Rachael

This is the first picture of Rachael Louise, taken in St Peter's, a pleasant little cottage hospital in Maldon just a short walk from our house, which had a maternity unit.

However, Rachael wasn't born there. She arrived on All Hallow's Eve 1989 in Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, this because Gill was an 'old mum' so, when Rachael's arrival was imminent, she was taken in an ambulance to Broomfield. At the time we didn't have a car - Gill had sold the Sunflower van to a gypsy and had bought a Ford Escort estate but we hadn't picked it up - so I had to borrow the Caddicks, our next-door neighbour's VW beetle to be at the birth.

Conditions in the maternity unit at Broomfield were almost as bad as at Rochford Hospital where David was born, so it was good to get the two to St Peter's and then, when they were ready, home, where....

....Rachael far preferred to be.

Fortunately she cheered up a bit in the company of her two sisters who, along with David, were very good with her. In fact, I think that Rachael had the best early childhood of all our children because she had older siblings of various ages who helped look after her and, in particular, played with her.

Baby technology had moved on so Rachael also benefitted from all sorts of modern machines including this aluminium-framed back-pack which meant she could come on walks with us, for example down the muddy paths to Beeleigh.

Rachael was, like all her siblings, an exceptionally happy baby who was a joy to have around - she's pictured here in the new conservatory. Unlike the others, however, there are far more photos of her as camera technology had also moved on.