Annabel Wade (Swinnerton)

1952 –

Written by George Wade

My Mother was born in April 1952 and was the daughter of Frank and Helen Swinnerton (Rowley)

They were good friends with the Wade family with Tony Wade going to school with Helen Rowley.

My father Jeremy was even taken to the hospital to meet the new born Annabel when he was only a month old. Little did they know they would one day marry.

The Swinnerton family had a successful catering business in Stoke and later the Hasty Tasty restaurant in Hanley and were all Stoke City fans. Frank Swinnerton senior once walked from Stoke to Worcester for a bet in 1932. 90 Years later I ran the same challenge. Full Story

Below is the start of the run next to Gordon Banks’ statue at Stoke City FC at 5.30am

The Swinnerton family moved to Malta in the 1960’s taking my mother away from Staffordshire but the Wade family went to visit them.

On their return to the UK my mother went to work in London and lived with Susannah Wade who would later become her sister in law.

My mother and father were married on February 1st 1979 at Mucklestone Church.

My sister, Joanna was born in 1981 and I was born in 1982.

Joanna Wong, Brian Wong, Eleanor Wade, George Wade, Annabel Wade and Jeremy Wade on my wedding day 2012