Monica BriscoeMonica recently returned to Home Farm off North Green where we cared
for her in her last three months. In 1943, aged 13, she moved to Home
Farm with her family, from just a few fields away in Bruisyard. The
minutiae of the country girl's life are in the daily diary she has kept
her whole life---playing in streams and ditches, rearing rabbits,
chickens, ducks. Every day she cycled to Mills Grammar in Fram. She
became head girl and went on to teacher training at Homerton College,
Cambridge. After a spell teaching in Lowestoft she returned to live in
Home Farm, taking the infants class at Campsea Ashe where Mrs Chapman,
the headmistress, took the juniors. She met Paul, who then lived in
Marlesford, at a dance at Fram Con club and they married in Parham
Church in 1956. Their first home together was Lavender Cottage in
Hacheston, which Paul had renovated beforehand.
Although
they had nominally moved away in 1958 to follow Paul's teaching career,
they returned to her father Jack Larter at Home Farm every fortnight
and every holiday. When Jack died in 1975 they returned to settle and
help run the farm. Even though they became more Fram-centred when they
'retired' to the near edge of Fram in 1985, Paul would pop over to
Parham most days and Monica would always return to the Home Farm at
least once a week. So it was fitting that Monica should live for her
last few months in the home where her heart was.
I would like to
thank all those in the four villages covered by this magazine who have
visited or sent their condolences recently. We shall all treasure fond
memories of both Monica and Paul.
Bob Briscoe | |