story of sal v2

Sal was born on 22 December 1948 at St Alfege’s Hospital Greenwich reached by 108A….

Sal’s childhood family home in Kidbrooke Grove when we went to visit in 1982…..

..and in the garden in 1949 Sal is with her Dad, Mum, brothers Glen (or maybe Val) and Alan and sister Joan …

..after a slightly shaky start…

..Sal soon perfected..

…a cute look…

…even in school photographs!

..and on holiday at Bexhill on

Sea..

With her sister-in-law Phyll and sister Joan c 1958

In the 1950s Sal’s Dad bought Chicheley near Hailsham in Sussex, built up a chicken farm and bought the fancy Ford Classic….

..Sal at the wheel of the Classic … though she didn’t pass her test until 1976!

Sal has always liked gardens…

… but in her teens…

..she was a Mod …

… and when in the early 60s Sal’s Dad sadly died following a short illness …

… and, with her Mum, Sal moved to a new flat in nearby Eastbourne ..

… Sal quickly got into the pop music scene …

..going to her first Beatles’ concert in 1963 and becoming Beatles Fan Club member number 785…

.. and she was thrown in the sea during Mods v Rockers clashes in Brighton…

..and a year after this 1965 family wedding …

…Sal followed in John Lennon’s footsteps and went to Art School (but in Eastbourne not Liverpool)…

… where she had a great time….

Sal’s sketch book includesEastbourne Town Hall …

… and her sister-in-laws bathroom and Post Office counter

… and then to Hornsey College of Art. In 1968 when the college was temporarily closed following the famous student protest and occupation, Sal returned to Eastbourne to work night shift at the Arctic Roll factory, taking time out to join in the anti Vietnam War demo in Grosvenor Square!

…After Art School Sal trained as a teacher and after a year in a Bethnal Green Comp

…went to work at the famous White Lion Street Free School…

…where there was a constant struggle to keep going…..

..but Sal loved it .. even peeling spuds for 50 plus on camping trips – just as well she likes to cook…

…all the while she lived in a dingy basement flat at the now refurbished 5 Calthorpe Street WC1…

...where a tyrannical landlady meant boyfriends had to hide in wardrobes…

…and there were coal fires and an Ascot water heater…..

..while the bay tree was a 21st birthday present from Phalen and at nearly 40 is now in our garden

sketched on train to Eastbourne

…in 1979 Sal left the Free School and took a long break in Sri Lanka…

..and then she moved into a council flat on the Andover Estate in Islington…

..where she made a lovely garden and adopted two cats – this one is Guttersnipe, Gutty for short..

..she started a Gardening Business…

…having got some apparently reluctant experience as a gardener at Finsbury Park..

..and she also worked part time at NACRO where she met Dave. In 1982 they went to Symi….

.and in 1985, expecting Caitlin, she left the council flat and moved to Dynevor Road Stoke Newington..

..she diligently attended stretching and yoga classes…..

..and Caitlin was born on 9 July 1985, 15 minutes before this picture was taken

..and soon Caitlin was old enough for compulsory walks in the Yorkshire Dales..

…as well as daily excursions by bicycle

In 1988 Rosin was born…..

….work in the Citizen Advocacy movement took Sal all over the world (usually with plenty of down time!!!)….

..while the outdoors life continued….

..and in no time at all….

..the children have grown up (kind of)…..

.. and here we are – 60 (or so) years on.. Happy Birthday Sally xxxx