My sister: what can I say my sister was a ray of sunshine in my life, she was always there at the right time and guided me through life. giving me advice (not always the right advice) but she was there when ever I needed someone. We grew up in a loving family and have always been there for one another in good and bad times. In our younger days we spent a lot of time down the bathing pools where mum worked and where Julie became a great swimmer who represented Guernsey. Down the pools we also met another Linda then Linda Scott and her mum and dad who we have always referred to as auntie Marg and Uncle Tom and they are here today. We all remained friends and had many holidays together. I always remember going to Herm camping and one day we walked down to the shops across the field and bumped into Cliff Richard who used to camp over there. Julie always told me that he was going to wait for her to grow up so he could marry her. That was never to be because she met her childhood sweetheart Nigel. We were typical sisters we argued we used to fight but as the years went on we grew closer and closer. I was always the baby, so Julie used to say, well it wasn’t always that way I was very protective of her especially at school and if ever she was picked on I used to sort it out for her. When Julie was in her teens she employed me as a security guard my wages was a mars bar or a packet of crisps and all I had to do was keep a look out of the window when mum and dad went out and Nigel had sneaked over to see her, I also had to keep dad chatting whilst Nigel was upstairs hiding in the wardrobe. One particular night I let my guard slip and whilst Julie and Linda had all the boys in having a party I forgot to keep a watch out the window and dad came home and caught them all. One by one they went out the door on the end dads foot. Although I always looked up to my sister there was one particular time when I had to look down on her, and that was when she was head girl at St Peter Port School, Mrs Firth (needlework teacher) stood me on a chair in front of the class and called for julie and then asked me why I couldn’t be more like my sister and asked what I would do when I left school I told her I would drive a tank (and I did) When I went in the army Julie wrote to me all the time and yes like any other sisters we had our little secrets. Only last month I was sorting through some of the letters I kept and found one of which Julie had written. In it she said please find enclosed £2 (a lot of money in those days) but don’t tell mum I sent it because she won’t send you any more. We were always scheming things up like naughty little kids. Like the time we took mum to Florida. We planned to get a car to drive around so both decided to get a convertible and sit mum in the back. Mum was not amused as we flew down the highway and her hair, which was always immaculate, now looked more like Jedward. Julie and I had such a laugh. Sorry mum. Over the last few years Julie has enjoyed travelling the world on cruises more recently she travelled with me volunteering her time to help with my children’s charity Aid Reaching Children. She travelled to Sri Lanka twice and helped to paint and decorate houses that we’d built, again when she was there she surprised me when cleaning out a house she was literally picking up big spiders and cockroaches and throwing them out of the window. And I thought I was the bravest, maybe that’s why I have such a fear of spiders I guess she used to chase me around as a kid with spiders in her hands. Whilst in Sri Lanka Julie met a young man Kumara who had donated one of his kidneys to another man. He was from the North but because his family had now rejected him for giving away a body part, he was homeless and Julie took him under her wing. She has sponsored him ever since. Now he is married with his own baby and enjoying a more comfortable life. She loved helping other people and she helped me so much. Always there to lend a hand at fundraising events. Letting me use her house as a store room. But she was always the boss right up to the time she was in hospital last week. She wanted me there, and the nurses called me at 2 in the morning. I sat with her for hours and then decided I needed the toilet. I told her I wouldn’t be long and as I was walking out she said “Wash your hands” as if I wouldn’t. She had me massaging her feet and when I stopped for a few seconds she was wiggling her toes for me to carry on. She showed me she was in charge right till the end. She didn’t win the battle with this awful decease but she left me with a lovely niece Rebecca and two lovely nephews Martyn and James and 3 adorable great nieces and a great nephew who I will always be there for. Your mum will live on through me. I will always love my sister and I will miss her so much but I will carry her in my heart forever.