My mother was born Ellen Smithson on 29th march 1920, the eldest of seven children, wrote Janette Osbourne. Her parents were Agnes and William Smithson and they lived firstly at 9 and then 13 Garibaldi Street, Stockton on Tees.

My mother was a very proud and stubborn lady, kind but tough and ever so funny. My aunts told us stories about her from the war years and how she wouldn't move for Hitler.

Apparently, gran even had to get the local police sergeant to get her out of bed when the air raid sirens went. Once they told us the Catholic priest came to see gran; it was his weekly visit and all my mother's sisters and brothers used to hide under the stairs because they were afraid of him.

But not my mother; they said she sat defiant on a chair by the fire, and one day she sat arms folded and the priest told her sternly, "Ellen though shall be queen in hell one day," and mother looked him in the eye and said, "Yes, and you shall be king, mate."

That was mother, stubborn and defiant, but she was a lovely lady who had character and everyone loved her. Mother was in the army during the war years, where she was called Big Nell because of her size.

People said she was the best cook around: she made the most wonderful Madeira cake you could ever taste and her pies were lovely, all meaty and full of gravy.

Mother always made the best of everything she looked after 9 of us kids and we were always well fed and clothed. She made all our frocks herself. Mother married my dad Roland Hutchinson in 1944, and they were married 44 years before he passed away.

Mother died recently, having fought cancer to the end and by God what a fight she put up, just like in the old days. I am so proud to have had her for my mother.

She lived on the Tilery Estate at the time of her passing away. I think she lived there for about 6 or 7 years. She also lived in Swainby Road, Stockton where we spent many happy years as a child.

She lived around the gas works area for years, and she attended the Norton Board School, and Stockton Girls School which was on Nelson Terrace in Stockton.

Janette Osbourne, nee Hutchinson, Co Cleveland, 2002