Page 19 - Parish Magazine June 2018

Village People:
Nursing turned out not to be as glamorous as a popular soap, as night duty, in particular, was no fun at all, so Anne trained as a health visitor. Family life soon followed with the birth of a daughter Kate, who is now a teacher, and a son Richard, a radiographer. Meanwhile her husband Charles was promoted to consultant, but this meant moving to New Zealand which Anne was not keen on to start with but got to really like it. The family returned to England in 1987.
Another change in Anne’s life was her embracement of Christianity at 38 years old. Having been given some money following her father’s death, she was able to begin Bible studies, then a three-year Theology degree, finally training for the Ministry in Oxford. She became a curate at Harefield as her husband was working at Harefield hospital in North London. Next came her appointment to a Ministry team covering three parishes and four churches in Oxford where she stayed until her retirement in 2015 (separating from her husband in 2008).
Anne speaks of her friendly arrival in Edington, its charming rural location yet not so far from Heathrow airport and visits to her family abroad. She is a regular at Edington Priory church and a keen member of the church choir.
VILLAGE PEOPLE
ANNE ILSLEY
I am welcomed by Anne at her delightful period cottage, full of antique furniture, with superb views toward the hills above Devizes. Over tea, she reminisces about her life before she moved to Edington some two years ago. After boarding school , which she did not much care for, she trained as a nurse, which perhaps was no great surprise given her father was a G.P. and her mother a nurse (Anne was also a fan of the television programme ‘Emergency Ward 10’). Oh yes, as you probably might have guessed, she married a doctor as well!
in conversation with alan lewis.
If you would like to appear in the ‘village People’ section please contact
a.lewis@bath.ac.uk
the young and not so young are equally welcome as are residents of all the three villages.
thenewseec@gmail.com EDINGTON, ERLESTOKE & COULSTON 17