2nd Memory of Holidays up North .....

We usually stayed with Auntie May for about four or five days and then packed our cases and left for Newcastle itself.  Auntie Caroline lived in Newcastle and she was my favouritest Auntie on Dad’s side. 

Uncle Mike and Auntie Caroline lived upstairs in a big house, were kind and caring and nothing was ever too much trouble for them.  We had to come down some rickety wooden steps to get into the back yard - Well, it wasn't really a street (no pavements just back gates off) and in any case, no one round there had cars.  All the local children played out there so you can imagine that when I appeared, it attracted a crowd but most of the time Agnes’ daughter (Irene) was staying during the daytime so we used to play out back together with the other children.  Agnes and Marie, her daughters, also lived in Newcastle.  Agnes was out at work during the week, I think she was a nurse.  The women hung their washing lines across this ……… entry, I suppose you would call it ……. And we would play hide and seek among it!  Irene and I are very alike, not just in looks but also in nature and I really liked her, I don't know about Agnes – she was quite strict.  Marie lived some way away in Denton Burn, in a three bedroom house on a nice estate.  She had two daughters (Kathleen and Carol) who were slightly younger than me, I don’t’ recall there ever being a father to any of these girls.  Agnes and Marie were not good friends, both were ‘hard’ looking women, so typical I thought of the North and, as I found out later, Marie could be a vindictive person. 

Dad, Irene, Agnes, Auntie Vie and Irene's two boys

 Irene and I became quite close in those years, and when we meet up on the odd occasion (she now lives in Telford) the years fall away again and it is like we were never apart. 

When Uncle Mike retired, they moved to ‘the country’, to a 'proper' house which backed onto some woods and from her back bedroom could be seen a prisonlike building, all high fences and wires along the top, a young offenders institution.  I went walking in those woods one time and met a boy there, we often used to meet and walk and talk together, such sweet innocence.  I never knew if he lived local or came from 'there', I guess I didn't want to know.

When I was fourteen I was allowed to go on my own by coach and stay with Auntie Caroline, such an adventure!  I stayed there for a few days and then was sent to stay with Marie as she had the girls and it was thought to be much better for me.  Now I was 14 years of age, had been smoking since I was about 12 and came from the 'big city' so of course I had to 'big it up'!!! 
You always reap what you sow.  Oh! Yes! My friends.  This was a BIG learning curve for me. 
So there I am ……… "oooh! yes of course I smoke, oooh! yes of course I've got a boyfriend, oooh! yes of course I go out to the local clubs" (one shed called a youth club but  …….) there was I bigging it up bigtime.

So for a few days, I did the ‘big I am’ in front of these girls, smoking and telling them about going out with boys – well blagged I can assure you. 
BUT ….
as with all lies, they came back to haunt me.
Uncle Jim's daughter was also staying there at the time and then came two boys – one of whom was named Edwin, they were the sons of Laurie, Auntie May’s other son who I never met.

One day while I am staying with Auntie Marie (as we were taught to call all Adults), still blagging with these young kids, the ‘big’ girl was too old to play outside with us, when I am called into the house.  This big girl had had some money stolen from her purse and they had worked out it was me!!!  I knew it was not but as I was the unknown equation in all this – I was guilty. 
Marie said it must be me because how else could I afford to smoke – oh! Yes! She knew about it - Kathleen had told her.  The accusations kept coming - I also had more money than I had come up with!???  I had spent it all on fags and makeup! 
So I was caught in a trap of my own making but it didn’t matter how much I told them that it was all lies ……….. and I didn’t really smoke that many ………. and I didn’t really buy makeup …………. and I hadn’t really had that much money … it was all lies …………. They didn’t believe me. 
My bags were packed and I was sent back to Auntie Caroline's to catch the next bus home.  Not only that – Marie was going by train to see my Dad and tell him all about what had happened and what a thief his daughter was!!

      I was in bits. 

Dad with Caroline, Marie and Kathleen

 Auntie Caroline duly put me on the coach next day but although she has passed no comment (she couldn’t really as she didn’t know the circumstances) as I climbed onto the bus she pushed a half a crown (12½p) into my hand, I hugged her and felt vindicated by this small show of support.  All the way back to Birmingham on the coach I prayed and prayed, I just knew that no-one would believe me, I was a child and Marie was an adult.  Mam met me at Digbeth and we caught the 29A home, I was resolved not to say anything until I got home to Dad and Auntie Marie.  I managed to get as far as Camp Hill, Mam and I both standing holding onto the straps above our head and started to cry.  Mam wanted to know what had happened and as soon as we found seats I whispered to her all the events that had happened over the weekend.

I thought she was going to explode – “just wait till your Father hears this!” she almost shouted, “I’ll give that woman a piece of my mind” as she mentally rolled up her sleeves for the fight.  So at least my Mam was on my side but I still had to face Dad ……. 

When we got home I was sent upstairs ‘to unpack’ while Mam related what I had managed to whisper to her on the bus and then I was called downstairs …………… 

 “What’s this then?” asked Dad and I burst into tears, Mam told me to tell him honestly everything that had happened so I did (not a word was said about me smoking – being a parent myself I now know that they had already suspected this). 

My Dad was very quiet, asked a few questions and then found some money and went off to the phone box to ring Marie who had not arrived before me.

When Dad came back he told me to ignore anything that Marie had said and then described her in no uncertain terms to which my mother said “oh! Harry!!” 

That was the end of it all, they believed me against Marie.    Ooh! The relief! 

Years later when I discussed it with Mam she said that Dad had a blazing row with Marie but they knew how she was, she had taken Agnes husband away from her and then dumped him, she was not a nice piece of work, she was tarred with ‘the Holland trait’ and he never spoke to her again.

Again I later found out that they thought Edwin was more than likely to be the culprit but I cannot remember why they thought that. 

I don’t remember going up north on holiday again, Mam & Dad started going to Guisborough to stay with Iris & John (Auntie Veronica's daughter).