Nellie was brought up by her grandparents and lived in the East End of London. At the age of 19, she was able to start the job she had wanted, in a large J. Lyons & Co. Corner House tea room in London, where she became a ‘Nippy’, as the waitresses were called, where she also met her lifelong friend Connie. Soon after she also met the love of her life, Tommy Brown, but her idyllic life was soon to change with the outbreak of WW2. The comfortable and safe routine of life was soon turned on its head.
Eileen Barwick was born in the East End of London, in the early 50s, where she grew up until her Mid-Teens. She is married and has two sons. She went to live in New Zealand for couple of years. Following her return she qualified as a nurse and remained in the profession until her retirement. Eileen moved to southern Ireland with the second husband and soon found a desire to learn new skills. Following a Diploma course in creative writing, she embarked on writing her first ever novel: The Golden Threads.