Her father, Frederick Denning, was a tenant farmer and, shortly after she was born, the family moved to Woodside Farm in Amersham on the Hill which was owned by the Weller brewing family. The farm was situated in the area which now sites the swimming pool and library but part of the old barn still remains.
She was part of a large family with eight other brothers and sisters. Her mother died when Mabs was only four years old – the result of a blood clot a few days after the birth of Kenneth (whom she never knew as he was put up for adoption immediately afterwards). Three of her siblings also died before their time – one drowned when she was two and she lost two more- Eileen and Percy- as young adults to TB and nephritis, respectively. Frederick Denning subsequently remarried they had three more children together.All of her siblings and half siblings are now deceased with the notable exception of her brother Jack who celebrated his 100 birthday in May this year and probably qualifies as “Britain’s Oldest Driver” - driving around 10 miles each way up hill and down dale across the Yorkshire Moors to the pub for his lunch each Sunday. Her elder sister, Iris, sadly just missed her 100 birthday by about six weeks so there is something in the genes.
After leaving school – she was privately educated but not a great scholar – she went into service with a family in Watford. It was there that she met her future husband, Frank, who was home after working on the railways in Tanganyika (now part of Tanzania). They were married in North Mymms church in 1934- the family having moved from Amersham to run a pub . Their first year of married life was spent in Harpenden and they then moved back to Amersham as Frank was starting work in a dairy business owned by his brother in law, Arthur.In 1938 their only child, Joan, was born. By now they were living in Lexham Gardens which was to be her home for the next sixty seven years.
Frank’s dairy career was short lived as Frank was called up to join the RAF during WWII. As he was towards the upper age limit for the call-up he had a fairly uneventful war doing jobs like serving drinks in the officers’ mess. Anyone who knew Frank would realise how well suited he was to the task!Nevertheless, it meant her husband was away (in places like Fraserburgh, Scotland) and so Mabs had to manage bringing up a young daughter alone. She also took in evacuees including the Leonard family from London who became a temporary part of the household . She also worked in the Sobell factory in Amersham making components for things of which she never knew their purpose. Toward the latter part of the War Frank was posted to Coltishall near Norwich and Mabs and Joan used travel up and lodge nearby with the notorious Nellie Neeve – a formidable but warm hearted countrywoman and her husband Jack.
After the war, Frank served on British Railways – first at Cricklewood and then to manage the Railwayman’s Hostel in St Pancras where he stayed until retirement in 1968. Mabs worked in “Jane Evans” in Amersham on the Hill. One day, she met with a commercial traveller who called in at the shop and she thought he was the spitting image of Jack. Afterwards, she found out that it was her estranged brother Kenneth but she didn’t have his contact details.Her daughter Joan was married in 1956 and he grandson, Stephen, was born in 1957. Sadly the marriage was short-lived and was dissolved in 1960. Mabs and Frank decided to raise Stephen which was no small sacrifice at their ages.
Frank was not to enjoy a long retirement – he had chronic kidney failure in the days before dialysis was widely available – and he died in 1972 aged 68. Mabs was devastated. Although they lived quite separate lives they were very close.After Frank’s death, she busied herself with the gardening and painting and decorating the house – she was very adept at this and had even been known to paint the butter dish in a fit of boredom!
By this time, Joan had remarried Bob Ware, a US serviceman, and they lived in Germany but still came back to the UK regularly. Stephen remained with Mabs as it would have meant disrupting his schooling at a crucial time.. In 1976 Joan and Bob settled in the USA where she lives today (sadly, Bob passed away in 2008)Stephen went to Sussex University in 1975 and graduated three years later. He married Susie, whom he had met at college, in 1980. They provided her with two great grandchildren – Martin, who was born in 1988, and Rowan, who was born two years later. She doted on both of them.
Mabs continued to enjoy good health until 1998 when she suffered a stroke. It didn’t affect her mobility but she could get a bit confused with words – her “dibble” days where she would invent a word if she couldn’t find one suitable. She remained in her own home until the end of 2004 when she was admitted to hospital. It was clear that she would not be able to go back home so she was admitted to The Gables nursing home in Aylesbury where she received excellent and loving care until the time of her death.Mabs was a fairly uncomplicated person and had a few very close friends rather than an entourage. She wasn’t particularly religious but did enjoy watching “Songs of Praise” on Sunday evenings. She also loved the singing of the late Kathleen Ferrier. Fortunately, she didn’t join in too loudly as she was fairly unmusical compared to Frank who was a wonderful pianist and grandson, Stephen, who has been known to play the odd guitar or ten.
