REMEMBERING MY MOTHER THIS MOTHER’S DAY

Spending a quiet day at home today, I kept thinking about my mum Bess.

So, I spent some time looking through some files to try and find photos of her and family which I could share today in her memory.

Born on November 11th, 1926 in Ba my mum was the oldest child of Bill and Peggy [nee Monro] Sorby. I realized today that my miracle grandson Christian Alexandria Millis Fong was also born on the very same day as my mum, at 11 minutes past 11am on the 11th November 2015.

In the only group picture I could find of all four children of my grandparents, we have from L-R uncle Joe Chang, then my mum Bess, behind her Grandpa Bill, in front of him is aunt Caroline Chang, behind her aunt Liz Sorby, in front of her my grandmother Peggy [The most influential person in my life] behind her uncle Bill Sorby Jr and in front of him aunt Mary Iyer.

My mum was also part of the first recruits for air hostesses by the original Fiji Airways, back in the days when the Heron and Drover aircraft were in service. I don’t know the exact year; I was just a kid so it might have been in the 60’s. The second picture shows my mum waiting for Queen Salote of Tonga to deplane at Nausori Airport off the heron. Mum also worked for Mr Don Aidney for many years.

The third photo is of my mum and her brother Bill with my grandparents. And the last one is of mum, her brother Bill and sister Caroline.

Them were the Happy Days

L-R Joe Chang, Bess, Bill Sorby Sr, Caroline, Liz, Peggy, Bill Jnr and Mary.

Mum with brother Bill and my grandparents

Mum waiting for Queen Salote to deplane from the heron aircraft at Nausori.

My mother Bess and her brother Bill and sister Caroline