Graham and Heather met when they were both students in London in the sixties.

She was training to be a teacher and he was studying for a degree in Production Management.

They waited four years to get married as they had no money, then began their life together in Essex.

In the early years they moved around frequently as Graham’s career progressed and added two sons to the mix, as well as lovely friends in different parts of the country.

Eventually they settled in Lincolnshire where their sons were in secondary school. After some years Graham became self employed as a Manufacturing Consultant, specialising in the food industry. Heather became involved with the charity Home Start and also worked for the CAB as teaching became difficult logistically because Graham was away on business so often. She took up water colour painting and helped to run the village playgroup, setting up a Rising Fives Initiative which she loved.

When Graham first became ill in 1998, both sons were at university and she gave up her voluntary work to support him. After three years of treatment he was in full remission and doing well enough to return to work part time.

Those three years were very precious and they spent a lot of happy weeks travelling around France and the UK in ‘Smiley’ – their motorhome, fortunately unaware that this time would be so short.

Heather currently lives in Berkshire with a busy social life, mainly revolving around her friends, made at Rock Choir who she considers to be her new family. Time with her sons, daughter in law and four grandchildren is special and great fun.

She is still painting and has even sold a few! The cover of this book is in fact one of those paintings!