Family life settles down with Joyce and Peter's parents John and Prue looking after Charlie while Peter completes his return to work. Carol engrosses herself in the new world of motherhood and brings her organisation skills to coordinating playgroups, childcare, activities and healthcare. Charlie is joined four years later by Jamie, 8lb.

As the boys grow up and enter school Carol is the one who sees them off every morning and sees that they are safe and happy. She is the one who encourages and coaxes them along through life and its troubles.

Holidays remain an important part of the year and Carol sees that every half term and end of term is marked by a trip away. Summer destinations gradually move south as the English weather is summarily dismissed, moving from north Norfolk to the Dordogne and then the Adriatic. The boys are not left on the beach all day but are dragged round endless galleries, castles and museums.

Carol progresses into becoming a seasoned financial hack whilst remaining committed to technical and informative copy and passing these values to her team members. She passes through a number of roles and organisations as the fate of financial journals moves from print to screen to web and market sectors ebb and flow. She rides NIs demolition of the WSJ Europe editorial layer and resurfaces at Euromoney within weeks.