having met Paul in Paris, 1962, moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and married 1964. Two more daughters, Sophie (1968) and Sarah (1970). By this time we'd all moved to Leicester.
Never returned to teaching, having developed an allergy to schools, staff-rooms and teachers (but not kids). Took a two-year diploma course in Youth and Community Work at Leicester Poly, starting 1980. Thereafter did a range of highly effective but often part-time or temporary jobs, initially in Youth Work and then with (supposedly) recovering mentally ill people. Might have had permanent employment had she not been seen as threatening by bureaucrats. She was apt to make dangerously radical suggestions such as that it might be a good idea to ask the clients what they thought they needed. But then, kow-towing to idiots is not her style.
Here they are - the three top right - from right to left Sophie, Lucy and Sarah. Mother Liz is in the middle, then Granny Lil. In the front row are Lucy's three children, Alice, Tom and Harriet. Point your mouse at their faces to get their names. Click their faces to go to the part of the site were you can learn more about each. (Your Back button will return you here.) The occasion is the party to celebrate Granny Lil's 80th and Sophie's 30th birthday in August 1998. There are four generations all in one shot. And all but Tom are girls.
Part of my problem in writing about girls is that with only male siblings and going to a boys' school, I don't really understand women. Though I like them they make me nervous. 
Then I found myself with a wife and three daughters - and two dogs both of which were girls. I seemed to move in a miasma of oestrogen.
Seriously now. What is oestrogen? Oestrogen is a hormone. It's part of the complex biochemical system that makes women function as women, able to bear children, for instance. No oestrogen, no babies, as far as I know. A little bit like an enzyme.
What's the difference between an enzyme and a hormone?
You can't hear an enzyme.
Lucy was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1966, but grew up mainly in Leicester. She had what I like to think was a more or less normal and uneventful childhood and like her sisters grew up to be a normal adult - maybe even despite her parents' imperfections.
Left school at 17 and worked as a dental nurse for a time before going back to college and completing a B Tech qualification in art and design. Also did voluntury work with young offenders for two years during this time. Worked for 18 months as a community artist before leaving to have her first children. She married Mark in 1988. Mark is a highly skilled joiner by trade and can turn his hand to many things. He's a really nice guy. In this March 2005 picture Mark is next to Lucy and the three kids are (from left), Harriet three years younger than twins Alice and Tom.
When all kids were settled at school, Lucy started a university degree in midwifery and graduated with a 1st Class BSc Honours in 2000. For years her time has been divided between academic study ( she's also completed Post Graduate courses in health care education and recently qualified as a yoga teacher), as well as working and running a household. I feel tired just thinking about it. Ably assisted by Mark in the latter task.
Sophie, like Lucy, was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne but moved with the family to Leicester before she was a year old. I was present at her birth which took place at home, but I'll spare you the obstetrical details. (Perhaps Lucy will eventually edit a page recounting family gynie and obstetric experiences for those who relish such things.)
Childhood pretty normal and seemed happy. Always a very pleasant child. Made good progress at school ending up in the sixth form (age 17-18) doing Advanced Levels in English, Art and Sociology. Passed English and Art but deliberately blew Sociology, which she could have walked, because she was pissed off with her teachers. (I don't blame her.)
In among this she did the kind of thing that kids of that age with a bit of imagination do. Spent time in Germany, some of it as a barmaid. Went grape-picking in France one summer and nearly cut her finger off with the secateurs. (She was a bit accident-prone.)
Had always had an interest in being a nurse, and after some voluntary work on one of the mental health day-centre projects where Liz worked, signed up at the school of nursing to become a mental nurse. This was hospital based with a lot of college input.
From there she never looked back. Sailed through the course brilliantly, got immediate employment in a major mental hospital, quickly achieved promotion in status and pay, ending up as a senior figure in a centre for the dealing with psychopathic and psychotic people of the nastier sort - child killers, serial rapists, murderers and worse - a job that she (and very few others) was really good at. Greatly valued by her employers, it seems. Not bad by age 30.
In contrast to her professional success, her personal life seemed to run less smoothly. She had a succession of boyfriends and lived with some for shorter or longer periods. Twice nearly married before drawing back. Eventually married a fellow nurse. This didn't work out and they were divorced two years later.
A long-time friend of Sophie's is Jason; he is also her landlord. 
These days he lives elsewhere but sometimes spends a few days at the Nottingham house when in the area. Jason is a musician, and a competent and nice guy. Originally electrician and sound technician, in the late 90s he started to make his living by his music, singing his own and others' material at weddings, clubs, pubs. Is now a successful working musician writing, singing and playing lead guitar on a rock project. Has been recorded by the BBC for their archive. Released his first single in 2007.
In about 1995 Sophie suffered a series of mysterious ailments. She was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis and had to retire from her nursing job on medical grounds. If you want to know more about MS click this link. In earlier days Sophie used to assist Jason in his musical career, and still helps out where she can.
The only one born in Leicester. Went to the same schools as her sisters where she shone despite suffering from what seemed to me a mild form of dyslexia. (Her mother couldn't spell either - much less 'neither'). Not only was she bright and talented (all three of them are) but she got labelled as bright early on, and duly performed to expectations.
Never one to suffer fools gladly, 
by the time she was about to go into the sixth form she had formed a dim view of her school and more or less refused to continue under that regime. So she went to a Sixth Form College where students were treated more as responsible adults and found this to her taste.
Got Advanced Level passes in English, Art and Psychology sufficiently good to be accepted into the Anthropology department at Manchester University, a leading school in this subject area. One of only two of her year to emerge with a first. Could, with a bit of a struggle, have continued in academic life but decided it was not her cup of tea.
Had a year off between school and university, some of which she spent earning money as barmaid and the rest travelling. Part-time and temporary jobs and travel part of the pattern of her life from before leaving school through university and beyond. Waitress, barmaid and typist the main forms of work. Travel mainly of back-packing type, sleeping in tent or very cheap accomodation. Venues and activities include Ireland, rail tour of Europe, kibbutz in Israel, hitch-hiking in Egypt, camel trekking in Rajahstan, cycling across south India, and something in Sri Lanka. Chief love seems to be India, visited several times.
After more travel on leaving University decided to settle down and "do something useful", so enrolled on course to become a mental nurse like her sister Sophie. Has worked for several years in mental hospitals. Meanwhile married Paul, met on one of her temp jobs in Leicester. He was working in a local council Environment department, chasing polluters and the like. He then moved on to a related job in Birmingham. They lived in Nottingham before moving to the West Midlands.
In May 2000 Sarah gave birth to her 
first baby, Oliver, known to one and all as Ollie. Sarah and Paul's second child Sophie Maria was born in April 2003. Picture on left is Sophie and on right is Ollie with Sophie, both pictures from mid-2005. For more pix and info, follow the links above.
Tired of the constant traffic cogestion, air pollution and general unpleasantness of the West Midlands, and no doubt with other reasons of their own, Sarah and Paul decided to make a fresh start in a cleaner, greener land. In January 2004 they left for New Zealand. After a period in Hawkes Bay in North Island, they now live in Wellington where Paul is a government advisor on air quality. Sarah works part-time as a nurse.
In 2006, at rather short notice, Sarah entered the 10 kilometre event of the Harbour Capital series of races (loosely referred to as the Welllington Marathon). Despite not having done much running since leaving school and with very little practice she finished comfortably. 
In 2007 she went in for the half-marathon (21km) and came in in the top half of the field for her age-group with a time of 2hrs 3mins. Click the image on the left to see her certificate (BACK to return). Does she have her sights on the Marathon itself for 2008? Watch this space.
Some of the changes that have taken place between 1998 and 2005 can be seen by comparing this picture with earlier ones such as the one above. (Back button to return here.)
The picture shows all close family members resident in the UK at Easter 2005. In the back row (left to right) are Paul, Tom and Liz, and at the front Harriet, Lillian, Alice, Lucy, Sophie and Mark. The younger generation have matured and blossomed; the middle generation have worn pretty well, looking much the same as before, maybe a bit wiser. But the appearance of the older generations has grown noticeably more gruesome over these few years. Be warned.
Click one of these for
| Intro Brothers FAQs Parents Father-Side Mother-Side Kids Grandkids Creatures Snaps Contact Annex Search |