Maternal bond

Mavis Thompson, 79, from Bognor Regis, West Sussex

I

was born in India after my father Eric, an industrial chemist, was offered a job there in 1926.

He and my mum Kathleen were dedicated Christians and did a lot to help the local community. Aside from her faith, Mum had a gift for fortune telling. But she gave up reading cards after telling the fortune of an Indian soldier. She saw he’d lose his wife and then kill himself. It upset her, so she vowed never to look into the future again.

In 1968, my dad, a heavy smoker, went into hospital to have an op on his arteries. He was recovering well when our phone rang at home.

‘That means he’s died,’ Mum said sadly. She was right. My poor dad had developed a blood clot and slipped away.

My daughter Sharon, 53, has inherited Mum’s gift. She lives in Australia, but often senses when something is wrong. She’s also great at finding lost things.

Mavis’s book, Angels Come in Strange Disguises, is on Amazon