Shirley Jean Edmunds was born on 28th February 1941 at Bridge End, now known as 12 Coventry Road, Stoneleigh, in the front room downstairs in this cottage. Mum was Annie Edmunds (née Evans) and Dad was Rupert Henry (Harry) Edmunds.

"I can remember we had a toilet at the top of the garden - quite a walk. In the early 60s a flush toilet was installed in the wash-house across the yard, but it wasn't until 1966 that we had cold water in the house. We had a pump just outside the back door and this was where we got water for washing, cooking, cleaning etc. and I can remember standing at the pump cleaning my teeth. My parents rented the cottage from Lord Leigh and the rent was paid either quarterly or half-yearly at the village club. A man from the estate office would be at the club to take in the rents. We used to keep pigs, as did a lot of people in the village and during the war the village had a "Pig club" and when you killed a pig (pig killer, Mr. Elliott from Bubbenhall) you would give a joint to other Pig club members and then when others killed a pig you would receive a joint in return. Mr. Elliott would cut up the pig - the two sides of pig - bacon and hams would be cured, lay on a cold slab in our pantry and then put into stockinet material and hung on the wall in our kitchen. My Dad would cut a chunk of bacon or ham for Mum to boil for a meal; it was very good. When the toilet (earth closet) was up the garden we would get the "bucket men" call and come down the garden to the working wagon - sometimes known as the "Violet men". My Dad never had a bank, he would save his "rent money" in a tin, which was put in sand in an old tea chest together with carrots to over winter. We never were burgled and the rent money was always there. We had a large garden and Dad was a very keen gardener. He sold veg and veg plants and bedding plants to help the finances. We kept pigs and chickens and oh! what a delight to collect the warm eggs from the nest box."