Laurie

Fondly known by all of us as Laurie, Lorraine was another of Rose and Fred’s six daughters. She was gentle, kind and welcoming so it was always a treat to go to Cousin Wayne’s birthday parties. Her signature recipe was the patty cake, better known today as the cup cake. In the 1950s and1960s when other mothers were decorating their patty cakes with pale icing Aunty Laurie’s were always coloured bright pink or bright blue, gaily decorated and made with a lot of love. She was before her time.

There was a time when Christmas puddings always contained hidden treasures; mostly old money coins. I think that I am right in saying that the only reason most children ate Christmas pudding was to get at the money, and maybe for the warm brandy custard. Whether Laurie was being kind or careful I was never sure but she didn’t put coins in her pudding. This I know because I caught her quietly slipping a shilling under each child’s pudding as she served it. The result was a bunch of happy kids and no fatalities at the Christmas table.