Lynne and Karen

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Lynne
Oil on aluminium
100x100mm

This is the eldest of my three sisters, Lynne.  Seen here embracing her daughter, Lauren at her wedding.



This is Karen who is about a year older than me. She lives in Tauranga, so I don't get to see her too often.
My youngest sister, Valerie, is not on Facebook.

Being the only boy in a family of girls, I guess I grew up with strong female role models. My father was always rather distant. Lynne, Karen and I were all born in England, in Middlesborough. I think we were all very well behaved and mannered children when we were very young. Very English.



    In the 1960"s , Canada was financially assisting young families to immigrate. We were all taken to start a new life on Vancouver Island. Not long after we arrived there, Valerie was born and I think its fair to say that she had a different, more relaxed upbringing in Canada, especially with three older siblings to dote and look after her. 



We lived in Canada for about eight years before going back to England in the early 70's.  Lynne and Karen had finished school and began working. I became very withdrawn and unhappy back in England.

In 1974, the family again emigrated. This time to New Zealand where my father had got a job in horticulture with Duncan and Davies Nurseries in New Plymouth. We had only been here a few months when first Karen and then Lynne found steady Kiwi boyfriends and got married. Karen and her husband David, soon left NZ to travel the world and Lynne with Graham, built a fine and large modern house. They had a daughter, Lauren in 1983. Karen and Dave returned to NZ and had daughter Sarah. Valerie finished school in New Zealand and met Trevor. They married and had two daughters, Jessica and Georgina.

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