Concert in Memory of Janet Frost

Programme

~ INTERVAL ~

Janet’s Life

Janet was born in 1941 in the middle of WWII. She went to Loughborough High School and kept in touch with many of her schoolfriends.

Janet & Alan had led parallel lives – both holidaying in Scarborough as children and visiting Salcombe and the same Leicester orthodontist. They had also visited the same Leicester hospital and completed their architectural training at London Schools of architecture, living in NW3. However, they never met.

Their paths did finally cross, when they both joined the young architectural practice of Donald Insall Assoc., where, 65 years later, Alan is still a Consultant Architect. Alan was already married but sadly, his wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer in the late 1960s. Janet became Godmother to his younger daughter and when his first wife died, Janet helped look after his two little girls aged 1 and 3. A year later Janet and Alan married at Westminster Abbey where Alan was an Abbey bell ringer. He still rings at St Paul’s.

Moving to Wingrave, they soon discovered what friendly life there was in the village. Being next to the pond, villagers used their garden to ‘cut off the corner’ and Janet made life-long friends with other young mothers. Whilst still running an architectural practice, she was keen to develop community life and alongside several others established a Community Association, which enabled the old school to be made into a Community Centre on a long lease from the County Council.

Janet then started the Community Association Transport Service (CATS runs) which she ran until a few weeks before her death. Similarly, she was one of a group of young wives who promoted the idea of a Twinning Association and was delighted more recently to see this being developed and taken forward by a younger generation.

Not a great musician or singer herself – although she was a member of the former Monday Choir – she loved music and was a great supporter of the Wingrave Singers, following them around the country when they sang at cathedrals. From an early age she enjoyed music at home, something her children have also adopted.

In 1982 she was a founding member and trustee of the Friends of St Mary’s, a charity set up to restore historical artefacts such as the reredos for the church and to promote music. Aylesbury Lunchtime Music, now in its 42^nd year, has thrived. Many young and local musicians have played and progressed their careers! Janet’s greatest wish was to clean and restore the reredos.

A strong Believer, but very much of the Traditional C of E Prayer Book persuasion, she faced her end with great determination. Having drafted her own funeral service some 15 years ago, the Wingrave Singers ensured her wishes were carried out in the choral requiem eucharist attended by well over 200 friends and family, with Alan privileged to have been her husband for just over 53 wonderful years.