Caroline Wigmore was born and raised in Minnesota. A first trip to England changed the direction of her life, leading to marriage, a move overseas, and a family now connected to two places.
Caroline and her husband, Chris, live in Surrey, England, with their children, Hazel (13) and John (10), after spending 15 years in London. Their very British children are enthusiastic about visits to Minnesota, where lake swimming, fishing, camping, and wildlife feel endlessly new.
Caroline works as a musical theatre writer and composer, and Chris is a computer programmer. Together, they have built a family life shaped by creativity, faith, community involvement, and a steady commitment to hospitality.
In this interview, the Wigmores share their story — how they met, how they parent, and what it has meant to raise children across an ocean while keeping Minnesota close to home.
Tell us about your family.
Caroline: Before my first trip to England, my father had just one caution for me: “Don’t fall in love with an Englishman.” Not because he had anything against the English, but because he didn’t want me to move away. Of course, life often takes unexpected turns and I did fall in love, and I did move — back to England with my English husband, Chris, where we now live with our two children, Hazel (13) and John (10). Chris and I spent 15 years living in London before moving just last year to Surrey — only a hop, skip and a jump from the historic home of Jane Austen.
Life has a wonderful sense of irony. Our very British children love nothing more than trips to Minnesota, where they enthusiastically embrace all the things many Midwestern kids take for granted: swimming in lakes, fishing, camping and spotting wildlife at every turn.
I primarily work as a musical theatre writer and composer as one half of Wigmore & Green (with an additional side hustle or two), which means I spend a lot of time moving between my desk and the piano.
Chris: I work as a computer programmer for a small financial company. If you wanted to be poetic, you might say that Caroline brings the arts, I bring the science. I would never say that of course — poetry is an arts thing.
How did you meet each other?
Caroline: Chris and I met at English L’Abri, a place that’s very special to us — and also a little hard to explain. We were both students there in 2008. The closest description might be a place where people live in community, ask hard questions and explore Christianity through discussion, work and relationships. It was during long walks together in the surrounding countryside that we fell in love, so this part of England will always hold a very special place in our hearts.
Chris: I was at L’Abri toying with the idea of becoming a Protestant monk. Then I met Caroline there, and that was the end of the whole monk thing.
What does your family do for fun?
Caroline: Our kids have always had a fondness for the forest — they still love climbing trees, collecting sticks and helping Chris create makeshift swings from rope. We also adore the seaside. While I think the English coast is far too cold for swimming (some English folks will disagree with me on this), the children could spend hours hunting for baby crabs, fossils, collecting shells and bringing home stones to polish. Every trip turns into a tiny treasure hunt.
What are ways your family connects with the community?
Caroline: We are always involved in church music, usually with me on piano and voice, and Chris on drums or guitar, as we try to serve through music and music organizations. I also work with the community through a parent-toddler music and art group that I created about seven years ago, which aims to support young parents and help signpost them to other local resources.
We participated in the Ukrainian refugee housing program and have had two wonderful Ukrainian women living with us over the past three years — an experience that was a huge blessing to us as a family. I believe the most meaningful way to support a community is to become friends — real friends — with people from different walks of life and to walk alongside them through both good and difficult times. Our friendship circle is extremely diverse, with many cultural groups represented, including Chinese, African, Sri Lankan, Czech, Swedish, Canadian, Pakistani, Spanish, Ukrainian and many others. We gain so much from sharing our lives with people who have such rich cultural backgrounds and have sampled lots of amazing new food in the process.
Do you have any family traditions?
Caroline: We lead a quiet lifestyle filled with board games, crafts, drawing, popcorn on the sofa while watching films and long walks in nature. A new favourite tradition is breakfast at Farnham Pottery, a Victorian-era pottery that’s considered one of the best-preserved in England. It still has a functioning kiln, and local potters gather there to work — and, of course, to grab a bite to eat.
Chris: There’s a silly tradition in which Hazel, upon opening a new jar of hazelnut chocolate spread (a popular British toast topping), will walk solemnly through the house, vocalising like a bugle, while we stand and salute. Don’t know how that one started. We have less fun traditions as well, like family chores on Saturday.
What is your favorite family memory?
Chris: Moving house is more challenging in England than in Minnesota; our last move out of London took 12 months and was at risk of falling through right up until the keys were in our hands. The kids handled everything so well, never complaining despite the uncertainty of not knowing when we’d move or what to tell their friends. It was hard for Caroline and me too, of course, but that first evening in the new house we all went out for pizza, and it felt like we’d come through a challenge as a family and were beginning an exciting new chapter together.
Caroline: I enjoy watching my children experience parts of my Minnesota childhood — it’s all so new to them and very different from life in London and Surrey. Their Minnesotan cousins have taken on the role of showing them the essentials: bug spray, making s’mores and lake swimming. Hazel and John are curious about farm life and try to see animals whenever they can, something they don’t normally encounter. I remember when Hazel was 10 and saw her first kitten on a Minnesota trip; it was a simple moment, but for her it was incredible.
What is the funniest story you can tell us about your child(ren)?
Caroline: There are virtually no mosquitoes in England, but on a trip to Minnesota, John, who was eight at the time, was exchanging life stories with one of his cousins. I overheard him saying, quite earnestly, “When you come to England, you’ll be glad to know that the bugs won’t hurt you.” I suppose he’s right. There really isn’t much in English nature to worry about, aside from the occasional encounter with stinging nettle.
Chris: There was a time we went on holiday, many years ago, when John could only say five words, and we had Hazel and John sleep in the same room. They stayed up all night talking. How many combinations of five words are there?
Did you always know you wanted to be a mom or dad?
Chris: I can’t say I always knew — I didn’t think so far ahead when I was younger. Becoming a dad wasn’t a long-held plan so much as something I grew into (and am still growing into!) but now, I can’t imagine not being a dad.
Caroline: I always wanted children. One of the best parts of parenting — beyond the fact that it often feels like I’m living with a young comedy duo — is watching them surprise you. I suppose I once imagined my children might be small versions of me, but they are entirely themselves, and witnessing that unfolding has been a joy.
What is your best advice for a new mom or dad?
Caroline: Nap when you can and take lots of pictures.
What is your best advice for newlyweds?
Chris: Enjoy being newlyweds — it’s a special time. But also, it gets even better from then on.
Caroline: Every newlywed couple is different, but we all go through that settling-in stage of getting to know our spouse. Laughing a lot helps, and when an apology is needed, it’s best to offer it right away — no reason to wait.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
Caroline: Don’t be afraid to accept help when it is offered.
What are your hopes for your children or your family?
Caroline: We hope that our children will continue to grow and develop strong character. A gentle spirit is much more important to us than good grades or other forms of achievement, and it is the thing we are most interested in discussing with our children’s teachers at parent-teacher meetings.
We try to model kindness and generosity for our children and we have an open home. We often have people living with us who need some extra support or to be a part of a family.
What are you most looking forward to?
Caroline: We are planning a trip to Minnesota this year, and the kids are so excited at the prospect of seeing snow. It’s so unusual to see snow in England that when there are some flurries, school teachers completely lose control of their classes as the children scream with excitement. Hopefully there will be enough snow to build a snowman, but not so much snow that we get stuck at the airport.
What have you learned from your family?
Caroline: I have learned so much from my family that I couldn’t possibly list everything. Patience comes to mind, though, and with parenthood comes a deeper kind of empathy toward others. Seeing the whole world as someone’s child has changed how I interact with people. They are all precious, vulnerable, special and talented, and they all share a basic need for love.
What is your best advice for families?
Caroline: At some point every day, I find myself gazing at my children and loving them for the particular stage they are currently in. Even though some phases are more challenging, every stage of a child’s life is a treasure.
Read more Minnesota Family interviews.