I was born in a nursing home in Lambeth on 24th April 1930. My parents lived in rooms in a house belonging to Grandma and Grandad Baker (as I called them). They were bringing up Alec whose Mother died in childbirth so I had a ready made brother - someone I was very close to until he sadly died about five years ago. After two short moves we went to live in Wimbledon, where I lived until my marriage, and then only moving a short distance away.
Growing up I did all the usual things - Girl Guides, Youth Club etc. Early in the war I was evacuated to Devon when bombing became imminent, returning home to be bombed out by a buzz bomb. I was dug out by heavy rescue men and resumed life in Wimbledon, albeit in a different house. I became a member of the Church Choir and through the Youth Club got caught up with the acting bug. Because I had long legs I always got landed with the Principal Boy's part in the Pantomimes we did annually - always great fun!
Through the Guides I landed up as leader of the local Land Rangers and was asked to be a member of a guard of honour team made up of representatives of youth organisations around London. I used to catch the train to the Police Station in Church Street Kensington, from where the Police would take me to anything official needing a guard of honour. I lost count of the various places and embassies to which we went. I liked the American Embassy best as they gave us ice cream!
My Parents gave a home to a returning soldier and when he got married I met Michael at his wedding reception. The rest is history but I do remember our first date - afternoon tea at the Waldorf Hotel followed by theatre. Marriage came in due course and we had two rooms in my parents’ house during which period my lovely sons Philip and David were born. We then managed to scrape up a deposit for our first house, 52 Northway, near Morden and we lived extremely happily until a bombshell was dropped and we had to move due to Michael’s London office being relocated to Gloucester. This meant leaving a prominent Drama company and also a well known Ladies' company specialising in festivals and competitions in the north Surrey area. However, the move went smoothly, with Philip getting automatic transfer from the Emanuel School in London to Sir Thomas Rich's School in Gloucester, and David to Elmbridge School from which he subsequently joined his brother at "Tommies". We moved into 53 Cheltenham Road on Guy Fawkes day in 1971.
My Mother had died aged 64 not long previously and sadly my Dad died only 3 weeks after he moved to Gloucester with us, aged 68. We picked up life again and I joined the LADS (Ladies Amateur Dramatic Group), where I have made life long friends, also the St. Barnabas Players (after a short spell with with the G.O.D.S.) This was an extremely rewarding experience and I have many happy experiences of plays performed in St. Barnbas Hall and subsequently at the Kings Theatre, where we changed our names to the Crown Players and made it our "home".
Then another phase of our life began. When Philip went to Tommies we discovered they had a Bowls Club and which we joined. Actually we went along on a Monday evening and found that we were playing in a match the following Saturday! We both got heavily involved with the Club, Michael as President and myself doing practically anything from the cleaning in the early days and then the catering for about 21 years. We also arranged annual Bowling tours for 21 years, together with the annual Dinner & Dance held in the school hall. I also found myself Club Secretary for 9 years. Life was full but fun, as I also arranged club social evenings along the way.
1988 was bit of a Golden Year, as I was fortunate to win the best actress in the County for my performance in "Born in the Gardens" and also won a County Bowling award. Life continued well and then I was nominated as County Secretary in bowling and another window opened as I made new friends all over the County, from Moreton in Marsh to Bristol and beyond. During the 12 years I served in this post I developed arthritis which progressed in severity and curtailed my movements more than somewhat painfully.
My youngest son David emigrated to Australia and we were able to visit him, his wife Jenny and three lovely sons twice in Melbourne - memorable holidays.
Sadly Michael contracted cancer and died on Armistice Day in 2003 and another phase of my life began - ALONE.
My wonderful Son Philip has been a rock here ever since, together with his wife Celia and lovely granddaughter Rachael. I had more operations after Michael died but still managed to stay at home with lovely memories of past holidays, etc. I have had two wonderful holidays since in Australia in Brisbane and the beautiful Queensland Coast, and the Beach house David and Jenny have is my idea of heaven.
Sadly I had to give up my car fairly recently and am still in deep mourning for it - however with the help of Philip with a weekly supermarket shop, friends, taxis, dial-a-ride etc I get out as much as I can, especially to Holy Trinity Church in Longlevens where I have worshipped since 1971 and where The Mothers Union at one point played a large part in my life and where I was Presiding Member followed by Deanery Presiding Member, making even more friends along the way.
So now my activities are winding down but I thank God daily for my family and all the many many friends I've made through my trip through life. See you all one day.
Written by Peggy herself - around 2012.
Postscript: (added by her son Philip)
In spite of increasing frailty and lack of mobility which from 2014 limited Mum to being pushed in her wheelchair beyond the front door, she still managed to maintain a fairly independent lifestyle. Sundays Holy Trinity Church, Thursdays Bohanam House Day Care Centre (bath, lunch & social), Fridays shopping at Sainsbury’s, fortnightly Library Club visits, Alzheimer’s Society lunches, outings with Crossroads Care and frequent meals out with us and others (not to mention hospital and doctor appointments!) - she kept herself busy and still managed to sustain a fairly independent lifestyle. The internet and email provided continuing links with family abroad and her circle of friends from drama, bowls and church. These highlights though proved increasingly more painful and took her longer to get ready for and carry out.
And through 2019 early signs of dementia were evident that couldn’t be dismissed as merely the absent-mindedness or forgetfulness of increasing old age.
It all came to a frightening head with the advent of corona virus and subsequent lockdown of March 2020.
Not able to accept or cope with the enforced isolation - even with carer and family support - led to intensified symptoms of dementia and a suspected heart attack and hospitalisation. The lockdown restrictions only served to exacerbate matters but somehow (to the doctors’ complete surprise) Mum pulled back from death’s door and after a subsequent period of rehabilitation at Tewkesbury Community hospital - where the care team were brilliant - she moved into the care home at Chapel House. Her condition meant she was no longer able to live independently. Sadly she never returned to her home 6 Trajan Close. And ongoing restrictions, coupled with her medical condition meant trips outside the care home were a long while being restored.
What she told to me, her life at Chapel House was never a good or happy one; yet to others … she told a different story altogether!
We did manage a few lovely trips out - afternoon high tea with Mo at Twigworth, summer teas in our garden enjoying the flowers, water fountains and chickens, trips to Tewkesbury for gelato and abbey visit. It was clear though that at a time when Mum’s life memories should have been providing her latter days with happy recollections and reflection, Alzheimer’s disease was cruelly corrupting and destroying them completely.
A series of infections, the tip perhaps of an underlying more serious condition, took hold during the last few months. She finally succumbed on the morning of 10th September 2022.
Rest in Peace, Mum.