Mum’s memories published by Northumberland author

‘Memories and tales my mother told me …’ was written by Janis Field, who sadly died in April 2024, aged 90, in a hospice in Winchester, Hampshire, after a short illness.

She shared her love of words and books with spelling tests in the kitchen, dramatic readings of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and an on-going scrabble contest lasting decades!

‘My mother originally wrote this short memoir way back in 2007/2008 and we had a great time captioning vintage black and white photographs when we published Memories privately as a present to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren during Covid circa 2020/21,’ said Andrew.

‘At the time, she said she would struggle to tell me what she ate two days ago but she can walk me through her old home in Forest Gate, London, room by room. Funnily enough, the old stories are retained like they happened yesterday. One of life’s supreme ironies.’

‘Recently I shared the book with a friend and he said ‘I've just sat and read your mother's story. Wow, this is a fabulous read, beautifully and simply written - it must make you very proud and grateful to have such a personal account of your very origins’. His words ring so true because we are what are today because of all our yesterdays — and although mum joined my dad in the great beyond in April, I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing stories her mother told her more widely. If they put a smile on somebody’s face for a couple of minutes, it is worth doing.’

All proceeds from sales of the book, which is available on Amazon and direct from Hit the North, will be donated to the Mountbatten Hampshire hospice.

Andrew Field, from Berwick upon Tweed, has recently published his latest crime thriller, After the Bridge, which is also available via Amazon and Hit the North.