Margaret was me and Maya's grandmother, or as she would have rather I had said

Maya and I's grandmother. She was big influence on both of our up-bringing's,

including the never ending battle to improve my grammar. From spending nearly

every school holiday with her, to helping us finance our first cars, and giving us

advice on our choice of university. She was always there for us, always dependable

and nearly always right.

She was truly an inspiration! She was living proof that being a women does not mean

certain careers are unattainable with a little hard work and determination. In 1957

she was one of eight women, in a class of 60 that graduated from the University Of

Bristol's Medical School. This was followed by 35 years faithfully serving as a GP for

Filton and north Bristol, which included a staggeringly low total of 13 days off sick.

Now in the 21st century, I am attempting to follow in her footsteps. Things may not

be quite so disproportionate for us females, but science is still very much a man's

game. But if at any times I have felt that the institution was against me, I just

remember my grandmother did it, in times of much worse discrimination. I am

incredibly proud of her, and 59 years after her graduation I will be graduating in the

same 'Great Hall' of Bristol Universities Wills memorial building, with my very own

doctorate in science. Although she won't physically be there, she will very much be in

my heart and mind, and I will always remember what a positive influence she had on

my academic career. I quite simply couldn't have done it without her.

Another quality she had in abundance was the ability to speak her mind. You always

knew where you stood with grandmother and if you wanted a truthful opinion she

was your person. Whether you liked her opinion, was another matter. I imagine that

was a highly valuable attribute when dealing with her patients but for me, her

granddaughter, it meant when she gave you a complement, it was the real thing and

it always meant a lot.

Margaret wasn't just a formidable, intelligent, independent women, she was selfless,

loving and generous; everything a grandmother should be. She loved to travel, and

Maya and I were lucky enough to be taken by her, on no less than 12 cruises. We

visited some amazing ports and had many incredible life experiences, both on board

and ashore. She spent many a day sat guarding our belongings while Maya and I

were running around a water park or on a beach. On board the ships we loved to get

dressed up and pretend to be 'all grown up' going to formal evenings. Grandmother

also had a great artistic streak when it came to designing fancy dress outfits. Maya

and I both have so many fond memories of those holidays and we will never forget

how fortunate we were to have Margaret as our grandmother.

Her other travels and generosity extended to her daughter, my mother, Cherie. The

stories of their DIY safari are really amazing, though it is wonder they ever made it

back alive. She truly has visited the four corners of this earth, from both North and

South Americas, Asia, Africa and Greenland, to even the Galapagos Islands in the

Pacific Ocean. That was her main passion, to experience the world and shares those

experiences with those she loved. She never really bragged about her adventures,

but when you did manage to get a story out of her, it was always fascinating. And of

course, when talking about her travels, I would be remiss in not mentioning her

annual three month holiday to Spain, due to her hatred of the Great British winter

weather.

Right up until the end she was strong, and always thinking of others. It was an

incredibly quick decline and even while in discomfort she was more concerned about

how easily we would be able to sell her house. We had one memorable day when we

had two carers, two nurses, one doctor and one poor builder to install new French

windows, all arrive within 30 minutes of each other. That was her though, always

organizing and always putting others first. She even planned her own funeral,

during her last weeks, so it would be easier for us, her family.

She was an extraordinary women and if I manage to lead half the life she did, and be

half the women, I'll be far more fortunate than most. She will be greatly missed, but

we will always love her and she will forever live on in our hearts.