Kath Lawrence started at North Bradley primary school during WWI and is still a member of NBBC today. Born to a family of very humble circumstances, Kath remembers the fire man on the steam train which used to pass by North Bradley, throwing coal for her mother to use to keep them all from freezing.
However the Lord has been her constant companion and kept her through some very difficult times, such as when her husband returned from the Japanese prisoner of war camp after WWII, a completely broken man.
We asked her to tell us in light of the Jubilee, what she remembers of the coronation. She told us they had no tv or car in 1952, but her dad bought a black and white set for the occasion and their big family gathered and watched the whole thing – marvelous she says.
She’s a big fan of HRH as the photo of her mantelpiece shows, the card in the middle is the one she got last year to mark her 100th. That said, despite all the Queen’s hard work, and the peace and prosperity, Kath thinks the last 60 years have not all been good news. She says she’s seen people drift away from the Lord, community is far less close and caring, and she doesn’t know how she would have coped with the breakdown of the whole old way of life without the Lord as her shepherd to guide her through.
We asked what if anything she would say to people growing up today, looking forward to the next 60 years. Her answer was simple – love is the most important thing, living for yourself is not the answer, caring for others is what counts – live without love and you are an empty frame she said. Sobering words.