Born in a house in central Whitstable (then the ‘back streets’, now the Conservation Area!) I can claim to be a Whitstable native - only moving to the outskirts (Seasalter) on my marriage to Jim in 1967.

My roots in Middle Wall Baptist Church are also deep - my mum was a member, had taught in the Sunday School, and married my dad (a local postman) in the church in 1942. Our daughter’s wedding in 1999 made it three generations!

We have three grown up children, (two married and the youngest engaged) and have recently become grandparents, which is very exciting! As our two sons live away, family get-togethers are very important to us all.

On leaving school I worked as a bank clerk, then became a full-time mum and, as the children grew, took up school-related work, first as a kitchen assistant then as a learning support assistant helping children with special needs - a job I still enjoy now.

My main contribution to church life, so far, has been working with children in Sunday School, starting and running an “Imps” group (the forerunner to Anchor Boys), and then Anchor Boys. I now help out at Girls’ Brigade.

My husband, Jim, who was from a Methodist background, was persuaded to become a baptised member of our church and is now Boys’ Brigade Captain and does lots of technical things like managing the sound system, recording services and distributing tapes to folk who cannot get to church. He’s also a member of the Worship and Choral groups.

Unfortunately, singing is not one my talents but, as a newly elected Deacon (March 2006) I hope to serve God’s church in new ways. I enjoy meeting and chatting to people; am a good listener and, if I can help in any way, I will.

My baptismal text, from 1962, is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13.