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Dandelion Dahlia Leston was born in Northhamptonshire on 11th of November 1886, the elder daughter of Edward Leston and the Hon. Millicent Leston (nee Gillick: the Cornish Gillicks). Her siblings are Edward Alfred Dante Leston b 1892 and Mavis Odile Leston b 1890.

She was educated at home by (successively) Nanny Palmer, Miss Poste, Mme Toulemonde, and M. Neville, but only Nanny Palmer made any impact.

After attending finishing school in Paris which gave little finish, but did no lasting harm, Dandy came out in 1904. She enjoyed her season tremendously but had trouble remembering to speak to the young men (being more interested in her girlfriends) and so did not become engaged until she was almost twenty and headed for the shelf.

Married to Hugh Murdoch Cathellan Gilver on the 1st of December 1906, once again Dandy set about enjoying life and did not produce an heir for five long mother-in-law enraging years. However, Donald Gilver was born at last in 1911 and Edward (Teddy) followed in 1912.

During the Great War, Dandy worked as a semi-competent but cheerful volunteer nurse at the Monicrieffe House Sanitorium for Officers in Perthshire. Hugh spent the War in France, a long way from the front; the children spent it in the nursery wing a long way from Dandy. So, despite the uniform it could all have been a lot worse.

After the Armistice, Dandy spent a few increasingly humdrum years without occupation, purpose, funds, or hopes for a brighter future and then her life took a very unexpected turn...