Title - Personal narrative asset list for Maria Tags - sapfascination

Farmer’s daughter
Former radiographer
Business owner
Pregnany in a pandemic
Pandemic maternity leave
Lambing experience
Quad bike course
Grew up on a farm
New business in pandemic
British/English, born in Barnstaple (Devon), rarely left UK as child

Parents

Dad

Born & raised on large potato farm, in family for generations
Occassionally went to school, mainly worked on farm with dad, brother, uncles
Married and moved to Netherdowns, family-owned sheep farm
Netherdowns was a working farm but nothing like it is now
Works with son, Steven, Maria’s brother
Prides himself on hard working family
Very close to his late dad - would call most nights to discuss farming
“Farming isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle”
Works a lot (to mum’s disgust); doesn’t see it as work
Works hard, plays hard - likes a social drink at the pub, skittles team, props up bar at family parties, pheasant shooting
Enjoyed the work of gamekeeping but not the politics
Nurturing father - likes to teach and involve me in what he loves
Very close with his late Uncle Bill - like another father
Loss of dad and uncle Bill at similar time to arrival of grandchildren softened him up and made him more of a family man
Loves working with family - family involvement in business very important - that’s how he was brought up
Ropes others in to help on the farm at any and every opportunity despite being able to afford to hire someone
Would rather do it himself or get a relative than pay someone else’s travel and expenses
Calls me “Linda” or “Poodle”

Linda because that's what he wanted to call me

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    Was his grandmother's name    
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    Not because they were especially close - just like the name

When I was born, dad told the whole family that they'd chosen Linda as the name. Mum had other ideas  and added "Maria" to the registry without him knowing

Favourite story is when I was biffed by a sheep 202104161924
Very honest and direct

If you want the nice (but not necessarily true) answer - go to my mum

If you want the unvarnished truth - ask my dad

Taught me good work ethic

"The harder you work, the more you're rewarded"

    Probably true of farming in his youth

    Steven trying to teach him that it's now more effective to work _smarter_ rather than _harder_.

Enjoys “contracting” in the summer months

Pays for new tractors he loves to drive

Went missing on the morning of my wedding
Very emotional when he left me at university
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Very unusual for him to show emotion
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Uni was only an hour away from home!
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Missed my train home from Poole 202104171314
Both parents seen as most laid back by college friends

Didn't mind if we came home late and drunk after a night out so we'd always go back to the farm together to stay the night

Stopped by police in back of Land Rover

Piled into the back of dads Land Rover for night out. Cans of cider. Stopped by police. Expected trouble. Turns out, they were looking for a joy rider who had stolen a car. Didn't care about us illegally piled into back of Landie with no belts, drinking.

Mum

Dad, Alan, was a farmer

Dad's brother (Mum's uncle) was also a farmer

Mum, Mary, was a nurse
Youngest of three siblings
- Brother: Morris
- Sister: Roz
Her mum was adopted at age 9
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Adopted dad was "grandad Lee"
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Didn't like to discuss
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Especially close to her dad
Very fond memories of childhood and dad
Not especially close to bro and sis
Went to convent - “taught by evil nuns”
Arty at school
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Liked drawing and painting
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Loved horses as a child

Didn't enocurage us kids to have horses but let us try it without being pushy

Trained as a dental nurse pre-marriage
Married John (dad) and moved to Netherdowns Farm

Adopted role of farmer's wife/house wife

Had 3 kids
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Me
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Becky
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Steven
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Devoted big portion of life to raising us kids
Became dental nurse again when I was approx 16
Passionate about dental nursing
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Talked about it a little too much!
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Now a grandmother

As devoted to grandmother role as she was as a mother

Family is everything to her
Wants to know what her kids are doing every second of every day - even now we’re adults with family of our own!
Allergic to Chinese food and shellfish
Describes herself as a “risk assessor”

Tendency to spot risks and negatives in things

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Pessimist
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Worries about small things
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Relationship with dad like chalk and cheese because dad is very direct and blunt - mum is the other extreme and willtry to protect people’s feelings
Stephen ran rings around her as a child and still does now
Not a typical farmer’s wife

Sees herself as a mother before a farmer's wife

Alhough spent much of life in domestic role, doesn't seem to enjoy it - she's more interested in kids and grandkids

Enjoys treating kids and grandkids with food, money, gifts - very generously
Nervous tendencies

Appears outgoing on first impressions but really doens't enjoy stepping out of comfort zone

Always there for me

When I was very sick in early pregnancy, I moved home for 2 weeks and mum looked after me

When I had Mabel I had to go back to the hospital for surgery and mum moved in with Cal for a week to help with Mabel

Siblings

Brother

Sister

Becky
Middle child
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Stereotypical middle child!
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    Thinks of herself as hard done by
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    I was in Plymouth for a university interview with family. We stayed in a hotel. At breakfast, there was a newspaper report on a study which said that the first child (me) is the most intelligent and the 2nd (Becky) is the most argumentative. To which she replied: "No I'm Not!!"

We’ve got closer with age

Used to think of me as the "golden child"

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    Seemingly favoured by dad
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        Actually, just similar character, more in common

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    Created barrier
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More shared interests
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    Both mums
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    Both enjoy outdoor farm life
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        Bex less so - ironically, as she married a farmer

Loves domestic life
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Enjoyed baking as kids and still does
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Kept bedroom tidy as kids
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Re-decorate bedroom 4x/year as kids to make it beautiful

Seen as most caring of the three of us
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Not really true!
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Everyone used to say she's the sibling that would give away her last rolo

    Even said by dad in wedding speech!

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Expected to become nurse
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    Wanted to be a nurse for a while
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    Became a nursery nurse
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Very similar personality to mum
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Likes her safety bubble
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    Had same group of friends since primary school

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Never wanted to go to private college
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    Preferred local college as friends went there

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No interest in going to uni
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    Did an Open University course
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        Early years
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Met husband (Tim) aged 15/16

Met at cousin James' 21st birthday party

    James was nakes on a bucking bronko!

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Very well matched
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    Both like home comforts
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    Both value family
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    Both like cats
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Have 2 children
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    Betsy
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    Stanley
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Quartz 4

Explorer

Personal narrative asset list for Maria

Parents

Dad

Mum

Siblings

Brother

Sister

Grandparents

Alan and Mary

Des and Marj

Uncles/aunts

David and Helen

Ros and Alan

Childhood

Turning points

Persons of influence

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