June was born in August 1936 at University College Hospital in London, arriving as a complete surprise 20 minutes after her twin sister Hazel!
Their mother had contracted rheumatic fever aged 12. This had damaged her heart and she was warned not to have any children at all. Despite this, she had the twins, with brother Norman arriving two years later!
Until June and Hazel were five years old, the family lived in Dartford as their father, a highly qualified electrical engineer, worked for the Littlebrook Power Station. Then they moved to Greenford in Middlesex, and he later worked for Eastern Electricity. Since engineering was classed as a reserved occupation, he was not called up to the join the army during the Second world War, remaining in Greenford with his family.
In 1944 the family was evacuated to Wigan after their home was destroyed by a bomb. June recalls that the journey was long, requiring an overnight stay in a church hall in Crewe. She was grateful that she and Hazel were able to stay together, while their mother and Norman lodged with a family across the road. Not long after arriving, their mother decided to return to the south taking Norman with her. One day, because of young Norman’s need to use the bathroom during a shopping trip, mother and son narrowly escaped death. They had missed the very bus that was driving down Lewisham High Street when it was, very sadly, destroyed by a bomb.
June’s education had been severely disrupted by the war. However, her father was a “great teacher” and helped her to excel, especially in French. Her mother, who had worked as a court dressmaker for the designer Norman Hartnell in London, taught June how to knit and sew. By the age of 13, she had learned the complicated art of Fair Isle knitting and was being introduced to intricate embroidery and cross-stitch sewing, which would become a life-long passion.
Having turned 15, June couldn’t wait to leave school. She began working in London, handling administrative tasks for various companies, including an insurance firm and a lace-selling business. In the evenings she studied for secretarial skills such as typing and shorthand. After qualifying she worked for several companies, including the Westminster Bank.
It was around this time that June met Frank, the man who would become her husband, at a dance at St Michael & All Angels Church in Gidea Park. An electrician by trade, Frank was not actually dancing – as a volunteer part-time Special Constable, he just happened to be on duty that evening. After the dance he walked June and Hazel home, serenading them with “Walking My Baby Back Home” (which became his and June’s special song) and asking June for a date. They went to a Lyons Corner House café, courting for a further two years until they married at St Michael’s Church.
Frank came from a large family – five girls and two boys – and all the siblings enjoyed playing pranks on each other. Even June and Frank’s brief honeymoon – a night spent at Frank’s sister’s house – was not exempt, as an alarm clock had been hidden in the wardrobe, much to everyone’s amusement!
The couple initially lodged with Frank’s stepmother in Upminster. It was a squeeze living in just two rooms but there they welcomed Jane, the first of their four children. Afterwards they moved to Ilford and, later, Romford where they stayed for 50 years, painstakingly renovating the house and garden. June was particularly fond of the garden, lovingly planning, planting and maintaining it with a variety of beautiful flowers.
After Jane, Karen, Robert and Michael were born. When Michael was three, June returned to work part time, locally. She later returned to secretarial work, spending 20 years in a company that supplied diamond-cutting equipment across the world.
Frank was eventually promoted to Special Sergeant and remained with the Police Force for 25 years. During that time he earned several commendations for bravery – on one occasion he had saved a baby’s life using his first aid knowledge. June speaks of him with admiration and love, cherishing the memories they built together.
June’s love for travel took her beyond family caravan holidays in South Devon and Somerset to Greece, Croatia, Malta, Italy and Cyprus. Some of these trips were group holidays organised by the church. In fact, June has always remained close to the church and continues to hold a strong faith. She fondly recalls her involvement in the church’s Young Wives group and her six years at the helm of the Mother’s Union.
A skilled craftswoman, June has continued to knit, sew and embroider throughout her life. She has created many exquisite works, including knitted baby clothes and other items, some of which she sold regularly at Romford Market. She also created tapestries and other displays for the church, including a gold-work altar panel. One of her most intricate works was a cross-stitch family tree for the year 2000, complete with tiny, embroidered depictions of her four children, ten grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and all the family pets! Her daughter Jane proudly displays this work of art at her home.
Sadly, Frank died in 2018 and June stayed at the family home until six months ago when she came to Willows. Here, she enjoys arts and crafts, singing karaoke and being with Sheila, a lifelong friend who also lives here. She’s a regular user of Facebook and still likes learning new things, having always embraced technology and relished using it during her working life.
Despite her diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, June remains engaged in the community, always keeping her door open for a chat and continuing to find joy in the world around her.
“I feel safe and looked after here at Willows,” she says. “There’s such a strong community spirit with plenty of love and laughter!”
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