A few months ago, Miranda asked me if I would say something about Jennifer as a child at this service. I said I would love to.
The thing I remember most about Jennifer was her ability to play and her sense of fun. Also, she always knew what to do and if she didn’t, she made it up.
When I was about ten I used to go over to Kensington from Hampstead on Sundays to join Jennifer and Miranda and the other children who lived in the square. We would all troop into the square garden to play and it was Jennifer who would organise the games, sort out the differences and make the decisions about what was to be done next. If it was raining or winter we would play indoors usually acting plays made up and directed by Jennifer and we would then perform them to whoever happened to be around.
Jennifer in my eyes was also an exciting person. She was sent to St David’s school which was mixed (an added excitement) and very rough and she would come home with stories of the fights that had taken place in the playground. She also wanted to be the first woman judge. I was deeply struck by this, partly because if judges were anything they were men and I think perhaps this was the first indication to me that childhood would not last forever. Just a fleeting glimpse.
As well as those happy times at Edwardes Square there were also the holidays at Adam’s Hill in Hereford, the home of our grandparents. Here again there were endless exploration games in the garden and plays written and directed by Nancy in which Jennifer was usually the star, as well as plays which she organised and in which Miranda and I were cast (I don’t remember Julian and Roger being around for those).
The other major event at Adams Hill was the midnight feast, of which there were several. The major instigator of these was Jennifer. Food was gathered and put in the designated place, whether it was the woodpile or the chicken coop which had been set up with rugs and cushions. The hour would come and at 2 o’clock in the morning the little troop or gang of five; that is Julian, Jennifer, Roger, Miranda and I would creep down the flights of stairs and out to the log shed or wherever it was, putting the door on the latch. There was one dreadful occasion when we got locked out and had to wander around the garden until 6 in the morning when Leah the cook finally got up and let us in. We are all agreed that it was Jennifer who kept our spirits up.
Julian, Roger and Mary, Miranda and I had supper together earlier in the week. And there was a lot of talk about Jennifer. I asked them what words came to mind when they thought of Jennifer. Capable, fun, grounded, take charge and helmsman were all words that came up.
Play, adventure and laughter are three words that come to mind when I think of Jennifer.
My hope is that we may continue to carry that irrepressible spirit which she had. She has gone, but her spirit definitely lives on.
Susan Bulmer
June 16th 2001