From that time onwards our lives would never be the same, with very little money coming into our home, and no sick pay available for Dad. We would all have to endure a lot of hardship. Mum had to find out what benefits we were entitled to, which in those days was a pittance compared with today. When Mum came home from the welfare office we could see how upset she was. We were told that a welfare officer would be coming to assess our needs. In those days they could even tell you to sell household items if they thought they were not essential. The only non-essential furniture in our house was Mum’s piano. One night the piano was wheeled to my aunt’s house, which was in the next street to us. Aunt Mary said she would keep it there until after the welfare person had been. At least Mum would be able to keep her beloved piano.
Dad was in hospital some time before he was strong enough to walk about. As soon as he was able, he would make his way to the hospital balcony which faced the street, and from there he could wave to us. Children were not allowed to visit anybody in hospital at that time so it was the only way we could see our Dad. From the Hackney hospital, Dad was sent to a convalescent home to help his recovery. As the home was some miles from where we lived it was very difficult for Mum to visit. There was no money for bus or train fares.
Then to our great excitement Dad was well enough to come home. We thought everything would be back to normal until Mum said: “Your Father is still very ill, and you are all to be quiet and not to worry Dad with anything.”
Mum was finding life very hard with Dad home all day, and the lack of money made the situation worse. My Father was finding it difficult to adjust to his new life-style. Before, he was such an active man, used to working long hours. Now all he was able to do was listen to the radio as being a poor reader he was unable to pass the time reading.
He began to feel quite useless and irritable, and it was Mum who had to put up with his anger. She was finding that her own life had changed. After being used to having the house to herself during the day, her routine was now based around Dad.
My Mother was a sociable person. Once her housework was finished for the day, she loved to visit friends, or invite them to our house for a good gossip. This routine came to a stop as Dad was not strong enough to be left on his own, and he did not like visitors, particularly my Mum’s friends. For some reason Mum invariably chose dirty people to be friends with and Dad had warned her before about having them in our house. His language could be quite colourful at times, and being a blunt speaking man he would offend Mum’s friends. Soon they had all stopped calling, leaving Mum with no social life. It was not long before my Mum and Dad started to have rows with each other, not because they had lost their love for one another, but because of the situation they found themselves in.
My sister Emm was the cause of more arguments as she had been seen out with a boy and one of the neighbours had informed my parents. Dad was very angry with her. I think part of his anger was because she was his favourite daughter and had not confided in him. Emm was told she was not to see the boy anymore, as she was far too young to have boyfriends at sixteen. My sister refused to speak to Dad, which made him even more miserable. So at that time our home was not a very happy place.
