When my mother, Pearl Norman, a former English teacher, who has died aged 96, was approaching 90, she wrote out her “nine reasons to be thankful”: being born and living in England’s green and pleasant land; having had a loving and secure childhood; having had excellent educational opportunities throughout life; finding a good man with whom to share life; the joy of raising children; enjoying good food, health and material comfort (which were reasons 6, 7 and 8); and finding fulfilment in work, hobbies and recreation.
The daughter of Margaret (nee Doarks), a teacher, and Charles Harris, an accountant, Pearl was born in London in the year of the General Strike – 1926 – and used to joke that the workers came out to celebrate. She had many happy memories of her childhood; especially roaming over the fields in Barnet, north London, and holidays in Exmouth, Devon.
Pearl loved her early schooling at St John’s school, Whetstone. She won a scholarship to board at Christ’s hospital, Hertford, and became a student teacher before moving on to do teacher training in Cheltenham, where her love of literature flourished. She started a part-time degree in English at Birkbeck College, London, which she completed in 1962, and obtained a master’s in education through the Open University when she was 70. Like the best of teachers, she never stopped learning.
She started her career at the Alder school, East Finchley. In 1950, she married Peter Norman, a telecommunications engineer, and she taught in Welling, then at Bexleyheath county school for girls for two years, before they settled in Dartford. She spent 18 years at Dartford West secondary modern school for girls, rising to be head of the English department.
Pearl and Peter were committed to a vision of a fairer, more equal world through their involvement in the Labour party. At Dartford West school, Pearl was innovative in providing exam options for girls whom she felt had unfairly been written off by failing the 11 plus. She volunteered in later life with the Citizens Advice Bureau and Oxfam.
After what she described as a “23-year holiday” in retirement in Devon, Pearl returned to Meopham, Kent. Wherever she lived, Pearl loved to walk, explore and garden.
She dabbled in numerous crafts and was a prolific knitter. She loved quizzes, both writing them and taking part – she led the family to victory in 1969 on the TV quiz Ask The Family, and had appearances on Countdown, 15-1 and Brain of Britain. She was active in the Women’s Institute in both Devon and Kent, serving as president more than once. She swam, sang, and enjoyed scrabble, crosswords, reading and writing groups.
Pearl self-published several books, including Seven Ages, The Life of Margaret Harris 1895-1995, about her mother’s life, and Snippets from the Minutes – Eighty Years of Women’s Institutes in Budleigh Salterton. She made and kept friends throughout her life, and remained full of gratitude.
Peter died in 2011, and my brother Bob, her middle child, died in 1996. Pearl is survived by two children, my older brother Mick and me, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.