When she was ill, I asked my mother to write down all our favourite family recipes.

When she died, I found them.

She died on January 21st 2017 at the age of 67 after making a decision to stop dialysing, her life-saving treatment for 15 years. She suffered from polycystic kidney disease, like her mother, my Gran, who died in 2007.

The condition runs in our family and my kidneys are affected. I don’t have any untoward symptoms so I can get on with life. It’s too soon to know if my daughter, Pip (born 2011), has inherited the problem so my mission is to eat, drink and be very, very merry.

I want to celebrate my Mum’s life by trying all her recipes. She was Anglo-Indian and a fabulous cook. Her Aunties, Uncles and cousins are giving me lots of tips so I hope I will do them justice.

RIP Phyllis Elizabeth Teresa Griffiths née Upshon

14th May 1949 – 21st January 2017