Latest news with #JuneWalker
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
June Walker obituary
My cousin June Walker, who has died aged 89, was a pioneer of permaculture in Malawi, where she lived for almost 70 years. As June put it: 'There are three principles: care for the earth and its people and share the surplus. Learn how to grow food without chemicals or money. That is all it is.' After a long career as a teacher and volunteer, June turned to her final calling after meeting Jeremy Burnham, a permaculture advocate based in South Africa. She became involved with the Permaculture Malawi group, a network of workers and specialists involved in promoting and training for smallholding farming systems, and soil and water health and stability. In 'retirement', June funded the Mkandwe Eco-Village, where villagers put these principles into practice. The elder daughter of Elsie (nee Tomkins) and Leo Bottrill, who both worked in banking, June was born in Blackley, Manchester, but grew up in the nearby town of Whitefield, where the family settled when June was two. A few years later, June's aunt, Marion, a Sunday school teacher, gave her a magazine about Africa and she set her heart on going there. June and her sister, Ruth, both attended Bury grammar school, and while there June met Brian Walker. While she completed a BSc at Nottingham University, he did national service in Malaya, serving with the King's African Rifles. By 1956 they were engaged and in 1957 they married. Their interest in Africa led Brian to Chikwawa, in Nyasaland (now Malawi), and June joined him there after a stint at Broughton high school for girls, Salford, to qualify as a teacher. Her voluntary work began with a mothers' and infants' welfare clinic at Mulanje. By 1961, the couple had settled in the city of Blantyre with their three sons. June taught chemistry in schools there, including the Sir Robert Armitage high school, while volunteering for Save the Children. Following independence in 1964, Brian became a civil servant in the government of Hastings Banda's government, and the family moved to the capital, Zomba (the current capital is Lilongwe). June continued to teach, worked with women in Zomba prison, and co-wrote The Malawi Cookbook (1974), to encourage use of local produce. Following a move to Lilongwe, June became a deacon in the Anglican church. In tandem with the Malawi council for disabled people, she established a tie-dye centre, training people with disabilities to live and work independently. She was appointed MBE in 1995. In retirement, as well as the Mkandwe Eco-Village, she supported the Mangochi Orphan Education Trust. Brian died suddenly in 2003. June lived the rest of her life by Lake Malawi with her carers. The Walker Thanthwe Trust has been established to support her legacy in Malawi. She is survived by her sons, Timothy, Christopher and Jonathan, two grandchildren, Gemma and Benjamin, and her sister, Ruth.
Daily Mail
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire player forced to cash out after facing tricky history question with no lifelines - but would YOU have survived it?
A Who Wants To Be A Millionaire player was forced to cash out after facing a tricky history question with no lifelines. Sunday's instalment of the ITV quiz show saw Jeremy Clarkson welcome June Walker, from Galashiels, as she attempted to win some cash. June worked her way through the questions up until the £125,000 point where she found herself stuck and had ran out of lifelines. The question read: 'Which of these was a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I? A: Rye House Plot, B: Bye Plot, C: Babington Plot, D: Despard Plot.' June deliberated: 'The only one that's really sticking out is Babington, because I'm sure there was someone Babington involved in the plot.' She weighed up the pros and cons of taking the risk, and added: 'I stand to gain more than I lose but it's a lot of money to lose when we need to rebuild the business.' 'Babington shouting at me but maybe I'm just a tight Scot,' June said. In the end, she decided to take the money and reasoned: 'I'd rather kick myself by taking the money and finding out I had been right, than kick myself for not taking the money and finding out I was wrong.' June went on: 'I don't know well enough, take the money final answer.' The former Top Gear host supported June's decision and commented: 'Okay, can't say I blame you. It does mean you are leaving here with a whopping £64,000.' It comes after Amy, from Stroud, also attempted to win some cash but suffered a similarly eye-watering loss after getting stuck on a question. The tourism officer eventually set a safety net at £32,000 and worked her way through to the £125,000 question. It read: 'Which of these species of trees lives the longest? A: Yew, B: Oak, C: Sweet chestnut, D: Beech.' 'I kill a lot of my plants so trees are not my strong suit,' Amy commented. 'I know an Oak tree is very old, but I don't know if that's just old tales and hearing that, and it's a very English tree to grow.' She added: 'I don't know a Sweet chestnut and I've seen a Yew tree and a Beech tree, but they've never told me how old they are.' Amy considered 'taking a chance' at the question but Jeremy interjected: 'Let me just explain the current situation, if you did take a chance and got it right, that would be great, you'd win £125,000.' He added: 'If you get it wrong, you lose £32,000 but you still go home with £32,000.' After some thought, Amy said: 'I think I might as well go for it, no point in not doing it, right?' 'I'm going to go for Oak, final answer,' Amy said. Jeremy called her 'unbelievably brave' but revealed she had answered incorrectly. The correct answer was in fact Yew. 'Oh I am sorry Amy, but I just love your attitude and you are leaving her with £32,000 which is pretty good,' Jeremy said.
