Evelyn was born the best part of a century ago, in Harlesden London,  in the year of the General Strike 1926.
Related , it is said , distantly,  to the poet Robert Browning (investigations are underway!) she was one of three siblings along with Doreen (still with us in her early 90’s) and her late brother Gordon.

Sadly early on in childhood their mother died whilst still in her late 20s and father Leslie took care as best as he could along with the help of other family members in and around Yiewsley and West Drayton.
Later,  during the war she was evacuated with her sister to Hastings, then hastily back inland when it was realised that the seaside could  also be  targeted by Hitler !


Work

In the late 1940s She went to Mars long before the modern era of space travel….as a telephonist on the Slough trading estate, and convinced us she didn't just do it for the free chocolate :) 

 She then took up a similar post in Upton Hospital  where she met our father Harry Edwards in the late 1940s

Meeting Dad

Despite the May to December age gap , Dad, (a widower, 51 with three daughters and a son ) and Mum 24! Got together.

She and dad moved southwest during the 1950s, to Byways Bungalow in Treswithian Downs just outside Camborne , Cornwall,  when Dad became Chief Group Engineer covering all of the hospitals from Bodmin to the Scilly Isles.

They shared this lovely spot with ducks, chickens, a Dalmatian called Troll and a miniature black poodle -Annette (who knew it was her dinner time when The Archers theme played each evening !). Mum  and Dad explored Cornwall  in an Austin motor car called Charlie– spending time in favourite spots such as Lamorna Cove, Mousehole and Polperro – Mum likely sunning herself on the beach while Dad went off sea fishing to catch mackerel for tea.



Having Twins

There was a little surprise in 1964 when Mark and Jane came along just 5 minutes apart! They lived by this time,  in the little coastal town of Burnham-On-Sea, Somerset.

Mark recalls the life saving effects of ice cream when once out with mum in the park, he set off at great pace for the main road with only mums high pitched offer of a vanilla cornet turning him back,  saving him from certain oblivion under a morris minor !

Dad liked moving around so mum and the twins found themselves everywhere from Somerset to Wales to Nottingham to Cornwall {again}. After Dad sadly passed away there when the twins were just 12 ,  they eventually settled in south bucks again where she remained , living initially in Stoke Poges and assisting Aunt Mabel with the decades old florist shop “Mabs” in Slough.



Close Family

Sister Doreen 91 living in Cheam and still going strong is here in spirit today we know, and her daughter Catherine and son in law Andrew are here with us today.

Grandaughters, Eleanor, Olivia and Cate, who she was immensely proud of, are between them studying in Cancer Research, the global environment and psychodynamic counselling so have pretty much everything covered to help improve the world that Grandma Eve bequeathed.

Later in life mum enjoyed many happy years with her second partner John and they had many adventures including trips to France and Italy which she remembered fondly.

Likes/Hobbies

Gardens

She was a fantastic fund of knowledge on flowers and plants in general to the delight of her neighbours and all and sundry who asked her wise advice.

Music

Eve loved singing- she took lessons when she was young and had a lovely soprano voice – music was a big part of her life,  both classical and popular , and there was rarely a day without the radio or record player going. She loved Elgar and Chopin – but was also partial to some of Freddie Mercury and Queen’s more sedate  songs!


Birds

Eve Loved watching her bird table almost as much as the soaps!

WI

Eve was also well loved at the Taplow WI, where she was known as “Little Evie” and excelled at indoors bowls and won many raffles to her eternal surprise.



Closing Thoughts

She was always very proud to be “as old as the Queen” if anyone asked and did amazingly well to survive a number of medical incidents in her later life

To sum up , mum was Humble, Kind immensely generous humourous and loving, and underneath it all incredibly brave . 

She is someone we should all strive to live up to. She will be sorely missed and remembered forever by her Family and Friends.