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Following this most successful period in Technical writing, Such jobs were harder to come by. So to keep an income coming in I returned to my old “Odd Job “customers working harder at far lower pay but at least we had something to live on and the days of plenty with Mainwork tided us over. The children had now all left home and we were approaching 65 years of age, it was time to retire.

Pamela had always wanted to retire and live on the Sussex coast and we started looking for a house by the sea. Pamela would have prefered to live near Goring but we could not find anything, which we could afford. We did find a house in Aldwick near Bognor Regis but then found the sale of our own house fell through this all happened at the time when Maggie Thatcher raised the lending rate three times, house prices stated to fall and soon were through the floor, we couldn’t sell Heathway. To cap it all Pamela’s mother would not hear of us moving and forbid Pamela to even think of it!

However after trying for over six years with Agents letting us down over and over again we decided to sell it ourselves. When the house was in the hands of an agent we seldom had anyone to see it even though we dropped prices repeatedly.

The price these agents suggested was less than we would have to pay for a smaller house on the south coast However one day we saw the house next door was for sale and a number of people were viewing it I decided to put a board up to catch their eye and dispense with agents. It worked for within two days we had a phone call I had prepared details of the house and sent them off asking for a price over £250,000. Our first customer said he liked the house but did not think he could find such a figure. We asked what was the best he could get together he said £235,000 which we accepted and we agreed and the house was sold, we have remained friends ever since.

With Heathway sold we had to find a place at once and were so lucky for we found a real bargain 200 yards from the sea next door to shops it had 5 bedrooms in a house built 1923 and was just what we wanted. The price was nearly half what we had received for Heathway so we were able to invest a substantial amount for a small income and have change to spend on the house to make it just what we wanted.

We moved to Bognor Regis in 1996 much against Mrs. Wakeling’s wishes. Pamela, however, stood up for herself for once and we bought a large yet cheaper property allowing some capital to be saved for income, our living standards improved over night .

The house was called “Sea End” it had a small walled garden, to he rear we have a Glass company. The walls here are hidden behind a heavy covering of Ivy.

Our move was during December and we hardly noticed the garden at the time but come the spring we found there was a pretty fountain and fish pond under a lovely willow tree all around the garden were flowering tree which with the spring these were flowering. By May we were surprised to find loads of Roses popping up all over the Ivy so the garden was filled with colour it was really lovely it was an “Enchanting Garden” Perhaps only now I found myself really falling in love with Pamela. Everything was making us both so happy.

     Mrs. Wakeling died in 1997 it appeared as though the family solicitor had everything tied up. He with his wife were the only executors and trustees he refused to let us even see Mrs Wakeling’s will the house and estate was to go into a trust controlled by him. His first move was to transfer all accounts into his own which included over a million in her current bank account.

     Later we learned that Pamela was to inherit two thousand pounds while this solicitor and only trustee together with his wife were to receive £30,000 plus their percentage share from the trust’s capital. We knew there will nothing for us but are happier than we ever thought possible. The children will inherit the capital through the trust. We are so lucky for we have such lovely children and grandchildren. Maybe I have only just realised how much I have fallen for Pamela but clearly she has loved me all through. That’s all that matters.

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