As a child, Carrie was a really cool auntie to me. I was a bridesmaid at her wedding when she married my uncle Derek, and Carrie made me a lovely lemon lace dress to wear. When they moved down to the south coast, I used to love going to stay with them.

I liked to cook and Carrie would always let me cook whatever I wanted in the kitchen of their large flat. Whenever I go past the flat today it brings back happy memories of Carrie and carefree days. I made lots of roast potatoes, shortbread and fudge, and Carrie would let me cook whatever I liked, and have a go at things not necessarily tried before. There were a few failed experiments but it didn’t matter. To my brother and I as children of the 60s, this freedom was thrilling. We also used to do crafty things together and Carrie was very creative. I remember her showing me how to make drawings on pewter and I enjoyed having a go. Carrie was always so generous with her time, and with materials such as glue, binca (highly desirable holey cloth for embroidery - only dispensed meanly, at school) and fabric for sewing - things I had to save up for with my pocket money. Carrie made lots of her own clothes and was very fashionable and pretty. We also did sewing together and she helped me to make a mini skirt.

One of my most vivid memories is going to stay for the weekend and arriving on Friday after school. Later that evening she asked what I fancied to eat after dinner and I said “I really fancy ice cream”. In those days sweets treats were a rarity but in Carrie’s household they were always so generous and kind with such delights, and I thought it highly likely that they might have some ice cream, even though there was only the tiny freezer compartment of the fridge. Carrie thought for a moment and said “Do you know how to make it?”. The shops were of course shut by now in the days before evening opening. I had an idea that it was a mixture of cream, milk and sugar and so we set about raiding the larder and making vanilla ice cream. We poured it into a shallow tray for quick freezing and about an hour later were eating delicious ice cream and drinking Coke. The first time I ever heard decent pop music in stereo (at a decent volume) was when staying with them. As a child I was in heaven, and my lasting memory of Carrie is a warm-hearted, instinctively kind, non-judgemental and generous person.

Lesley