We would like to thank Ernest Cox for allowing us to include this copy of his mother's fascinating account of her early years. It is an interesting description of an old way of life that is rapidly disappearing from living memory. We hope you enjoy it. Foreword Shortly after Mother died, on 21st October this year, I found amongst her personal papers an exercise book in which she had recorded her memories of her childhood and early adult years. While I was familiar with some of the anecdotes, much of what she has written was new to me. I don't think Mother ever anticipated that her memoir would be circulated, but I thought others may be interested to read it. In particular, I felt my cousins might enjoy reading about the home in which their mother or father and aunties and uncles grew up. I have not altered the text. This is exactly as Mother set it down in her own distinctive and delightful hand. Though there is no date on what she wrote, I suspect it was written a page or two at a time, during the last eighteen months of her life. If there are inaccuracies or inconsistencies in the text, remember, it was written by a lady in her late 80s, who was recalling events that happened in the first third of the last century! Any errors in spelling are due to my casual keyboard style or inadequate proof-reading. They are certainly not Mother's mistakes! The photographs, some of which were taken nearly one hundred years ago, may not have reproduced perfectly, but I thought their inclusion would enhance the text. I hope you will enjoy 'Mollie's Memoir' and that it may inspire you to set down some of your own memories for posterity. Ernest Cox
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