Peggy is 68. She is married to Sid, who is also an interviewee in A Conversation for Life (Conversation with Sid).
Peggy was born in South Africa in 1942 "in a tiny little village called Woolsley, about three mountain ranges from Capetown in the middle of the fruit growing area."
Although Peggy spoke English at home, the only available school taught in Afrikaans. Peggy's parents realised that to get anywhere in life she would need to have an English education:
"So at the age of 11, I was packed up, put into a uniform with panama hat, white gloves, the whole bit, and sent to Capetown to a ladies college. It was a cultural shock as well as a language shock, but here I am and very grateful for the education I did have and did make use of."
Peggy gave an interesting insight into the changing attitudes of people, from when she was in her 20s compared to now.
Peggy and Sid became engaged after knowing each other for only four days. They married in 1965, bought a farm and set up boarding kennels, a veterinary hospital and riding school.
Their years in South Africa were during the period of Apartheid. (For younger readers, Apartheid was a South African government policy of legal racial segregation between 1948 and 1993, under which the majority black population were segregated from the ruling minority white population.) Sid and Peggy found this system hard to tolerate. Although they loved South Africa and were very sad to leave it, having built and run a successful business there, they tore themselves away and emigrated to Australia in 1980.
Peggy established a preschool. As the director of preschools she had worked with the University of Pretoria in South Africa and with Macquarie University in Sydney in teacher training. She noticed a difference in attitudes once she ceased full time work.
What is most important to Peggy now is being able to live life to the full.
Peggy has a wonderful insight into the advantages of advancing age.
Peggy remembers fondly her very active early years when she played a lot of sport, including representative hockey, and rode horses. Now she is much less mobile but says:
Peggy describes one of the happiest things in her life as being able to grow emotionally and in experience with Sid (her husband). "That growing and that sharing still goes on now." The most valuable thing Peggy has acquired is her marriage to Sid and "to experience all its diversities".
Peggy has an interesting and unusual account of the event that most changed her life.
(Conversation with Paul, a friend, 15 January 2011)