My influences: Mary Elizabeth ("Bunty") Tracy

I grew up in Knowle, in south Bristol. My parents were both from Somerset, my mother from Watchet, in the west and my father from Sandford, near Winscombe, in the north; my brother Martin is five years my junior. Initially we didn't have a car but then my father bought one and we began to go on day trips to visit my parents' friends and relatives. We often used to stay with my maternal grandmother in Watchet but the day trips were to a variety of other people.

One of the families to which we made regular visits were the Tracys, in Winscombe. James ("Uncle Jim" to me) was my father's uncle on his mother's side; he had been one of Somerset's first motor mechanics and had run his business from a large shed at the side of the house. He was a great racconteur, and I remember him talking about the titled people for whom he had worked, though his stories are lost in the mist of time. His wife had died before I was born but his two daughters, Bunty and Peggy lived with and looked after him. He died when I was still quite young, as did Peggy, who had had a senior role in local government in Somerset.

Bunty lived for a good few years after and it was clear that both my parents held her in considerable esteem. Visits to her were always a joy. In particular, she used to treat children, including me, as fully paid up members of the human race, and was interested in our hobbies, our opinions and our experiences. As I grew older and went to Bristol Grammar School I was not surprised to discover that she was a head of department at the grammar school in Weston-Super-Mare. She would show us things and explain things and I always felt fulfilled by our relationship. I have always tried to emulate her in my dealings with children, my own and other peoples'.

Later, she became a Licenced Lay Reader in the Church of England and, as I had become involved with Church organisation at a Deanery and Diocesan level, we had even more to talk about. When she eventually died she left me a few specific bequests: a Communion chalice was no surprise but there were several other items I couldn't explain; I can only imagine they were things in which I had expressed interest as a child. At about the time of her death but for reasons unconnected with it I came to the conclusion that I was agnostic but I've been able to find a home for the chalice with a minister who uses it and understands its significance to me.