Jane Bobrovitch

13 years ago this morning one of the most wonderful people in my life passed away. My Nana.

Jane Bobrovitch was born on July 24th 1909 in London. She was the youngest of around 8 siblings born to Lithuanian parents who arrived in the UK around the turn of the last century to escape the hatred of Jews that prevailed in Eastern Europe at the time - the Pograms.

Jane grew up in the east end of London, where at the age of 5, she first laid eyes on my Grandpa Mick at school. He was 6 months her junior & she recalled that he was being told off by a teacher at the time!

Mick's presence in London was also a consequence of his parents having been forced to leave Russia around the same time....Has history taught us nothing?????

Jane, or Jinny as she was known to her family, possessed one toy as a young child. It was a Jack-in-Box & she always recalled it fondly. As a young woman she worked in an east end factory as a machinist sewing furs. Her father at the time was a cabinet maker & was cousin to the Epstein's - a name now associated with The Beatles.

Jinny & Mick married during the early 1930's. My dad & his sister were born in years that followed, as did evacuation to Wycombe during WW2.

I still recall the house they lived in - 22 Merchant Street, Mile End. It was a 4 story terraced house with a basement, no bathroom, an outside loo & a small back yard. It was a playground to my brother & I as small children during the early '70's & was used by my dad & brother-in-law as a warehouse for many years. It was eventually knocked down & replaced by modern local authority housing.

Jane & Mick moved to the leafy suburbs of N London at the end of the '60's. Mick worked as a Black Cab driver & Jane helped raise her five grandchildren. We were all very close.

Over the years I spent a lot of time with Nana, she was great company! She was one of the most open minded, kind, loving & forgiving people I've ever known.

Mick however developed Parkinson's
& my grandparents were forced to move to sheltered accommodation for their remaining years. Mick spent his final years in a home but Nana went to see him EVERY single day he was there. She was broken when he passed away.

During the final years of her life Nana started going to a club. She made two friends, Hettie & Harry. They & the club kept her going until 13 years ago today when she peacefully slipped away from us.

I missed the funeral. It was on June 18th 2000. It was the hottest day of the year around 90 degrees. There was a fatal RTA on the M25 & I was stuck there for hours. It was agony!

Somehow... I always feel it was meant to be. Nana saved me from what would have been the saddest event in my life. She somehow protected me.....

Anyhow, I will always love & miss you Nana....

Jane Bobrovitch
24/07/1909 - 15/06/2000