Rowena, or "Mrs. Lamont" as I still feel most comfortable referring to her as, was a truly important and influential person to me as I grew up. I knew her from before I started school - she was a close fiend of my Mum's and Alex was in my class at schoo and became a close childhood friend. She was such a caring and kind person and seemed to have an inner smile as well as a lovely infectious outward smile. When she came to look after me and my sister when my parents went out for an evening or if I went to her house, I loved her sense of humour and her ability to be interested and engaged in the preoccupations ofc children. She made me feel safe and reassured.

Happy memories of her go back to some of the earliest I have and will always remain very special.

She made a pastry and mincmeat slice which my family called "Rowena Cake". As a child, Inot used to using grown-ups first names I called it "Mrs Lamont Cake" and I still do...