June, also my mam, was born in June 1933 to Maud and Norman Alderson in Darlington, County Durham, and she was their only child. The family lived in Whitworth Terrace, Spennymoor, County Durham. Her father Norman was a council surveyor and her mother Maud was an office manager working in Bishop Auckland.

Mam went to the local Grammar school and should have gone to University, but she decided not to, and started work with her first job as Librarian in Boots, due to her love of reading.

Mam eventually went to work at the British Rail office known as “Stooperdale Offices” where she worked with and made lots of friends, a list of the ones I am aware of:
- Clu (Muriel Morton)- Since passed away.
- Annie - Since passed away.
- May (Shaw) Sennett (my Father’s eldest sister) – who sadly passed away December 2019.
- Kath (Currently living in Darlington).
- Mag (Currently living in Shildon).

Additionally, she then met my father Gordon who was born May 1929, he was the youngest of three children born to Florence and Charles Shaw.

My mother and father were married on the March 1957, in Spennymoor initially they lived in Darlington. Their first house was in, Banksland Road, Darlington, County Durham. They then moved to Byers Green, Near Spennymoor, County Durham.  This move was where my mother and father had purchased a general store (Grocery & newsagent shop) along with the village fish & chip shop.

At this time, I (their only son) was born April 1967 in Green Bank Hospital in Darlington.

After approximately 6 years they closed down the fish & chip & grocery shops, converting the shops back into normal rooms within the house. But they kept the newsagent element of the business but ran it from the house.

My Mother then went out to work at:
- Bishop Auckland – Technical College (Working on pensions & general financial clerk)
- Durham County Council – Building Department

In 1982 my Father then took a transfer through British Rail to move from the railway works in Shildon, County Durham to Wolverton, Milton Keynes.

My father worked in Milton Keynes initially on his own, until they bought the family home in Two Mile Ash, Milton Keynes late 1983.

My mother continued to work up north and moved down 1984, with her mother Maud & her Auntie Dora.
Maud Alderson & Dora Spensley (sisters) who relocated with us into Sheltered accommodation in Radcote Lodge, Two Mile Ash, to be near us.

Our new family home we moved into, in Milton Keynes, December 1983, is still the family home, 36 years later.

Once moving to Milton Keynes, my mother had the following jobs:
- Stone and Webster as a Document Librarian
- Menzies the new agents – manager for the newsagents on Bletchley and Leighton Buzzard railway stations outlets.
- Work for the Ministry of Defence at Hanslope Park.
- Tarmac Homes in Central Milton Keynes – Working of invoicing and paying the sub-contractors

Our son Ethan Aron was born in the July 2002 and he was her only grandchild, and like myself has been spoilt rotten by mam.

Mam loved and tried to spoil all the children around her, she has around half a dozen god children around the world.  One of which is Karen (Karen’s parents Mag & Wilf) have been long term friends of my parents. They are also my god parents.

Mag & Wilf Watson along with friends Pauline & Phil, Beryl & Arnold were the ones that went dancing on a regular basis. Both my mother and father both loved dancing, as such always going to dances and this love and passion continued up until my parents were in to their late sixties / early seventies. Even beyond, they still made the effort to return up north to partake in the Masonic dance events including New Year’s Eve.

My mother had two cousins:
- Harry Spensley (whom was in the Air Force) and married Peggy & had five children (Michael, Yvonne, Esme, Andrew & Moira) they live in Penzance).
- Margaret & Ray they still live up north and have a couple of children called Philip & Helen

My father had around sixty cousins, I mam was only in touch with a few of them.
- One cousin was Allan Shaw who married Helen and they had a son David Shaw. David married Anne. And they live in the Grimsby /Cleethorpes.
- Doreen Shaw was another cousin who still lives up north.

Mam’s friends are too many to mention, but I will have to mention:
- Thelma & John – Live in Great Holm – My Mam worked with Thelma at Tarmac Homes.
- Jan (worked with my mother at Tarmac Homes with Thelma) trips to CMK
- Elaine Holes (worked with my mother at Hanslope Park).
- Brenda.
- Jill (Sometimes referred to as one of the bus Ladies, i.e. my mam & dad met her on the local bus trips to CMK)
- The other bus ladies (MK based) are Ellen & Doreen, they would meet up on the local buses – go shopping and take the opportunity to have a coffee and cake in CMK.
- David & Anne Shaw (my Father’s cousin’s Son & Wife)
- Paul & Linda Smith, they are David & Anne’s friends that live in Milton Keynes and used to go to Jazz concerts & shows at The Stables with my mother.
- Satinder (Lady) & Surinder are one of my mother’s neighbours who have lived opposite her in, Two Mile Ash. And have been friends for years

Things my mother loved, and that will always remind me of her:
- Reading (these were Thrillers, Murder mysteries, Detectives)
- Always had the weekend news papers
- TV programmes like Miss Marple’s. Morse & Death in Paradise (Or as she would say “Murder in the Sun”)
- Crossword puzzles
- Jigsaw puzzles
- Socialising, Talking and chatting, spending hours on telephone catching up.
- Shopping – Bargain hunting as she would say, with fiends such as Jan & Anne Shaw will have vivid memories of their shopping trips.
- Buying presents for people.
- Coffee & Cake at any time, but especially when she was out shopping

- Toffees/Sweets especially chocolate bars like
   - Kit Kat, Twirls & Fruit and Nut as well as anything she could buy from Thornton’s
 - Dancing
 - Theatre & Jazz
   - She would attend The Stables, whenever she could for Jazz or any show.
- Antiques
  - This took up her interest from one of her mother’s fiends Nora, who become close friends after my gran passed away
- Music - especially by
  - Frank Sinatra
  - Lionel Richie
  - The Carpenters
  - Burt Bacharach