Born in war time England, Heather and Gordon Lane grew up as neighbours in Lancashire attending the same school, church and youth club. A very shy Gordon tried to ask Heather out through a friend but was quickly told “to ask me himself”. Faint heart never won fair lady, so he did. They married in 1960 and now have 2 children, 6 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and 2 dogs.
Gordon was required to undertake National Service, compulsory in the UK at that time, and served in the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya and later in Aden. On his return he worked a variety of jobs including quality control at Heinz testing taste and consistency – not an ideal job for a man who at the time had no sense of taste! Gordon then joined Leyland Motors where he worked until retirement. Heather joined the civil service after school and worked in youth employment, for British telecom, the post office and as a medical receptionist. She volunteered at the local Girl Guides unit and ran the older Rangers group, eventually becoming the District Commissioner.
Heather and Gordon’s son emigrated to Queensland in 1990. When their daughter announced in 2005 that that she and her son were also looking to move to Australia, they decided they were coming too, arriving on the Sunshine Coast in December 2006.
Heather and Gordon set about building a life here, getting used to the weather (and the slang) but found themselves feeling quite lonely. During a hospital visit, they were told about the support services available to them. This led them to Glasshouse Country Care. It was suggested they come along to our social centre and Heather says it was the best advice ever – a lifesaver. Heather and Gordon have been coming along on outings and to the centre for over 10 years and are part of the family here at Glasshouse Country Care.