When she was young, Tish loved Irish dancing and won fifty-six medals from competitions she attended. She attended primary school at Saint Mary’s Infant School and continued to Thomas Becket secondary school. She liked a lot of subjects but her favourite subject in school was maths.
When the summer holidays rolled in, she and her family went to Ireland for three weeks every year. She had an uncle who lived in Offaly, so that was always the first stop on her visits to Ireland. From there, she would travel on to Tipperary, where her dad was from, and finally to Galway, her mum’s home place, and it’s still the route she follows every time she returns today.
Tish and Robin (her husband) first met at school. On the day Thomas Beckett School first opened in September 1975, Robin asked Tish out on the bus to school, and she says the rest is history! Robin grew up on Bostock Avenue in Northampton and, like Tish, was born to Irish parents, his from Westmeath and Monaghan. He also had a sister called Bernie, much like Tish, and the two Bernies were good friends at school (and are still friends today). In fact, the Bernies played cupid, bringing Tish and Robin together! The couple had many happy years together, until he sadly passed away in 2022.
Patricia, or “Tish” as she is often known, was born in 1960 in the Barratt Maternity Home at Northampton General Hospital. She grew up in Northampton with her mother Bridie and Father Jimmy, who were both from Ireland, along with her brother John and sister Bernie. Tish has lived on the same street her whole life! Back in the sixties, her father was the only man who had a car on her street back.
Tish’s first job was at an office equipment shop when she was just sixteen years old . She started her second job at The Cooperative in 1977, where she worked for twenty years. Tish, now semi-retired, works part time at an accountancy firm doing payroll. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer for The McCarthy-Dixon Foundation as a Doorstep Buddy, visiting isolated people.
In 1989, they had a son called James. James went to a catholic school primary school, and then to Thomas Becket Secondary School just like his parents. James moved to Adelaide in Australia when he was twenty-two years old. Tish and Robin travelled to Australia to visit James many times, and since Robin’s passing, Tish has continued to visit him every Christmas. She also likes to travel around the world, and her and James have enjoyed travelling to many different countries together. They’ve been to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia so far!
Tish and a group of friends who were once part of The Volunteer Pub’s Ladies Darts Team would go to Royal Ascot every year, and did so together for thirty years. They no longer go to Ascot; however, the same group of ladies still tune into the races for Ascot in the garden at The Crown & Cushion Pub, and it’s always a fun day out.
Tish supports the Northampton Saints Rugby team, and she loves to walk in the fresh air. She even walked a marathon called the The Moon Walk in London, she also did the Thirteen Bridges Challenge.
Tish loves going to concerts and has seen some amazing acts over the years including Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Ed Sheeran (who she’s seen at least three times!) and she also went to see Coldplay in 2025.
Tish’s advice in life would be to work hard, treat people how you want to be treated, be kind and keep smiling.
And that’s Tish’s story!
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