Remembering the Bamber Family
“Me and my husband Brian knew Nevill and June through Osea where we had a caravan for several years from 1982. Our family has fond memories of our time there and particularly of the Bamber family. Nevill Bamber was a sort of man who you immediately liked and trusted. Always smiling and approachable you could tell him if you had a problem, and he would deal with it. You could be confident it would be resolved promptly and to your satisfaction. June Bamber was a warm and kind lady who went out of the way to ensure that anything you needed you got. You felt instinctively you could trust her implicitly. It was evident they were wonderful parents and grandparents to Nicholas and Daniel too. I’m not surprised that others who knew the family, like the lady who writes about her friendship with Sheila, have such fond memories.
It was an honour to have known them both - Barbara”.
“I first met Sheila when we were going to modelling interviews together. I remember her as tall, and naturally beautiful. She was always so friendly and chatty to everyone, we all liked her which in the modelling world was unusual, ‘coz it was very competitive. Sheila, or Bambs as we all knew her, would help people do their hair or make up and lend her stuff to us as if these jobs didn’t really matter. I knew she had her own flat and that her mum helped the with the bills, Bambs wouldn’t have thought about all that stuff anyway as that was how she was.
We all smoked, Bambs liked a trooper, either roll ups or slim cigars – dragging on them as if it was her last breath. We became mates – we were never up for the same work much, I was small and only did face and hands work, Bambs in heels was like a string bean and photographed so well. Us girls were jealous of how tall and naturally beautiful Bambs was. Always late, scatty and carefree about life, but so kind and a great mate. Then me and Bambs lost touch, she never came to auditions, and I never saw her out. None of us knew she had to go into hospital to have children for some months.
The next time I saw her was going down a side street in Hampstead with her two boys, they were running around her, she had her head in her hands, confused, and she looked so, so different. The tall elegant Bambs had gone, Bambs looked ill, and I felt so sad. I wanted to go up and say hi to my old friend, but felt I couldn’t, there was a barrier. I never saw Bambs again, and a few years later I heard what had happened at White House Farm. My teenage friend was a joy to be with and I still miss her, quirky, scatty, friendly, and caring ways – B.”
