Kaz, her brother and mother, Adel Crag, Leeds, Early 60’s
Kaz has lived in Leek, north of Stoke-on-Trent, for the last 4 years, was born in Leeds but moved to Poulton-le-Fylde with her parents when she was 15, as they wanted to live by the sea. “From Lancashire I emigrated to Cape Town for a better life and for my partner’s job. The process of moving to Cape Town was over a year long, we had to have relatives there, and employment and money in the bank.” she explains. Cape Town wasn’t for Kaz though and after two and a half years decided to move back home, “I found it difficult to settle there and missed my mum so I came back to Lancashire”
When she returned she divorced her ex-husband and married her husband Chris, who is from Alsager so she moved to Cheshire. When their children left home Kaz and her husband moved to Bignall End, just east of Stoke-on-Trent eventually settling in Leek, where they built their own house a couple of years ago.
Kaz reflects on her first impressions of Stoke she says, “Industrial, run down, not very exciting.”, she adds, “I’ve met some great people working in Stoke-on-Trent and some great neighbours, I’ve lived in Leek for the past 4 years and really like it here. Lots going on. The thing is about Stoke is 10/20 minutes anywhere and you are out in beautiful countryside.”
“I have always enjoyed moving around and seeing new places. My grandparents are migrants on both sides, maternal and paternal. Some from Lithuania and some from Hungary. I don’t really know the stories but they all ended up in Leeds or Manchester.” Kaz is now retired, enjoys making artwork and volunteering for local arts organisation Appetite.
Kaz and her husband Chris built the house they live in at Leek. Here she is tying off the steel work for the foundations, 2015
