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together. The Weaklings continued to call every day so Pamela was still unable to do as she wished around the flat. As September approached, I had some holiday due and suggested we went away together but her parents would not hear of it, saying her health would be impaired and with it there was a danger to the unborn child – any excuse but NO holiday.

Once again we discussed the problem with the specialist who thought the holiday could do nothing but good. We tried again to sway the argument with the weight of the specialist fully behind us. We held our ground and we started to win the argument but said Mrs Wakeling “What would you do if Pamela felt sick on the road?” she demanded. I replied that we would stop the car and she could go behind a hedge.

Little did I know this comment would be used time and time again to our three children? We found this out many years later when our daughter Anne asked her mother why dad was so cruel to her. Pamela didn’t know to what she was referring but further questioning revealed that her grandparents had told her I had pushed her mother out of the car and forced her to be sick at the side of the road when she was pregnant. This, together with hundreds of other lies caused more sadness than can ever be told.

Needless to say, Pamela was not sick, nor did she suffer any ill effects during that wonderful holiday in September. We drove to Burnham on Sea and noticed a guesthouse about a mile further inland. It was an idyllic little thatched cottage. The walls were pink and covered in flowers. Opposite was the local pub, The Spotted Cow. I made my way to the front door to ask if there were any vacancies. The proprietor was most helpful and although he had no rooms vacant at the time, he offered us the use of a caravan if we did not mind walking to the cottage for our breakfast. This was ideal for Pamela for we both wanted to be by ourselves and away from the gaze of strangers.

 Our expected baby, hidden at this time, gave Pamela a sudden kick of approval and we gladly accepted the offer We had such a happy holiday and both felt the benefit to our health. Returning to our Pinner flat a week later, refreshed and ready for the final six weeks of Pamela’s pregnancy. It was during late October that Vanessa Marie Clare was born at eight a.m. in an Ealing Nursing Home. Pamela’s first warning pains had started during the Sunday and we went to bed at the normal time but during the night Pamela felt the pains became more regular and closer together.

 I telephoned the nursing home and also our local doctor who advised us to make our way to Ealing. We had no problems getting there for it was well after midnight and there were very few vehicles or people were about. Leaving Pam I was advised to return home and get some sleep, I did get some but not much for I was so excited. Getting up soon after 7 a.m. I would telephone the nursing home after eight as they had suggested last night and started cooking my breakfast it was just after eight so I phoned the Nursing Home for the latest update. And was told I was a father of a baby daughter and all thoughts of breakfast were

Forgotten in my haste to get to see them both. I was totally immersed in the wonder of knowing that we had a little girl, our very own little girl. I was, by now, a father a very proud father and not quite able to take it all in!

With our family now three our happiness should have been complete but we were still plagued by Pamela’s parents. They came every day and spent the day in our home. Connie would cook our evening meal and left it ready for serving. Pamela was unable to do anything for herself and they looked after Vanessa taking away the fun of our parenthood.

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