It started when she was just days old and her father excitedly went to register his daughter's birth.

"My father was so overjoyed to have a daughter he rushed to the registrar's office," she says.

"Between him and the registrar they decided that 'Moria' was how you spelt 'Moira' and that is what is on my birth certificate."

Fifty-six years on, Moria is accustomed to her unusual name, and says that, in some ways, it marks her out from the crowd.

"At least nobody else could have a name like that," she says.

But unusual names run in Moria's family.

Her own father, Alfred Simmons, was nicknamed Jack in the RAF and was never known as anything else.

On his death certificate, he was even officially named as Jack Alfred Simmons, despite the fact that it was merely a nickname.

Moria was born in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire in April 1944 to Alfred and Dorothy, five years after brother Alan.

Because of the war the Simmons family had to move to Shropshire soon after the birth of Moria - away from the London bombings that had become dangerously close to their home.

But just as the12-year-old Moria had settled into high school in Shropshire, her father was posted to an RAF camp outside Blackpool.

"I found it quite traumatic," says Moria.

"We moved in the February when everyone else had started at high school, and I really had to break into a group of friends."

But Moria forged a friendship with two younger girls at Collegiate High School for Girls in Blackpool, and the three went to the Methodist Church Sunday School together.

Moria's strong Methodist faith has been important throughout her life, initially from her parent's influence, but today because of the support it offers her in her daily life.

"I couldn't do without it," she says.

She is an active member of Knutsford Methodist Church, and is head of the Welcome Team who spot new members at church and give them the 'yellow card'.

"It is quite amusing when you think of the football analogy," says Moria.

"But it gives information on services, and hopefully we neither overwhelm nor ignore new people who come to the church."

The Methodist Church has now grown to such an extent that two services are held at the chapel every Sunday morning.

It is a growth that Moria has been pleased to witness over the 30 years she has lived in Knutsford with husband Laurie.

The couple met at a party in Blackpool when Moria was 21 and married a year later at Waterloo Road Methodist Chapel- in September1966.

Moria continued her job as a secretary as Laurie tried hard to progress his career with Woolworths, which meant he would often work long hours.

The couple moved to Knutsford in 1971 when Laurie was promoted to manager of Woolworths in Princess Street, where Blockbusters is today.

At their new home on Forester Avenue, Laurie soon began building five aquariums through the hall and front room.

But when daughter Colette was born a year later, Moria had to put her foot down about the fish.

"I couldn't even get the pram through the door," she says.

It meant one large tank was built in the front room, where today a selection of tropical fish remain and reflect a peaceful ambiance in the Rimmer home.

Colette is now 29 and a policewoman for North Yorkshire Police.

Moria has been actively involved in fund-raising for her daughter's trip to India next month.

Moria has worked as a secretary at Mobberley Primary School since 1983, and a few weeks ago Colette was able to go back to her old school and talk to the children about the exhibition to help orphaned children in India.

Moria's son Nathan was born in 1974, and last year the Rimmers flew to Florida when he tied the knot with fiancee Summer.

The couple had met over the Internet, while Nathan was laid up in Knutsford with a broken leg after falling off his motorbike.

He was working for BT at the time, and they sent him a laptop to try to do work, but unable to use the machine for system log-ins, he instead surfed the Net - and found the love of his life.

In Easter 2000 the family flew to Florida for the ceremony and Moria was then able to explore America with her husband and cousin.

"We decided to go on a bus across Florida to Naples - and that was a bit of an adventure," she said.

"We went on an eco-safari around the Everglades and it was absolutely brilliant.

"I found the people really nice and I would go as far to say that I didn't really want to come back."

But Moria did come back, to her job at the primary school, and also to her part-time job as a swimming instructor at Knutsford Leisure Centre that she has held since she was 40.

Moria became involved with the swimming club only because her two children attended when they were young.

But before she knew it, she was an instructor.

"I'm the sort of mother who seems to get involved with anything the children have done," says Moria.

Looking ahead, Moria hopes to continue with her two part-time jobs because she loves working with children.

"Tony Blair has just announced that you don't have to retire at 65 any more," says Moria.

"So we might have a geriatric lifesaver on our hands."