Sittingbourne To Australia

A Memory of Sittingbourne.

My name is Margaret.  I was born in Park Road, Sittingbourne on 18.4.45. My parents were Flossie and Cyril Neaves. My dad worked as a machine man in the Sittingbourne paper mills and my mum worked fruit picking in the early days but worked for Shell Research Station later on.
I attended the Holy Trinity Primary School then moved onto Westlands Secondary. After leaving school I worked at Chatham telephone exchange for about 4 years, my hobbies were ballet and skating. I later went on to become a ballet teacher and had my own ballet schools. I was taught in Sittingbourne by Iris Thomas.

I married Neville Cox, formerly of Connaught Roadd, Sittingbourne, in 1963 at St Mary's Church in Park Road. Neville's father was a chiropodist in Connaught Road. Neville and I lived in Keycol Hill for 6 years, we have a son Mark born in 1965, also a daughter Deborah born 1966. Both children attended Borden Primary School for a short while. They both remember trudging through the snow in their wellington boots to get to school. They have fond memories of the countryside with all the blossoms, lambs etc.

In 1971 we emigrated to Western Australia. We have been here now for 38 years. We have travelled to the UK on several occasions to visit with family.  We found quite a few changes to Sittingbourne over the years. Both sets of parents are now deceased. In 1973 we added to our family with another daughter, Nicola.

Since living in West Australia we have travelled quite a lot, we have made a few house moves, from first living in the Perth area to moving to an agricultural college at Muresk, near Northam, where Neville was the catering manager. We were there for about 10 years. We have lived in Carnarvon for 15 years.

We are now both retired and living on a 100 acre farm in Dongara, we now have only a few animals. Our lives are very busy and we both keep very active.

Mark is married with 3 children, Deborah is married with 2, and Nicola is married with twin boys. Our eldest grandson is 18 and the youngest grandaughter is 6. All living in Western Australia which is great for us all.

I would dearly love to hear from anyone remembering either myself or Neville.

Margaret Cox (nee Neaves)
Neville Cox

Friends that I remember are,
Vicky Owen,       Janet Whitehead,   Sheila Andrews,    Susan Gawthorpe,   
Sheila Barden,    Barbara James,     Barbara Waters,   Janet West
Jeanette Wiles,   Susan Bacon,        Susan Croucher,   Jennifer Spall,
Sandra Wearing, Pauline Gemmet,    Muriel Westgate
Eileen Ford,        Marlene Murphy,     Carol Bean,        
Christine Morley from Rochester, I used to roller skate with her at the Casino in Rochester.
All these names are their maiden names.

My postal address is:
P.O.  Box  697
Dongara  6525
WESTERN AUSTRALIA

EMAIL:  namscox@bigpond.com.au

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