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In a stream in the park

My parents’ wedding was postponed three times as my father was serving in the navy but they finally managed to marry eventually during a black-out.

I was born three years later, mum and I lived in Swansea. Father was on a motor torpedo boat, he became best friends with a Mr Cox who suggested that my mother and I visit his wife in Bournemouth, as Swansea was being badly bombed — just for a few weeks he said,
Actually by hte time I returned to Wales I was four years old!

My adopted aunt and uncle had a son of sixteen who had just started working as a postman, same as his father.

I have many clear memories:-

Visiting a nearby farm to see newly born puppies; sailing a motor torpedo boat carved by my dad in a stream in the park; being taken to the cinema by my aunt to see Bambi — “never again” said my aunt because when the scene came where Bambi lost his mother and was crying “mother where are you?” I jumped up on the seat and called out loudly “shout louder, she can’t hear you!” and once I fell down the stairs wearing my gas mask when I had been warned not to! A not so good memory is junket and more junket!

On my return to Swansea ready to start school in Wales my father finally joined us, he brought me a koala bear from Australia but when I was told to go and get it out of his kitbag in the dark hallway I was afraid to go. I didn’t know him!! I told my mother “that man told me to fetch my present”.

We finally settled into a routine and I accepted that he really was my father.

Sadly my Bournemouth family have all passed on. We met up several times over the years and although it all happened during war time these were mainly happy memories.

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