"My sister Joan was a proper tomboy and full of mischief.  She had a face like any angel though with lovely fair curls, blue eyes and red rosy cheeks.  You just could not believe she could be so naughty.

Sometimes Joan and Mary, our other sister, would go to bed whilst my parents went out for an hour or two.  I was allowed to stay up later.  Always I had a book I was just dying to read but no sooner had the door shut. then downstairs would trip Joan and Mary.

Then the fun started, Joan would all the things she knew she shouldn't do until I was frantic that she would break something valuable.  She would stand up on the table dancing around and once even climbed up on the high sideboard and threatened to tell Mummy. 

Suddenly we would hear the click of the gate and they would fly up the stairs into bed.  "Don't tell Mummy" Joan would say, and I won't ever do it again" and I never told until I was grown up.  "That little terror" my mother said. " 

Joan was a one off and I loved her for it.  She was a great cook and made the best Chocolate Cake you ever tasted.

She was so kind to my sister Nikki and myself when Phyll became terminally ill.  Spending a lot of time caring for Phyll.  Then she repeated the kindness when Phyll's husband Dennis also became terminally ill.  She was a tower of strength to us.  We used to call her Super Gran as she whizzed around on a motor scooter well into her 70's.  She will be missed.  It is so sad that her last few years were spent in the fog of dementia.  But wonderful that she was so well cared for in the homes.