Kitty Grove-Stephensen
(Kitty Thackray)

Autobiography published, December 2020

Kitty published her autobiography in December 2020, having used the coronavirus lockdown time to collect all her memories together and commit them to paper. The book charts a long, varied and active life in a forthright, honest and frank manner that one might expect of a Yorkshire lass. It covers her early days growing up in Malton during the second world war, on to York, then Durham and Middlesbrough. It covers her family life and her work life, but concentrates perhaps most on her travels around this country and to many parts of the world, in particular studying and enjoying the architecture of so many different places. The book was published in hardback, with a follow up paperback edition in 2021. I have placed a signed copy in the Maltonians archive at Malton School. Chapter 3, about Kitty's' time at Malton Grammar School, is available to read on this site (with Kitty's permission).

Microlight Flight 21 May 2019

A report by Nick Gullon in the Northern Echo.

Brave or bonkers?

Meet Kitty, 87, who is taking to the skies in a microlight. DAREDEVIL Kitty Grove-Stephenson, a great-grandmother, is preparing to celebrate her 87th birthday with a fundraising challenge that is not for the faint hearted.

Kitty Grove-Stephensen, from Middlesbrough, will be taking part in a sponsored flight in a microlight aircraft with East Durham Microlights next week to raise money for MS Research. But this is by no means Kitty's first extreme challenge, as she previously abseiled off the Transporter Bridge and travelled on a zip wire at speeds of more than 100mph. And despite turning 87 tomorrow, she has no plans to slow down – and is even planning another abseiling challenge when she reaches 90.

Speaking to The Northern Echo, Kitty said she had initially wanted to take part in a wing walk or paragliding, but she could not get approval from her doctor, therefore her chosen challenge was her "last hope".

"It all started as a bit of accident – I did a MA in local history at Teesside University in 2007 and I was asked what my next challenge would be, and I said I might jump off the Transporter. I really didn't mean it at the time, but then I thought why not? "

After taking on that challenge, Kitty followed it up with two zip wires, including the mile-long one in North Wales.

"The first one I did, I didn't really feel anything. I thought I've got to do better, it wasn't scary at all. I can't stop, and I'm not scared about this one, just excited. I do it for the money and to help the charities. My family have mixed feelings – some of them think I am really brave and others think I am bonkers."

All of Kitty's challenges have raised several thousands of pounds for medical charities, and her latest adventure will help raise money for MS Research. The charity is close to Kitty's heart, as she has previously lost four family members to the condition.

"I don't like to ask for money a lot, I try and limit to a two year gap," she added.

Kitty, who has three children, two grand-children and three step-great-grandchildren, has been a dedicated charity worker since she was 10, and it was during wartime when she organised a jumble sale which raised enough to buy 16 parcels for Red Cross to send to prisoners of war in Germany.

In 1947, she actually sold poppies to German prisoners of war in Eden Camp near Malton.

Jamie Horn, a pilot at East Durham Microlights who will be flying Kitty, said: "I've flown my dad around the Alps when he was in his 70s but never someone who is 87. Kitty is very witty – I was a bit worried at first, but she has been really keen."

Schooldays

Kitty was at Malton School back in the 1940s. Here she is in the Girl Guides group of 1947 - middle row, second from the right.

A chapter from her autobiography about her days at Malton Grammar School is available.

Abseiling from
Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge

April 2017

Kitty has been abseiling again, this time down the transporter bridge in Middlesbrough, to mark the opening of Fair Trade Fortnight in Teeside (February).

Middlesbrough GazetteLive said: The event marked the 84-year-old's contribution to life in the town spanning several decades. She has been associated with the Fairtrade movement for 30 years, managing the Fairtrade Shop at Middlesbrough Quaker Meeting House for more than 10 years, raising between £600 and £1000 each year.

The widow, who lives in Linthorpe and is a mum, grandmother and great-gran, said: " All in all the day was a great success and a very good launch of Fairtrade Fortnight - a joint effort for Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool. I've been passionate about Fairtrade for over 30 years and it is so important to keep it in the public eye - it is easy for big multi-nationals to get the best of the market by price cutting, when we know that it is the producers who absolutely need the money to spend on health, sanitation, education and general well-being."

North Wales zip-wire challenge

September 2014

A daring 82-year-old Middlesbrough great-grandmother is preparing to ride Europe’s longest zipwire for charity.

Kitty Stephensen, from Linthorpe, is no stranger to a challenge. Having abseiled down the Transporter bridge at the age of 75 and completed a zipwire off the roof of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead two years ago at the age of 80, Kitty’s upcoming challenge even beats those.

Kitty is preparing herself for the longest and fastest zip in Europe in aid of Multiple Sclerosis Research after her daughter, Philippa was diagnosed with the neurological condition 10 years ago.

Having admitted that her previous challenges have been ‘incredibly tame,’ Kitty is sure this is the most exciting one that she can find to do. Located in a disused slate quarry in North Wales, the zipwire challenge is one mile long and with a following wind, enabling individuals to reach speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, Kitty has imagined herself going down the wire ‘bullet-fashion, head first.’

Mum-of-three, Kitty said: “I’ve been called crazy on my earlier ventures but this is a whole different ball game and the craziest of the lot but I am looking forward to it.

“I’ve lost family members to MS and my daughter uses a wheelchair and is bed-bound most days.

“I want all the money I raise to go to research into this awful condition to help find a cure in the future.”

The challenge is part of ‘ChallengeMS,’ an annual fundraising event which is organised by the MS Society which aims to raise £125,000 for MS research during September.

Kitty, who hopes to raise £3,000, has been fundraising for 72 years but feels that this might be her last attempt at such challenges.

MA Degree

Kitty took a degree in local history in her 70s. Here she is at her graduation in 2008.

Wargen wartime memories

Kitty contributed to the Wargen wartime memories site in 2017. I have copied these memories to the memories section of this site.