Barbara Jean Gwyer was born in August 1928 in Loughton, Essex to a gentle civil servant and a gregarious milliner.   Her parents had met through family connections – his brother was married to her sister, so naturally the two couples and their children (Barbara and her ‘double cousin’ Alfred) remained close throughout their lives.

In 1930, the Gwyers moved to a brand new housing estate in Hornchurch, near Romford, where Barbara attended Park Lane School.  With typical modesty, she described herself as a docile, law-abiding pupil, who purely by working conscientiously – rather than by brains – was always top or second in her class (!).

Although she was an only child, Barbara claimed to never feel lonely. Her mother was one of 12 children; her father had five brothers and a sister, so there was no shortage of cousins to play with. Summer holidays were generally spent in Hampshire with one of her mother’s siblings. Barbara had happy memories of reading a book up an apple tree while her cousins rampaged below!