Pam was our oldest friend, having grown up together next-door-but-one on Holmes Chapel Road.  We were always round at one another’s houses, especially during the school holidays, and it was like having two homes and being part of two families.  So many of our happy childhood memories are of time spent with Pam, whether it was playing in the garden, riding our scooters up and down our entry, playing in the wendy house or on her swing, or board games and watching TV (Thunderbirds and Batman being particular favourites).  Other activities at Pam’s included badminton, croquet and swinging on the hammock (maybe not so much of an activity - more of a chat session).  We also enjoyed family parties, Bonfire Nights, Congleton Carnival, day trips to Belle Vue, Blackpool, Chester or  Wales together.

We also spent time with Pam in the back of the sweet shop her mum and dad ran.  I’m not sure if we were supposed to be doing anything useful while we were there, but I only remember us talking!  We were also allowed the occasional midnight feast at No.70 (chocolate dragees)  when we had a sleepover.

Pam was a year younger than me, but when she started at Grammar School I used to call for her for the short walk there together.  Being so close to school meant we could get back home in time to watch Peyton Place and swoon over Ryan O’Neal.  We also got the college bus together to Macclesfield College for the year we overlapped being there.

During our teens, Pam and I went to Youth Club together, where we played the odd game of table tennis and badminton, but mostly chatted and listened to music.  The highlight of our week though was going to the Town Hall Disco where we danced round our handbags all evening to Northern Soul and Motown.  

When we were old enough to go to the pub with Den, we loved nothing more than a drive down the country lanes singing our heads off to our favourite tapes.  We enjoyed the singing so much that sometimes we didn’t even bother getting out of the car when we reached the pub and just carried on singing instead!  

We missed Pam when she moved to live away, but always kept in touch (old fashioned letters at first) and went to visit and holidayed with her in the various places she lived (Florida, Belgium, Luxembourg…. and Staines).  Whenever we saw her again, we just picked up from where we’d left off.  

When our children were little, we tried to meet up at least once a year with Pam and her boys and they would play together while we had a good natter.

A few years before Covid, we’d started having a girls get together lunch with Pam and other “Congleton Gang” friends, Cath and Joyce. 

Pam was the best friend you could ever wish for and we were very lucky to have her as ours.  We’ll miss her so much, but she will be forever in our hearts xxx

Carol ("Baz")