Chapter 11

Bunny was transferred to Liverpool as operations manager for containerisation. He lodged with us for two years, commuting home at weekends. He and Louise decided to take an art course at the local evening school where Doreen was already teaching flower arrangement. I felt a little guilty sitting at home watching Cilla Black's show "Step inside love." Doreen was also a member of the local wine-making circle.

Nephew John Forster was studying for his Doctorate in Marine Biology at Bangor. He had always been a keen hockey player and represented his school, university, county and eventually country. While in Bangor he joined Oxton (Birkenhead) Hockey Club and spent many weekends with us while playing "at home." He and Louise were very good friends. One evening he and one or two club members, joined us when we were entertaining the Alcocks. I seem to remember the party consuming two or maybe three demi-johns of Doreen's home made wine. When John received his Doctorate, Barbara was horrified that the whole procedure was conducted in Welsh.

Louise's 21st birthday party was held at home with a gathering of young and old friends, Doreen and willing helpers providing the food. Later in the year we were at the cottage during the Menai Straits Regatta at which Louise was crewing for the West Kirby Sailing Club. One morning, among some friends Louise had brought back for the night, was a rather diffident young man, anxious to be re-assured that he had not taken advantage of our hospitality. We were to see a lot more of Ian Holden, who was to marry Louise at Hoylake Presbyterian Church on 21st March 1970.

Our silver wedding was also celebrated at home, Doreen and friends again providing the food and drink. Among the many old and new friends, Joan Thomson, who started nursing at the "Royal" on the same day as Doreen, came up from Surrey with her husband Douglas who generously let Louise "test drive" his brand new Jaguar car. Doreen's brother, Trevor and his wife Peggy drove from their island home "Carna" in Loch Sunart, Argylshire, to spend just a few hours with us before the long drive home , involving two ferries, and finally a sea crossing from Glen Borrowdale to the island in their own boat. On the actual day of our anniversary we took part in a medieval banquet at Ruthin castle, with Louise, Nicholas, Bunny and Geoff and Eileen Richards who live in Ruthin, and who made the arrangements for us. Doreen's present to me was a complete surprise which still gives me untold pleasure. Some twenty-five years earlier I had seen a somewhat dilapidated barograph in a junk shop window, price, one pound. My salary at that time was just over six pounds a week and Doreen (rightly) took the view that there were more pressing needs on our finances. I opened my present to reveal a brand new barograph. Doreen had enlisted Bunny's help to locate, and secretly obtain the instrument. She paid one hundred times the price of the one in the junk shop. The price today, one thousand times as much.

A holiday in Carna merits detailed description. Trevor and Peggy, as caretakers, were the sole occupants most of the year. The island is in Loch Sunart at the mouth of sea loch Teacuis in Argyl. A full description of this island and their life on it would occupy a book on its own, so I shall have to confine my contribution to our holiday.

Met at Glen Borrodale by prior arangement, we were taken by one of their three little boats to the far side of the island, hidden from the mainland by the ben. These boats were the only link, (no telephone) and carried all their essentials including oil for the Aga and Generator, which was towed in forty-five gallon drums. While with them, we collected a freezer using two boats. The load reduced the freeboard in the towed boat to about six inches. We went very slowly and prayed that it would not start to blow.

One of the highlights had to be having breakfast of bacon and "Carna eggs" - the most free range eggs ever. Through the picture window we could watch deer roaming on the hills across the loch. It was heaven for Nicholas (fourteen) who could potter about in the boats, drive the tractor on a small "made up" area and best of all for him - roam the island with Trevor's .22 rifle. We fished, collected scallops and climbed the ben, from the top of which was a magnificent 360 degree view. We assisted with the unskilled part of sheep-shearing.

We took a steamer ship to Oban - having to leave by boat at the crack of dawn, drive about sixty miles to Lochaline (twenty as the crow flies) to catch the steamer. We left in sunshine to arrive in Oban to incessant rain. There was not a plastic mac to be had, and we had to buy heavy PVC coats at a very old fashioned department store.

Words cannot do full justice to this holiday.