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Continued from page 3 before but didn’t quite remember her. With Lesley’s lively humour, she says, “We had met previously but John didn’t quite remember — although he did remember my very attractive red-headed flatmate, so New Year’s Eve was our official meeting.” John returned to Canada to work so he and Lesley conducted a long distance romance for several years. They were back and forth between Canada and England numerous times before being married in Toronto in 1982. Lesley immediately loved Canada, and while John was able to get his citizenship right away, due to some technicalities and health issues with her parents back home, Lesley only aquired her Landed Immi- grant Status. In 1984 and 1986, John and Lesley welcomed two daughters, both born in Toronto. Once again life is interrupted. For family reasons, John, Lesley and their two daughters return to England. In what must seem surreal to them and others, and due to many different circum- stances, the Hancock family were to remain in Hampshire, England for the following 17 years. Says Lesley, “I just loved it here and regretted moving back (to England) after several months. Don’t get me wrong, we loved our families and friends but I missed Canada, the lifestyle, the social life, our friends there. Circumstances beyond our control kept us from returning.” The addition of a son to their family in 1999 was one of the greatest highlights of their time back in England. Flash forward, the year is now 2003. John and Lesley have taken early retirement and within one week, they decide they are moving back to Canada. Canadian John moved at an astonishing speed. Through a girlfriend of ocr Papers from wage Normand A. Allaire. Lesley’s they decided to look at homes in the Niagara region. It didn’t take long for him to realize he didn’t like what he saw there, but this is when fate stepped in. When a friend needed a lift to a small town called Port Perry, John offered up the ride. It was a Sunday and he loved the look of the town, so drove back to Port Perry the next day to visit the public and high schools. He drove back again on Tuesday - looked at a house and pur- chased it by Thursday. He then flew home to England on that weekend. Lesley could not have been happier. Says Lesley today, “It was the scariest decision we ever made, Please turn to page 16 >. Gyupuouss Whnny . HAND-PAINTED GOURDS reat selection of decorative, hand-painted gourd birdhouses, by an Amish family but it was so right. As soon as we arrived we loved everything about Port Perry. The people here are so lovely and supportive and the schools are amazing. Our son George was not overjoyed to be taken away to this new lifestyle and new friends but he really did adjust quickly.” eorge received his Canadian citizen- Also available - - Purple Martin Houses - - Bat Houses Assorted and assorted sizes of Designs - Bird Houses - & Prices 5173 SIMCOE ST. - PORT PERRY - 905-985-7239 FOCUS - DECEMBER 2011 13 DECEMBER FOCUS.56indd 13 41/21/11 9:24:08 AM