Sarah was born in Ninewells hospital Dundee on a Sunday afternoon, Mum and Dad were so blessed to have a lovely daughter and the fact that she slept well (unlike her brother) was an added bonus. Sarah was slow reaching all her milestones especially walking and talking because Will did all the talking and the walking, Sarah was always happy just sitting and laughing at him.

In June 1988 the family moved to Narborough, Sarah was 21 months old. Sarah met her first friend Sophie when her Mum Viv, and Hilary were queuing up to have them weighed at the health centre. Sarah also played in the street with Will and her friend Heather who lived 2 doors away. While the children played, Mums Lynne and Hilary sat on the pavement sipping sherry, happy days. Sarah joined the Mother and Toddler group and met me with my daughter Steph. At 3 years old Sarah moved up to playgroup, howled the first day and had to come home early but thankfully went back quite happily the next day. Throughout all her time there she had a habit of having a little cry every morning, just to ensure she got a cuddle from Rosemary Duncan or one of the helpers. What a wonderful lesson to learn so early in life that a smile and a hug make the world seem a better place.

Sarah always followed in Will’s footsteps but the first time she branched out and did something on her own was when she joined Deck Hands run by me at the Church. At 5 years Sarah started at the Pastures school, Mum and Dad worried all day whether she would settle and when asked how the day had gone Sarah just said it was all right but she wouldn’t bother going back! After school was a busy round of clubs, swimming, rainbows and then Brownies, horse riding, Sunday school, Pilots and dancing. The Pastures, Brockington, and then Lutterworth schools, Sarah worked her way through the lot and made so many lovely friends along the way.

The day after her 16th birthday Sarah went for an interview at Palmers garden centre. She was so quiet, shy and nervous about it but was given a chance and worked part time for 2 years. Late nightThursdays, and every Saturday and Sunday. When she received her first pay packet, she rang her Mum to come and pick her up and take her to Borders where she promptly blew the lot on CD’s. During her time at Palmers Sarah blossomed and grew in confidence. She loved the people she worked with and many of the regular customers. (Hazel and Scruffy also had a special place in her heart.) After school Sarah was unsure about a career and decided to stay on at Palmers until she had decided.

Eventually she applied for a job at Kirby House Residential home, and with a reference from me she got the job. Although she took a while to settle she had come to realise that this was the career she wanted, she liked the caring role and the work suited her very well. Her last day at work was to take 3 residents to Twycross Zoo, she came home full of it and showed us the photos she had taken, and she said they had all had such a laugh all day.

Sarah had many interests; she loved her music and always had her CD player on full blast in her bedroom and in her car. Sarah loved TV she liked anything especially soaps, rubbishy daytime telly, makeovers and property programs, deal or no deal, cash in the attic and the like. Her favourite would have to be comedies with Peter Kay in she could rattle off the scripts by heart and used to roar laughing. Sarah loved her pets and animals, dogs, rabbits, hamsters. She and her Mum had umpteen trips to zoos, dogs homes and horse sanctuaries, Sarah always wanted to take the animals home with her and love them. Sarah and her dog Cleo were inseparable and had a special bond between them. Sarah loved her holidays; there were so many wonderful family trips with so many memories to treasure. There were holidays in the Lake District, and Scotland first then when Sarah was 5 the family we were off abroad to Menorca, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Lanzarote and the USA 4 times. Sarah loved people watching and would fall about laughing at some “fashion disasters” seen abroad (especially in America) Sarah loved her family and had a special relationship with Will her brother; they were the best of friends and shared some happy times. When Will got his own place she volunteered to be his cleaner (for a price!)

Sarah loved family get togethers, parties and special occasions, being a bride’s maid to Jenny was a particular high light. Sarah also managed to pick up extra family members along the way, and had a big surrogate family of second mums, dads, brothers, sisters and grandparents. Sarah loved all her friends and talked about them such a lot, and has had many many happy times with them. She kept in touch with her Palmers friends especially her soul mate Jo. The last get together with her old school friends was Easter Monday and she was so pleased to see them all again. Sarah loved her car and was so proud when she got it and paid for it outright.

Sarah loved Manchester United and her last trip to Old Trafford was with her Dad 2 days before she died. Will never really liked her going because every time she went the team lost and he was worried she was a jinx. However on that night Man U won and when Rooney popped in the winning goal her face lit up and she text her brother saying “Rooney! Rooney! Rooney!” she also couldn’t take her eyes off Ronaldos legs! It is very easy at a time like this to praise a person so glowingly they become unreal and more of a saint.

Sarah was very normal she had the occasional off day, like us all, and the world’s most untidy bedroom. BUT Sarah had a big sunny smile A generous nature and a great sense of humour. Sarah was a good friend, a good listener, and a good advisor and cared deeply for people and wanted to help with all their troubles. Sarah was a people person although dogs were a close second.

Without exaggerating Sarah was a wonderful daughter and a very special person who touched so many lives. S he packed a lot into her 20 years and had such plans for her future. She was truly unforgettable. Sarah liked giving advice and she wouldn’t want to go with out passing something on to us.

She would say ENJOY LIFE, appreciate life, and live every day like it was your last.