When Millicent Oliver was born in the summer of 1917 no-one could ever have imagined just how hard she would have to work, not only for her living, but throughout her married life and beyond. Her husband worked in the lighthouse service, and when she had their first child, they were living on one of the remotest islands in Scotland, with only a cold water tap inside and a large tank within the grounds to collect the rainwater. But along with hardship, there was much joy and laughter in her life, and Millicent was able to draw on her vast reserves when faced with tragedy later on, both personally and professionally, when the nursery in Newcastle where she worked became the scene of a major police investigation.

This is her story.