Ellen (Nellie) Sidaway died in Oaklands Manor Nursing Home on April 23, 2020. She was 105 years old and looking forward another birthday from the Queen on June 3.

Ellen Sidaway was born Ellen Taylor at Hay Green, Lye on June 3, 1914 on the eve of the First World War. She grew up and went to school in the 1920s; worked and married in the 1930s; managed to get through the war and austerity years of the 1940s; hope and growing aspirations in the 1950s; apparent wealth in the 1960s where she and her husband, Stan, had driving adventures around Europe; Stan had a stroke in the 1970s; and she had an extended family in the 1980s before coming to terms with life living alone.

She was persuaded to write her memoirs while she was in her early 80s. After languished in the desk draw for 20 years they were published in June 2017 for her 103rd birthday.

She was thrilled to see her life story in book form. Her memoirs are the story of just an ordinary girl living and growing up in a by-gone age in the Black Country. It has all the elements of life from joy to sadness, happiness to grief. It is a life.

Ellen has written her story as if she was telling it. It tells you more of the person and lifestyle than I could ever aspire to.

Her memoirs were published by Sidaway Publications and both paperback and electronic form are available from wwwsidawaysbostinbooks.com