In the 1970s when I was a little girl, we lived just down the road from John, Laurette, Christopher and Mark in Soham, Cambridgeshire.  My older brothers, Michael and Peter were friends with Christopher and Mark.  


Laurette was training in early years education at this time and part of the training was to undertake a two year study of a child.  Wonderfully that child was me which meant I got to spend lots of time with Laurette, often at her home.  Being so young my memories have slightly faded but I do remember playing in her garden, threading wooden beads, play doh, Ladybird books, jigsaw puzzles, arts and crafts and best of all the marble run.  I can also remember our two families getting together for a bonfire party on 5th November and eating jacket potatoes out of the tin foil with lots of butter! 


At the end of her two year study, Laurette kindly gave the book she had made to my parents, Bill and Lilian, which means we still have the lovely photos, drawings and mostly observations written down by Laurette in her own handwriting.  Some of these observations are really quite funny and it is a lovely thing to have.