Page 24 - C:\Users\Jim\AppData\Local\Temp\msoE718.tmp

could. That being said, she never got upset with us when life got
busy and we didn’t see her as often - she’d always say, ‘Just pop

and see me every couple of months and a phone call now and
then’, just to let me know how you’re doing.’ A lovely sentiment,
however somewhat mute as she was harder to book in with than
The Queen……. She had the busiest social calendar of all of us!

She was either running an event at Over 60’s Club, of which she
was secretary, cooking roast dinners in the church hall for the elder
members of the community, out for coffee with her friends, at
church, at Bingo, raising funds for the Swanage pensioners beach
hut….the list was endless.

When she could fit us in, we would journey over to Swanage for a
wander around the Curiosity shop, fun in the arcades on the 2p
machines of which she was a seasoned expert, and of course
lunch in the wimpy. As us grandchildren grew older, we began to
take our children to enjoy these, what became rite-of-passage,
experiences.

To anyone entering Mary’s flat, it was clear to see that she had a
love of Swarovski crystals. She had animals, flowers, but the most
special of all, certainly to her grandchildren, was a spherical crystal.
Special because it was the only one we were allowed to touch as
kids, but even more treasured because we used to joke that she
won it on the TV gameshow The Crystal Maze.

Older age didn’t hold Mary back, as she embraced technology still
using a laptop, tablet and Nintendo DS to play her puzzle games in
her late 70’s and early 80’s. My friends were amazed when Mary
friend requested them on Facebook.

Mary’s last trip to Australia was at the grand age of 84, celebrating
her 85th birthday there. Having been only a couple of years
previously did not deter her from what she knew would be her last
visit. Despite her age, she coped with these long haul travels
amazingly, only getting lost once in Hong Kong airport after she
turned left outside of the toilets instead of right.

24