Patricia Anne Carton (24 Sep 1944 - 27 Jan 2021)

In loving memory of Patricia Anne Carton who sadly passed away on 27th January 2021

PATRICIA ANNE LEEPER CARTON

24.9.1944 – 27.1.2021

Patricia Anne Leeper was born towards the end of World War 2 on 24th September, 1944 in Middlesex to Reg & Joan Leeper.

Pinner offered a very happy family suburban home life where she lived with her parents and her sister Diana. Nana, who also lived nearby, would visit often as would aunts, uncles and cousins.

Trisha and Diana went to a local primary school and spent lots of weekends on their parent’s houseboat moored on the River Thames at Shiplake, near Marlow where they learnt to swim.

In the summer of 1953 the family embarked on the good life and moved from London to Pigsfoot Farm, at Hadlow Down, in East Sussex. In the autumn Trisha (7yrs.) and Diana (5yrs.)started at the PNEU (Parents National Educational Union) School in Uckfield, 5 miles away, run by two sisters, Miss Ditch & Miss Doren, who lived in the house with their father.

Life on the farm was happy and exciting learning about caring for animals, milking the cows, making butter & jams, growing fruits and vegetables, an instead of bicycles they had ponies. All the children from local farms had ponies and they would meet every weekend to ride around the country side from farm to farm and through the local woods.

Tea & cake was offered to the staff each afternoon on the back garden lawn and there were frequently big BBQ’s and camp fires under a vast beech tree in one of the fields by a stream. There was lots of camaraderie, singing and dancing and everyone working together including close friends.

Children, workers, young people and animals were around everywhere. It was common to come down in the morning to any sick animals being nursed and lying in the kitchen by the aga.

Racing was also a big part of Trisha’s upbringing and her and her and her family frequently raced horses and greyhounds. Many a monthly wager was successfully placed at the end of the month!

On leaving Rye Grammar School, where she boarded at Saltcote Place, Patricia secured a training post as a vetinary nurse at the research centre of Boroughs Welcome in Frant where she thoroughly enjoyed her work and it couldn’t have been more suited to her.

In 1966 a relationship developed with a boyfriend, however, and they went on holiday together driving through France to Spain travelling south from Barcelona along the coast road which too her in a different direction. On their travels they arrived at the coastal village of Cunit and found the Bar Estudio run by two Englishmen, David Farrant, a painter, and Clifford Lansley, an architect.

Trisha spent a lot of time there, fell in love with the venue, and dreamed of running it herself. She returned to England and convinced her parents that it was a good move. They backed her financially and she took a Spanish course at International House in London. The following spring she was off to Spain with a friend to run the bar. Her parents also invested in purchasing a couple of terraced houses in the village and so this was home for the foreseeable.
Many villagers were dubious about Trisha running a bar as a female at the time of Franco but they soon realized her intentions were good and she became quite a name in the village for standing up for what she believed in and following her dreams. She won them over and earned a huge amount of respect, particularly from the women who were conforming under Franco at the time. She also made a huge amount of life-long friends.

The following year whilst back in England she met a dashing Management Consultant Trainer called Peter Carton. They fell madly in love and married the following Christmas in the Church at St Thomas’s Hospital.

They enjoyed the high life in London whilst Peter was working for the GLC, and Trisha lived in a flat on Queen Anne’s Street, working in recruitment. She was always enjoyed living the party lifestyle whilst holding down a steady job and she always had a great circle of friends that were creative in music, art, fashion, design & the modeling world so she enjoyed a bohemian lifestyle; she even modeled Pretty Polly tights herself at one point. However, they were keen to continue their journey in Spain.

Trisha and Peter then decided to develop the Bar in Spain to include a restaurant featuring an internal well and wine press. At the same time the name was changed from Bar Estudio to La Prensa de Uva (The Wine Press). Trisha initially employed a chef who taught her all the tricks of the trade, and her career as a chef blossomed. Trisha had many life-long friends and it was at this Bar that some wonderful friendships were born.

In 1973 Trisha became pregnant. It was decided it would be wise for Trisha to have the baby in England because if it was a boy he would be required to do military service in Spain. After the birth the family returned to live in Spain until Trisha became pregnant again and they returned to England where Ben was born.

Looking after a pig farm with two toddlers and a husband in London working during the week was not for the faint-hearted. Life on the farm was rewarding but hard work, and therefore the move to a beautiful converted Oast House in Newick was a conscious decision to move to village life. Newick was a village with a green with lots going on; a hub of family activities including Cricket, Stool Ball & Bonfire Nights. Living next to the recreation ground and walking distance to the local pubs there were many happy memories.

When Auntie Lily died in 1984 the house in Southview Road, Tunbridge Wells was done up to be sold whilst looking for somewhere else to live. Trisha and Peter at this time secured a lovely Victorian House overlooking the common in Southborough, Tunbridge Wells and Trisha bought a restaurant just around the corner. She poured her heart and soul into her own A La carte restaurant “Carton’s Restaurant” which was a dream come true and very successful initially. Unfortunately, due to the recession, and a financial crisis and with Peter out of work, she found herself falling on hard times. They lost the restaurant and the house. Times were tough and Lucy and Ben were teenagers so life wasn’t easy.

With Trisha’s positive outlook on life and determination to keep a stable home for everyone she turned every house into a true haven with lovely interiors; all the creature comforts, candles, blankets and flowers at put the family at the centre and being so green fingered, knowing practically ever plant by the Latin name, she was also a keen gardener and our gardens were always beautifully kept. .

Whilst living in and around Tunbridge Wells in some beautiful properties she also developed her career as a chef and worked for the Sankey family as a head chef at The George and Dragon in Speldhurst for nearly ten years; a stunning 13th Century Inn with roaring log fires and dramatic oak beams. A well known spot for consistently exceptionally good food & wine in a stunning setting.

When Trisha overcame her fear of flying whilst traveling to Australia to see her daughter in 1995 it opened up doors to see other countries rather than being restricted to where she could drive. She absolutely loved hot countries, a real sun worshipper and visited Egypt repeatedly with friends and to see friends & explore the country and the Red Sea. She also visited other European countries with friends more freely.

When Peter and Trisha split up she moved to Meadow Hill Road and enjoyed the community life left-leaning that came with living near the town but close to the park, friends and work, which was a short walk. She continued to live in Tunbridge Wells for the rest of her life where she worked as a chef until she retired and continued to spend lots of time with family& friends. Many happy memories, relationships and friendships and parties made there too.

Her friends and family were always such a huge part of her life. In fact she put family at the center of her life and for a few years lived in a converted Granny Annex which she designed herself, with a little picket fence and a stunning flower garden at the back of Lucy’s house whilst Jessica and Emily were little. She was living in their back garden, a force of nature and they loved it. She radiated light, warmth, comfort and love. They referred to her as Gansta Granny because although suffering from health conditions she continued to be young at heart but also a bit of a rule breaker, very strong minded and downright stubborn at times too.

Trisha was an incredibly loyal and supportive friend. She made everyone feel incredibly welcome. She was a wonderful host and the definition of a social butterfly: Graceful, Charming, Elegant and Classy. She was always the one to instigate the parties, bringing people together and keen to entertain at all the public holidays and any opportunity with dinner parties and barbeques. Nobody turned down an invite to Trish’s house for dinner. They knew they would be in for a treat. Both Lucy and Bens friends would regularly be invited and Trish would cater for them all, even in her tiny flat in town, quite often having 30 or 40 people throughout the day. She was always the life and soul of every party. Always last to bed and the first one up in the morning to cook everyone a wonderful breakfast. She organized so many weddings and ran other businesses, catering, hotels, wine bars. All of which were always a huge success.

Above all Trisha was compassionate and generous with her time to help others, never wavering when it mattered. She definitely got the most pleasure in life out of seeing other people happy. Therefore, she relished in living life to the full and including all her friends and family along the way. She was stylish and beautiful, always striving to be the best version of herself she could to be as a role model for her children and her wonderful grandchildren: Jack, Jessica, Emily and Bella, who she was extremely proud to show off and spoil rotten. She was always there when it mattered, and her kindness and affection touched so many peoples lives.