Carole and her husband Michael welcomed Kate in 1983, with daughter Pippa born the following year and James arriving in 1987. At the time, the family were living in the village of Bradford Southend, which is located in Berkshire.
The children would have had a large garden to play in, which was no doubt well-used during the summer months – Kate has often spoken of fond childhood memories of playing outside. And in the same year that James was born, Carole launched her Party Pieces business, which is still running today.
Like many start-ups, the business was launched from Carole’s own kitchen and it surely would have kept her busy with three young children running around.
However, she made sure to find time for her three children and revealed just how she kept on top of things in an interview with SheerLuxe last year.
She told the publication: “I had to be really organized, get up early and fit my work into school hours, while after-school clubs sometimes gave me the gift of an extra hour or two.
“But working for myself meant I had flexibility, so I could squeeze in sports matches and school productions. School holidays were tricky, but Mike and I were a good team and we managed to juggle home and work life.”
It’s likely that the children would have helped Carole in some of her hobbies as well, particularly gardening. Speaking to Saga in 2021, she revealed that she enjoys gardening with her grandchildren and explained: “It’s important for children to grow up appreciating nature and part of that is allowing them to get a bit muddy.”
In a 2021 interview with the Daily Mail, Carole spoke a little bit about her role as a parent, saying: “The only thing I can say about being a mother is how much I loved it and still do. Mike was a good hands-on father and we found a way to make business and family life work.”
