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This page is all about me & answers all your questions on why I came to America.
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I was born in Oxford England, a long time ago. I am the oldest of 4, Michael my brother being 2 years younger, then Barbara 4 years younger and last but not least Susan who is nine years younger than me.
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I spent most of my youth in and around Oxford. The schools I attended were Donnington Elementary, Cheney Girls and Didcot Girls. Going to an all girls school was NO fun. I spent a LOT of time conjugating Latin Verbs in detention as the boys school was right next door and guess where I wanted to be and usually got caught being.
I was married to Brian at the tender age of 16, in the registrars office downtown Oxford on July 15th. We honeymooned in Cornwall. Driving there in a beat up old Bedford van that barely could pull the hills.
We started married life in a "bed-sit" in Boltley. This was a tiny one room affair with a sink and camp stove. We shared the bathroom with 4 other tenants in the house. Had to save our "shillings" to feed the meter so we could take a bath once a week on Sundays so we could be ready for work on Monday. We put our money in the meter then hung a sign on the door telling everyone we had reserved the bathroom.
Brian was an apprentice Millwright at British Motors and I worked at Oxford University Book Publishing. Brian worked part-time at the Oxford Stadium as a grounds man. He groomed the track between dog races and some times ran the hare that was steam operated. Also prepared the track for the motorcycle speedway races. I tended bar in the club house as a part-time job and later ran the Stadium petrol station as well.
Scott was born and times were hard so we had to move in with Brian's parents, we lived there a year until we finally qualified for a council house on Black Bird Leys. Not far from Brian's parents and just up the street from the Stadium. Brian and I then had to take on another part-time job so we operated a mobile hot dog stand in the evenings when we were not at the stadium. We took Scott with us on most of our part time jobs. He loved to ride the tractor with his Dad between the dog races. He also spent many an evening under the bar in the Stadium club. (Something in this day and age that would send the family services to my door now I am sure.) He was clean well fed and loved. I think he must have got his love of bicycles from always being on the back of mine as I peddled to and from my jobs. He was never far from my side.
Then Serena was born. We wanted to give her and Scott so much but there was not enough hours in the day to work to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table & spend quality time playing with them so some thing had to be done. We wanted more for our children than the rut we were in. So Brian loaded us up and brought us to America.
What a day that was. December 17th 1976. We arrived in Kansas City Missouri with 3 suit cases, a 4 year old and an 18month old baby. $2,000.00 in our pockets.
I will NEVER forget that day as long as I live. All the weeping and sad goodbyes. Brian's mother bless her couldn't even bring herself to come to the airport she was so overcome. (It has taken me all these years and two grandchildren to understand just how she felt that day) I was terrified but put on a brave and happy face for all to see, but spent most of my time waiting for the plane in the airport Lady's room with a nervous stomach on the pretense I had to change Serena's nappy.
Getting two small children through customs was horrendous. England has always had a very good security system in place. They even made me take my babies nappy off to check it for ??? who knows.
Our arrival on American soil was in Chicago before changing planes to Kansas City. We were herded into a small room to process our papers and then we were turned loose in this vast wonderful country to start a new life. Boy was it ever cold. If I could have turned around and got back on that plane I would not be here to this day.
We started life out in a trailer located in Koshkonong Missouri. If you can't find it on the map it is because if you blink you would miss it. Koshkonong had a population of about 200 people. We did not have the right paper work to be able to get jobs. This we found out after arriving and not having the money to get back home. Brian and I worked at anything we could for cash. Boy do people ever take advantage. Enough said on that subject. I sold Kirby Vacuum cleaners for awhile to make ends meet. I discovered I had the "nack" people invited me into their homes just to listen to me "talk" I remember one time I got a lady to let me show her how the shampoo attachment worked. Trouble is it was the first time I had ever used it myself. What a mess there was foam EVERYWHERE. I started scooping it up and rubbed it under my arms and down my legs and told the lady it was perfectly safe you could take a bath in it. She calmed and wasn't quite so hysterical and we got it cleaned up. I even sold the complete vacuum cleaner with all the attachments. I think I took a broken down piano for a trade in. Then sold the piano to the lady a few houses down the street and they even went and fetched it.
Stay tuned for more at a later date.....
To read more about Barbara click here
To read more about Susan click here