40s and 50s Memories
he has now joined a Canadian firm, responsible
for Urban Planning in UK.
1963 was another cold winter with a lot of snow.
We had moved from Poole to Weymouth and
Pat was pregnant. In March the water supply
pipe froze so we had no water and roads out of
Weymouth were blocked with the snow. Just
right for Miranda to arrive, fortunately the birth
went well but it was a winter to remember.
Miranda subsequently became a beautician but
in 1984 she joined a friend to work with the US
Navy in Italy, near Naples. That Easter we had
a telephone call from the British Consulate in
Naples saying that Miranda had been involved
in an accident. A boy friend took her on his
motor bike to visit Vesuvius but on the way
there a van had pulled out and hit the bike,
killing the boy and badly injuring Miranda. Pat
and I immediately flew out to see Miranda.
The Italian hospital was quite basic and
Miranda developed typhus. Eventually we got
her home and she went to the new hospital in
Guildford. But about a year or so later Miranda
was ill and she had MS. It can't be proved
but we think it was the consequence of the
accident. Fortunately Miranda's MS has been
in remission for a number of years but it has
definitely held her back.
1965 and Lindsey arrived, we were then living
in Maidstone! She completed our family. From
an early age her passion was horse riding and she is now an accomplished dressage rider.
After University she qualified as a solicitor and
part of her career was in Singapore, so that was
a good excuse for us to visit her there.
Now the grandchildren. Marcus was the first
to marry and they had two girls. The marriage
ended in divorce and Marcus has another
daughter with his second wife, who already had
a boy and a girl, so we acquired two honorary
grandchildren.
Miranda had a partner and they had a son.
Subsequently Miranda and Lance separated
with Billy, their son, spending 50/50 of his time
in the two houses. Miranda then married and
they had a daughter.
Lindsey also married and had a son and daughter.
So we have a tally of seven grandchildren plus
two sons, nine, plus six parents plus Pat and
me. This Xmas we actually got all seventeen
together for the first time!
To round off the story, Pat and I are in our 80's.
Pat broke her knee cap before Xmas but is
otherwise reasonably well. I am glad to say
that I am also reasonably well and in the last
year or so have taken up Yoga ! Our family are
all settled, also our related families, Pat's two
sisters and my sister, are also settled although
one of Pat's sisters and my brother-in-law have
passed away. I hope this has also been a fairly
typical story for a number of the 1940's intake
into King's!
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• Front square 1950s • Front square 2014