Index The Two of Us
The Two of us Cont'd
Woolwich Barracks 1974
July 1963 Griffen Road Plumpstead
Wedding Day 24th March 1972
Brian and I met in March 1962, him a man of the world already at 32 and me for all that had happened to me in the previous year a very shy and naive 19 year old and for all everyone said "it won't work" we are still together 5 children and all these years later. We have had bad times when, if things had been how they are today I would have taken the children and gone. As in the early years I was very much "under the thumb", but we weathered it all and the good times by far outweigh the bad. Like the look on his face after I at last had a boy after three daughters from a previous marriage and then our two. Nature had obviously done something as we then had two more of them. Also I sometimes think that nowadays this generation in some cases do not try hard enough to make a marriage work and divorce is all to easy. Three of our children have been through this although they all had good reason for divorce. Just a pity they were so hasty in getting married in the first place.  So taking everything we have had a good marriage and I would not swap him for the world.  We still have our moments but at least now I stick up for myself more, perhaps I should have done it sooner.
So good times or bad I love him.
Over the years we have been to a few places. In 1983 we went with Ken and June Turnbull to Paris for a long weekend, before that we had only been to France on day trips on the ferry. This was actually the first time I had ever been and stayed in a real hotel. The weekend was very enjoyable with trips to see all the normal sightseers venues. I think the favourites were the Eiffel Tower (which I refused to go up) and the ride on the Baton Mouche at night. Paris by night is a beautiful sight. Wasn't "April in Paris" though but a chilly November.
In September 1984 we took children from the Children's Centre on our estate to Dunkirk for a week, along with several other adults, including Brian and Kevin. Tiring to say the least as we had a full agenda. Luckily we got to know a Frenchman called Charles who was also staying in the Hostel and he helped us a lot, especially as none of us were fluent in French. The first thing was he told the people running the Hostel that our Kids would not eat Sauerkraut which they kept giving us at meal times and we ended up with chips with everything which was much better.  The adults took it in turns to have an evening off and Kevin got so drunk on his night out, no one could find him and the last thing they remembered him saying was he was going to the toilet and they found him wedged between the toilet and the wall. All in all it was an enjoyable trip and I think the kids enjoyed it. While we were there we also had a trip in to Belgium to a theme park a fairly new thing in 1984, going through customs was a bit of a hassle as they had all of us out of the coach for some reason.
This year we went to Euro Disney with June Nigel and the boys and Tim and Lisa.  We had planned to go to Florida the first time June and Nigel went but owing to Brian's health the doctors said it was a "no no" (we went to the Isle of Wight that year instead)  Although I was not very well we had a great time and I suppose it is the next best thing to Florida, only the weather was different they tell me. Hopefully we may manage to go again next year maybe?
The holiday to the Isle of Wight was good anyway as I had never been there, Brian had as he went with Kevin on a school trip in Kevin's last year at junior school. Very picturesque and I would like to go back there again as well.
Over the last seventeen years I don't think we have been apart for very long at all and up until this last year we have gone on loads of day trips . The favourite is Whipsnade Zoo which is only a few miles away and it has been an ideal place to take the grandchildren.
Update August 2001.
This group photograph of our wedding turned up at Carolyn's in July this year. We did not have a copy so we borrowed it.
L to R. Penny, Maureen(one witness) Brian, me, Carolyn, Diane Campbell, Susan, Tony Mellish(witness) Front row L to R Timothy, kevin and Jason.
The Two of us Cont'd
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