I first met Billy in 1976 shortly before I married her
uncle, Rob. I got to know her when she came to stay
with us over the Easter holidays in Oxford. This was
the Easter before she left school. We had the most
wonderful time including a never-to-be forgotten
punting outing. After she left, the house felt empty.

While Billy trained for nursing, there were visits and
we met Dave. Billy and Dave travelled round the
world and when Josh, their child, arrived, he went
with them. Then they decided to settle in Cornwall.
Sometime later we travelled across the country to see
them again – and to meet Josh and later a new-born
Joe. Soon after they moved to Tregurrian to build
their own home.

Many visits followed, usually at Easter when we
holidayed in Cornwall. It was only after Rob’s
retirement from the classroom, one failed sale, and a
lot of stress from a dead housing-market that we
finally achieved the dream of moving to St Ives in
2013. On the day after we got here, Billy arrived with
a bunch of flowers and a bottle of wine and we had
the first of some great days together. That first visit of
Billy to our house in Cornwall provided the
inspiration for making Billy’s Quilt – my first Cornish
quilt.

I wanted to capture the sense of where they were
living in Tregurrian above Watergate Bay - the
sunshine, and the blues of the Cornish sea and sky –
and to express my delight at now living closer to her
and her family.

Since then, they have moved a stone’s throw away to
another home and another project in Tregurrian and
we have had more lovely times together in each
other’s homes. Billy and I also have great trips to
Truro, where we eat, shop and put the world to rights.
I feel privileged that Billy is part of my life.