Given that mum was formally diagnosed with multiple schlerosis in October 2000, but had been suffering the symptoms for a while prior to that, she's done incredibly well to have accomplished what she has.

She published her book on William James Watts (her uncle) and Passchendaele in 2007, the first of many (eleven to date, with more coming). All of what she does now - and the majority of the books she has written - were all done using voice recognition software, and without the ability to use a mouse or a keyboard.

Until now, she's made the books available through family connections and word of mouth, but we think she has now enough titles to set up a website to take some of the load off.

I remember the time and the research that went into her early books (all titles are listed under each category in the order they were written and published), and she would wait weeks for a copy of a birth, marriage or death certificate that she'd requested from the UK by post. Things are obviously a lot easier now with the internet and email (even a 28k dial-up modem was faster than the post), but she has put in a phenominal amount of time and the effort into the research and writing of these books and it shows what we're all capable of, if we put a little effort in.

I won't say too much about what else both her and Dad have accomplished - you'll have to buy a copy of her book for that.

So, anyone connected to the Watts, Davies, Driberg / Drieberg, Terry, Cripps, Olives, Howes, Wilson or Forsyth families would be well-advised to grab yourself a copy and see where you fit in.

Nice work, Mum. Love your work.

Gary Davies 
(and on behalf of Steve in LA, Elissa in Brisbane and Clint in Tauranga, as well as all our families, past, present and future)
June 2023