About our Mum.....
Created by Joanna 8 years ago
Born in Battersea on 26th June 1936 to parents Florence and Robert Shemmings, Beryl attended school and grew up in the Battersea area later moving to North West London.
Beryl was an extremely bright student and was in fact later to become member of Mensa. She also had great practical and artistic skills and a lovely eye for detail and for presentation.
When Beryl left school she became a seamstress and learned skills that were to remain with her for the rest of her life.
Later taking advantage of her great eye for detail, she took a job as a window dresser in a little boutique in Brompton arcade in Knightsbridge and she was by all accounts extremely good at her trade.
A pretty girl, Beryl was also an amazing dancer and whilst in her twenties, often danced with Tommy Steele at the “Cat’s Whisker” coffee bar in Soho which was in fact one of the first places in England to have a Juke box installed.
It was while working at the Boutique that Beryl was to meet Leo whom she married in 1961 later giving birth to a lovely daughter in 1962 whom they named Deborah which is when Beryl became a full time Mother and possibly found her true vocation.
Later in 1969, Joanna was born and Beryl just loved being mum to her two wonderful daughters. Beryl took a part time job when Jo started primary school to help make ends meet. Debbie fondly remembers Beryl trying to teach her to Jive after returning from work.
Over the Rainbow” this song was always very special to the girls as they associate it with happy times watching the “Wizard of Oz” at Christmas time when they were young.
Family holidays were in Wales, Cornwall and the Norfolk Broads which was quite brave because Beryl never actually learned to swim. Jo also remembers with great fondness the day trips to Margate and Brighton every year with Beryl and Debbie.
Beryl loved flowers and gardening and would always keep her little garden tidy and well stocked. Her favourite flowers were Daffodils, Bluebells and Freesias, and she adored the smell of Lavender. Particularly fond of sunsets, she would often be in awe of the array of beautiful colours sunsets bring.
She also loved cats with ‘Nig’ her black cat being an especial favourite. She also liked the ‘big cats’, especially the magnificent tiger from the Esso advert.
Beryl was good at drawing and painting and often made her own cards. She also enjoyed knitting, quilting and embroidery. Hobbies that require great patience and of course Beryl’s eye for detail.
Addicted to tea and certainly an accomplished cook, Beryl was famous for her meatloaf, cheese cake, jam tarts and delicious cheese straws. She would made lovely curries from leftovers from the Sunday Lunch but actually disliked curry herself so did that selflessly for her family.
In quieter moments, Beryl would enjoy a chat, a sip of Guinness, a game of cards or a board game with a friend or two.
Happiest bringing up her girls as a housewife and mum, when her girls moved away, Beryl moved to Northolt and carried on working as a book keeper in London until she eventually retired.
One of Beryl’s “claims to fame” is that she’s one of the few civilians to have flown a Boeing 737 at the age of seventy and demonstrated a perfect landing. This was in a flight simulator of course, but still a significant achievement for a septuagenarian.
As she became older, she would enjoy listening to songs from the musical “Moma Mia” she also particularly enjoyed rag time music as well as listening to Agatha Christie audio books and the odd programme on TV such as Only Fools and Horses, Keeping up Appearances and any of the wonderful old Ealing Comedies.
Calm, wise and compassionate, a gentle and caring lady who always seemed to put the needs of others first; although she could maybe, be a touch stubborn on occasions, Beryl was most proud of her girls, a thoroughly good soul who liked to do things her own way, which she did in the end.
Jo and Debbie have very fond memories of a private, gentle, loving and supportive mother who had a lovely sense of humour.
Sadly we lost Beryl on 28th March and her passing leaves a void in all of our lives.