1970s

I was born on 3rd June 1972. From that, I'm trying to work out when the above photograph was taken. That's me as a wee babe with my brother, Mark. I've got my hood up and I look to be a bit more than six moths old, so it must be Spring 1973.



This is my brother wearing one of the many cancer wigs we had in the house. You see, I wasn't the only one with a penchant for dressing as a girl. If transvestism is contageous, I caught it from Mark.

I have no idea, though, when this photograph was taken. I might not have even been born. I do remember that television, though, but not when it was in the living room, as above. It ended up in my Christine's bedroom when we got a colour television. Although I don't remember the black and white set being down stairs, I do remember when the colour television arrived. It was made by Ferguson and had four push-in channel buttons that would clunk as they were changed. Although there were only three television stations at the time, the final button was labelled ITV2. Strange, as Channel 4 was eventually the fourth channel to broadcast in the UK. ITV2 only launched a couple of years ago. We later used the ITV2 button to play those early computer games. Remember that tennis game with the two white lines and the white dot for a ball, dear reader?



Above, l-r: me, Audrey, my Father, Mark, Ray, Paul.

This photograph was taken in our next-door-neighbour's front garden. Audrey and Ray were a lovely couple, very kind hearted. Their son, Paul, had Down's Syndrome. He was very important to my family, a real treasure. Poor Paul couldn't purse his lips, so giving you a kiss was simply him patting his lips together like a fish on your cheek. We still give each other Paul Tiller kisses now and laugh, affectionately, of course. His parents died about ten years ago. Although they left all their money and property to their only other child, a daughter, on the condition that she looked after him, Jane put Paul away in a home for the mentally disabled and hardly visits him. I haven't seen Paul since 1999 and it breaks my heart. He was, no, is, such a funny guy. Always cracking jokes and taking the piss out of people without being cruel. If only the world was not so cruel to him.



Now, the photograph here is my cousin Sue and I. Remember I talked about her here?

We've always adored one another. She's the most wonderful cousin anyone could wish to have.



Gosh! This is Mum drying me off after a bath. Or is she dressing me? I only look a few weeks old. It's strange to see her wearing her old wedding ring. It's on my finger, now.



This is Tina and I. Tina is another cousin of mine, Sue's sister. Tina got married a few years ago and is trying for a baby. She's been trying for a while. I hope it all works out for her. She's always dreamed of being a Mother. Ian and I wore kilts that we'd hired to her wedding. I was a kilt virgin before this - but I was soon hooked!



The last photograph, above, is Auntie Winnie, me and Mum. Auntie Winnie wasn't really an Aunt, she was my Mum's cousin and best friend.

Auntie Winnie died about fifteen years ago from a stroke. She'd only been married less than a year.

The poor woman stayed in Guernsey during the Second World War and fell in love with a German soldier. There was no one, really, for her after he was taken to a prisoner of war camp in 1945. She married Guilbert in 1990 after her first of many strokes. They met in an old folks home. She had a very sad end to a very sad life - but I loved her dearly. She was always so kind and thoughtful. She'd send me boxes of chocolates through the post, and adult chocolates, to boot, give me a shilling as she'd say, though it was really five pence, to take turn after turn on those wee rides that kiddies like, usually found outside supermarkets.

Happy days.