Miss Dorothy Maud Newstead (Known as Dig, Dige, Dolly, Dottie and Boe) Called Dottie by her Dad. Aunt Dig was popular with everyone, everyone loved Aunt Dig. Whenever she walked into a shop, work, social clubs or pub people rushed over saying "Dorothy!" She didn't put on Airs and graces just a confident walk and smile. A friendly look and lots of talking and laughing. She was so loved and was a very good person! Love you Aunt Dig. Aunt Dig went to many exotic countries in her lifetime and was the only one to do so! She used to be the talk of the family and would come back with presents for all especially my Dad who was the family baby. At Christmas Dad remembered waking up and his bedroom was filled with presents which was a shock as Nan and Granddad where tightening their belts. Most where from Aunt Dig! She had brought lots of presents to make up for the belt tightening Who couldn't love a lady as beautiful and good hearted as that? We as a family where and are blessed to have had her in our lives. Our hard working, kind, beautiful, popular Miss Dorothy Newstead. Aunty Dig "My Other Nan, Sweet and Beautiful in All Ways" Always laughing that sweet high pitched laugh! Aunt Dig LOVED PINK! "We your family miss you, In the house where you used to be, We wanted so much to keep you,But God willed it not to be, Now you are in God's keeping,You suffer no more pain, So dear God take care of our loved one, Until we meet her again." SOME OF THE NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS COMMENTS WHEN AUNT DIG PASSED AWAY: "NO MORE SUFFERING DOLLY, YOU WHERE SO BRAVE. MY DEAREST NEIGHBOUR AND FRIEND, WE WOULD GIVE ANYTHING TO SEE YOU SMILING IN YOUR LIVING ROOM AGAIN." "SYMPATHY TO DEAR LOUIE AND ALL YOUR FAMILY, YOU WHERE SO KIND TO ME WHEN MY PARENTS DIED AND YOU HAVE STAYED MY FRIEND DOROTHY, CLOSE TO MY SIDE." "THEY BROKE THE MOULD WHEN THEY MADE YOU DOLLY, I WILL LOVE AND MISS YOU FOREVER" "DEAREST DIG WITH DEAR SISTER ROSIE AGAIN WHO YOU MISSED SO MUCH, THANK YOU FOR HELPING WITH THE KIDDIES AND ALWAYS BEING MY OTHER MOTHER." "YOU ALWAYS GAVE TO OTHERS DOROTHY AND LIVED YOUR LIFE IN SERVICE OF OTHERS, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND I WILL CARRY YOU IN MY HEART ALWAYS." "I WILL MISS YOU SO MUCH DOTTIE, NOW AT REST WITH YOUR DEAR MUM AND DAD WHOM YOU LOVED SO MUCH" "MEMORIES OF A FRIEND SO DEAR, WE NEVER WANTED YOU TO LEAVE US DOROTHY BUT GOD HAD HIS OWN IDEAS, SAY HI TO ROSE FOR ME." NANNY ROSE GRACED EARTH ONCE AGAIN IN 2002 TO DELIVER AUNT DIG TO THE WHITE LIGHT OF HEAVEN. WE KNEW SHE WOULD AND WE KNOW SHE DID BECAUSE AUNT DIG TOLD US SO XX When Nan and Granddad where having a hard time with money and the area they were living at that time, Aunt Dig used to visit and bring some food or drink and just talk with them and have a laugh. The three of them were and are SO close and her kindness to come all that way to visit has never been forgotten, God Bless you Aunty Dig! Aunt Dig led a Very full life. The "Baby" of her family she was born a twin with her brother Freddy. She was born above a liquor shop in Scotland. She would get milk from a local farm with Nan as a baby. As a young girl Aunt Dig got rickets. Nan went down to the sea to get seawater to bathe Aunt Digs legs in daily. Aunt Dig was the only child to get this but it soon disappeared. Aunt Dig loved her food! She especially liked fish paste but would groan when asked to go and fetch it from the shop. Apparently I have the same groan! ha ha. As a young lady Aunt Dig trained as a waitress and was taught Silver Service. She worked for many years at the local cafe/canteen on Portsmouth's Busy seafront with my Nan. Nan Eventually left and Aunt Dig became manageress, she used to serve food and drinks to all the British and American soldier's in the dockyard. She also went out with some of the American's who came over in the 40s. They said she "Was a knockout!" Much to the shock of her parents! Bless them. However Aunty Dig loved to dance! and had many invitations. After all, who knew how long you had. Your last dance could very well be your last dance! The big local dance club where my grandparents met and Aunt dig would dance is still there its called The Unity Dance Hall. Aunt Dig also trained in first aid with the St Johns Ambulance, a Charity which Aunt Dig held a lifelong passion for. She fondly remembered how basic their training had been when she started. Such as when someone passed out you rub their arms to bring about circulation! However it seemed to work back then and Aunt Dig and her dear friend where the only two nurses manning the WHOLE seafront. Tending to everyone that came their way. During the war Aunt Dig stayed and worked in the Bombed City of Portsmouth. It was a very hard time as her sister my Nan had just left with my Uncle and all her other siblings where living away and you have to remember they did not know whether or not they would meet again. Aunt Dig also had love interests all during the time before the war and during it. She swapped letters with a pilot and was growing very close to him when he was killed during the war. Aunt Dig also turned down 5 Marriage propositions as she was happy with her life. (Although Nan did attempt a few matchmaking schemes ha ha) The manageress of the seafront cafe, was a job Aunt Dig loved and held down for many decades. My dad's first job was sweeping the front of the store for Aunt Dig! Nan would come in and help out allot to! Dad remembered on busy hot summer day's there would be a huge mob surrounding the cafe. People everywhere trying to get ice cream or drinks and there was our family calmly attending to everyone. Very proud. If ever her friend needed a job Aunt dig would give her/him one at the cafe. It always worked well for everyone and the cafe never got a bad review! oh, how I wish Aunty Dig I could bake for your cafe. I know you would have loved it, Or How I wish I could have helped with Nanny Roses' "Rose Wedding's" business. Sadly I missed out on it all. Aunt Dig was firmly against retirement until the person could not do the job. Just like my dad, they feel retirement kills people. Although Aunt Dig was allowed to work on something unusual back then, until the age of 68, 70. She was sad when she had to go and so was the man who ran the place but he was forced. A big party was thrown for Aunt Dig and the Cafe didn't last 1 year after she left. Something that says allot, although it broke her heart to see it torn down. Nothing is there now, what a waste. Around 1974 Aunt Dig was Awarded medals for her work with "St Johns Ambulance Hampshire" by the Archbishop of Canterbury and blessed by him. Nan took a large Picture which we now have along with the medals. An amazing trip to London and its chapel indeed. The whole family attended. Aunt Dig had a large and active social life, she was a member of the Portsmouth's Ladies Guild (Like Nan) and St Johns Ambulance Club. Aunt Dig lived with her parents until their deaths. Nan lived a few roads away. After her dad passed she inherited the family house. Aunt Dig liked to play a few notes on the old piano her mother owned. Woe betide you if you took Aunt Dig for a fool, she was sweet as pie but if someone did something to her or her loved ones then she could be a fierce tiger, once when she was older her neighbours accidently knocked her wall down with their car and it was all friendly they said they would repair the damage, a little while went by and nothing had been done and they where being fresh so Aunt Dig got the family lawyer to serve them papers and told them in no uncertain terms she expected her wall fixed immediately or else. Needless to say it was done! In later years Aunt Digs legs gave her allot of problems but Aunt Dig was never one to complain. Although at times she did think she did more than she could do! My memoires of her though are Always smiling and Laughing like Nan, her laugh was lovely and would ring around the room and make you laugh. I remember her nombsin the garden and her many Dolls her big hobby!! She had rooms full of antique dolls, normal dolls, plastic dolls, she loved them! For many years when older Aunt Dig was more into her social life and many, many friends and Nan would come round and help out and Aunt Dig would thank Nan and send her away and then take credit for the things Nan had done IE: Table layout. Even though she hadn't done anything. It wasn't until they got into late 70s/80s and lots of her friends died that Aunt Dig turned and clung to Nan and realised she had a best friend/sister who did allot for her. It wasn't until Nan was unwell however that Aunt Dig admitted Nan did so much for her. Aunt Dig did help Nan adjust to widow hood and through their lives they where so very close. I remember Nanny Rose and Aunt Dig did a school stall for my sister's class at the annual school fair, Nan was gifted for making beautiful things and Aunt Dig and Nan where amazing at making outfit's. They loved to chat about the old day's, life at the moment and crochet at the same time. Between them they could make a whole garment in one day. The stall was a HUGE success which was remarked upon by the headmaster. Everything they made was being sold and they where inn their element. To be honest they deserved more of a mention then they got. However they just enjoyed doing it! Anything for the children and community and family of course xx I remember the stockings she made for us each and every christmas. They where hand made and filled with goodies and the crate of easter eggs she got us! Never seen one so big since. I loved her and Nan gossiping and their team like ways. She was never the same after Nan passed but now they are back together again xx During Nan's illness, Aunt Dig was so good to us. A real tower of strength. She took over the Nanny role to myself and my sister as she loved doing it! She was true blue even though her own heart was broken she still had time to give. To show Aunt Dig's strength and kindness in the face of it all. I want to say that when my Mum's dad my Grandad had cancer in 2002. He was a few floors above Aunt Dig in the same hospital. In a bitter double wammy they passed three day's apart. Well we visited every day and Aunt Dig was in and out of hospital for months. However we did not think she would pass away it came in a way suddenly but peacefuly glad to say. Well when Grandad died my mum went down the floors and sat with Aunt Dig and told her the news and had a tear. Aunt Dig like Nan adored my mum for all she had done for the family and the sacrifice she had made. Well there was Aunt Dig holding mum's hand. Saying how sorry she was and how she wished that she had been well in the previous years so she could have helped with me and my sister when mum took ill. All the time she was so close to death herself and still had that loving nature. Truly beautiful and amazing woman. The family was prominent where they lived and sadly the whole area is bittersweet to us now. To many memories xx Aunt Dig had many friends, sadly apart from Muriel she outlived all those her age. Aunt dig had befriended allot of neighbiours and was the oldest resident on the road and the only original one left. There was a couple of single mother's who moved in and back then it was looked down on but she made friends with them, watched their children and helped. When she died there was a huge outcry of broken hearts from them all. They really where heartbroken and thought of her as "Their Dolly." Cant tell you how many of them said though "She missed Rosie so much, at least now they are at peace together." I know you missed Nanny Aunty Dig. You never cried infront of me. However you and dad cried together until your death. We Love you xx I have never told many people this Aunt Dig but when you died I used to sit on mum and dad's bed and ring your number hopeing you would pick up... I only ever heard that awful dial tone. How I wish you where there to pick up.. xx If I had been older I would have spoken to Jack and Jill on reflection to feel close to you but being young it dident dawn on me to do that. Youve left many a broken heart. I remember I was inn a pushchair being wheeled around Baffin's pond when a swan had a go at me! Aunt Dig hit it with her walking stick and it flew away. Ha ha, I was always safe and had lots of people to fall back on when her and nan and grandad where with me... Now its only us Aunt Dig. The rest of the family has changed and mum is worse, not been easy.... Wish yourself, nan and everyone could come back for a year and put it to right's!! Aunt Dig owned beloved animals during her life-time to, Jack and Jill pre-deseased her. We miss you Aunt Dig. Thanks for loving us and being who you where! we know how much you and Nan loved family and children. Everyone tells me you would have made an amazing mother and thats true but you already where your nephews, neice all think of you as another mum and you where my other Nan always there when I needed you. Thanks for that gift you gave me at the end of your life it meant allot xx X Love you Always from the family X You where True Blue and like Nan and the family True England X Love you for everything you did for us X It was devestating to Aunt Dig when Nanny Rose passed on, for you see Aunt Dig's health wasn't amazing at that point, ironicly Nan was doing better than her! I think if Nan had lived Aunt Dig would have carried on right by her side, sadly it was not to be and Aunt Dig never recovered from the loss, it really was the straw that broke the camals back. Aunt Dig's health plummeted quickly and she lost over half her body weight in 10 months. "You cant have one without the other." is the phrase that springs into my mind. Aunt Dig missed Nan SO, so much and often had my pearents round to support her, there where many tears shed and Aunt Dig made a shrine to Nan with pictures and some of Nan's things to remember her, she was still an amazing Aunty and never cried infront of me but that pain is over now Aunt Dig, with Nan and loved ones again xx Aunt Dig did try to be strong but I think when you get to such an age and your health is suffering anyway, the loss can sometimes be too great for anyone to handle. God Bless we love you, Amazing and Beautiful Aunty! Rarer then the most expensive gems. "WHEN I LOST MY NAN AND WHEN SHE WASN'T WELL, OUR FAMILY WAS HURTING MORE THEN EVER BEFORE. AUNT DIG STOOD THERE, ARMS OPEN WIDE. BROKEN HEARTED BUT DEVOTED TO BEING AT OUR SIDE. I HAVE NEVER FORGOTTEN THE LOVE AND KINDNESS AUNT DIG XX YOU ARE HEAVEN SENT." Ryan K Selwyn on Aunty Dig.