Saturday 19 July 2008

Page 37

Mike dropped me off outside my house and went home, I went in to face the music and they had gone to bed. We had been worried over nothing.

Vic and I were just mates now, I had been honest with him and told him I was now going out with Mike, we still got on really well had a laugh and joke and sometimes had lunch together. June, Mikes sister wasnt very happy about this and said I should have nothing to do with Vic. I told her what I did was my business, who I spoke to and my friends had nothing to do with her. Her reply was we will see what Mike has to say about it, it turned into a full scale row she didnt speak to me for days. I told Mike before she got to him and he agreed with me, that my friends were my concern, male or female. June was not happy with Mikes reaction and said there was more than one way to skin a cat.

I had no idea how she was going to get back at me but I soon found out. Mikes Mum came into the shop the next day, I went to speak to her and she gave me a filthy look, as if I was something she should scrape off her shoe. I couldnt understand this as we had got on ok. When Mike came round that night I told him what had happened he said his Mum had had words with him, telling him I wasnt good enough for him that June had told her what had happened with Jackie and she had added a few things, what June or his Mum didnt know was that when I realised Mike and I were serious about each other ,I had told him all about it. So he put his Mum right on a few things ,she said it didnt alter anything, that I was not welcome at her house anymore.

Mike was so angry, at first June tried to deny saying anything but eventually owned up and tried to talk to her Mum but she wouldnt change her mind. Things were very strained with him and his mum even June couldnt understand why she had behaved like she had.

Mike and I saw each other most nights of the week, he would pick me up on the bike and we would go to the pictures or just for a ride. Sometimes we went to Richmond Park to watch the deers or to Heathrow to lay on the grass verges and watch the air planes takeoff and land, it was like Blackpool Illuminations.

We went to Margate for the weekend as the weather was getting warmer, we stayed at a guest house , it was ok nothing to write home about but we enjoyed ourselves. It was quite late when we got home and Mike went straight home.

My Mum and Dad and myself were having a cup of tea before going to bed when we heard Mike pull up outside. He came in and said his Mum had locked him out and wouldnt answer the door, he thought it might be because he hadnt told her we were going away for the weekend and this was her way of getting her own back on him. My Dad said he thought Mike should go back home and pound on the door until until either she opened it or the neighbours complained he said otherwise she would think she could do this whenever they had a row. I think Mike thought he would be able to stay at our house but he saw the sense of going home.

He came the next night and said his Mum did eventually open the door but said if he continued to go out with me he had better find somewhere else to live. Junes theory on her mums behaviour was that she was jealous, she thought when Mike came out of the army she would have him to herself but he had met me on the same day he came home.

It was June 1960, Mike was dropping big hints about something I hadnt a clue what he was on about, like frogs are jumping about, it was a very rare year, I had no idea what he was on about. my Mum couldnt stand it any more, me being so dense, she said I think Mike is telling you its a leap year, then the penny dropped, so I said "well shall we" he wasnt going to make it easy he said "shall we what ", this could go on all night.

We decided we would get married, Mum and Dad were really pleased, I think they thought I never would. Then of course it was when, we didnt have any money. My Mum said she would prepare all the food, we could open up the middle doors between the two sitting rooms and put up trestle tables for a buffet.

Mike and I decided we didnt want a church wedding, for one reason we couldnt afford it and neither of us fancied the idea. My Mum said we could have two rooms upstairs, one as a bed sitting room and she would speak to the landlord to see if there was any way he would let my Dad convert the smaller room into a kitchen, Mike had bought a really expensive camera when he was in Germany, he said he would sell it to pay for the rings and other bits and pieces, a friend of his had been after the camera for ages.

The next morning Mike unbeknown to me went to the Registrars Office to arrange a date for us. When I got home from work my Mum said Mike had a surprise for me, I had to wait until he came over. We were getting married on August 20th 1960, this was only 10 weeks away, we had loads to do, inform people, buy something to wear, sort out living accommodation.

One thing Mike was dreading was telling his Mum, he said he would tell her that night. June was really pleased and his other sister Molly, she lived in the flat above his Mum. Loads of relatives from Yorkshire were coming, in total about twenty of them including the children.

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