I received very sad news this week, that Ruby Jackson passed away on Monday 8th March. Ruby's two daughters Ruth and Debbie let me know by text the following day. I rung them and we chatted for a while, which was difficult, but felt I had to ring them.
Ruby and her late husband Peter were long time close family friends of our family, since before my sisters and I were born. Ruth and Debbie both made a long journey from Hertfordshire, to attend both my parent's funerals, which meant so much to my sisters and I. Peter Jackson and the late Richard Richardson were my father's closest friends from the early Cley and Holme era. My mother always said that "Ruby was a true friend" and they regularly wrote to each other over many years, to share their family news. Ruby was a very sunny character, always smiling, always look happy and was a very kind and genuine person. My mother always spoke very fondly of Ruby.
I have very clear and wonderful memories of the Jackson family arriving at Holme Bird Observatory for a day out on hot Summer days, joined by Richard who had travelled on his motorbike from Cley. I can see everyone now, sitting on the striped nylon seated deckchairs outside the observatory, the happy conversations, the laughter, sharing our picnic food – such wonderful memories. I particularly recall Peter Jackson and Richard talking about their trips to Fair Isle and the stomach churning trips on the famous 'Good Shepherd' boat. Sadly, my father never managed to visit Fair Isle.
Below is a picture of my beautiful mother with her hilariously grumpy looking daughter Penny, in the centre of the picture! As you can see, my mother wasn't good at cutting my hair!!! #wonkyfringe Debbie Jackson is on the left and Ruth Jackson is on the right. Picture taken on Holme beach. I look about aged maybe 2, so if so, that would be 1967 and my mother would have been aged 27. I don't have a picture of Ruby or Peter Jackson to hand, but I have somewhere, packed up in boxes.
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