WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT

This is a song about a mother’s (Joan Vance) love for her daughter (Pauline Huntridge nee Vance); tragically, the daughter died in March 2003 aged 50. Then at 82-years-old Joan went blind some six months after her daughter’s death in 2003.

This site is to share the mothers experience of how when blind she came to terms with the loss of her daughter and the way she was able maintain the strong bond/relationship – Joan Vance relied heavily on the RNIB talking books service and Pauline Huntridge’s son aquired Aplastic Anemia both organisations were very dear to both women – the song a reflection – this site an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for both organisations.

The mother lived alone on Merseyside (Bootle) and has been in the same house for over 69 years. Originally, she lived there with her parents and then subsequently her husband and young family. Eventually with time, her parents passed away. She continued living there with her husband of over thirty years Bill Vance then he too died, leaving her living alone in the once busy house. She had lived there on her own for over thirty five years, an independent, strong willed and fiercely determined individual.

Joan had two children, a son and a daughter, both of whom married and moved out of the area. The daughter moved south to Reading in 1982 and had a family of her own husband Steve, one son Leigh and one grandson Will.

Visits to Merseyside by the daughter to see her mother were usually every three to six months, plus the special family events such as Christmas, weddings, birthdays, gatherings etc. However, the contact by telephone was often daily but at least every 2/3 days, so they both had detailed knowledge of each other’s feelings, daily lives and developments – a very ordinary but also a very deeply close personal relationship.