This is the hardest page I have ever had to write.

Today’s picture is dedicated to my mother who, after a long and valiant fight against cancer died on Monday 6th at 9.45 in the evening. Margaret Hadley was born Margaret Howard in Australia 74 years ago. She moved to England as a small child with her parents.

She married my father one December morning over 50 years ago and was promptly taken to Borneo for several years. On returning to England she lived in Upminster and then the Isle of Wight.

Mother to three boys, John, Robert and myself life was never quiet, and the memories are full of kind hands, kissing it better and stings from Detol. We were not wrapped in cotton wool but sometimes patched up with it.

After the onset of cancer she continued to set goals and achieve wonderful things, two books were published by Collins – both romantic fiction and an Open University BA was achieved in 2002 or 3.

When dad retired in 1988 he had hoped that they would be able to travel and enjoy the fruits of their hard work, unfortunately this only lasted a couple of years and since then he has been caring for mun in a way that only a devoted husband could. He will miss her terribly.

Steak and Kidney pie will never be cooked as well again, She made tones of sandwiches for us to take to the boat at weekends and never complained about 20 shirts to iron or a dozen rabbits to skin and gut.

Words cannot say how much we will miss her. But knowing her as we do she would want us to get on with our lives so there will be a short period when the picture of the day may stay unchanged as arrangements need to be made and updating this site may not be convenient.

I trust you will understand