part 7
Back in St Annes with my family so wonderful to be with my sisters and brothers working and staying at home with my mum and her new husband Stanley a retired income tax inspector and lifelong bachelor with no children my mum managed to snag him up and he yes he married her.
I was working different jobs I would like them for a while then get bored and move on to something else still did not know what I wanted to do when I grow up. Just to give you an idea in those years I was a Texaco girl pumping gas, a window dresser, retail jewelry,clothing,groceries store cashier. Office workshop stint at Premium Bonds filling all day.
Took as many ballroom classes and social dance as I could and tried to learn the guitar, during this time.Then I got a job working in a Council home for the elderly, and I loved it .Started out as a n attendant bathing feeding and general care of elderly bed patients and worked my way up in a shot time to assistant matron at age 22.
Met my first husband Jim Shenton tall dark handsome charming guy, who I fell madly in love with though he was 9 years my senior was previously married and had children.We bought a little house in Black pool and I got a job close to my house in a bigger nursing home for the blind. I loved my job and loved taking care of the elderly, I was strict with my staff and devoted to my resident’s, we had our own mortuary and in those day’s we let people die peacefully in our home not in the hospital whenever possible so we pretty much did everything we could for them to have dignity and peace in passing.
I had a hard time with this as I would get very attached to my residents and they became my family so this was a sad part of the job for me.This did take a toll on me after a while as I could not be detached as some of the staff were able to do.
My husband Jim was a great guy he did a lot to try to make me happy he even took ballroom dancing with me and was really quite good at it even though his snooker team mates made fun of him he did try to dance to make me happy, but unfortunately he had a gambling habit that destroyed our marriage.
The lies and the hiding hid gambling debts finally ended the marriage and we separated, on good terms and me with a broken heart. I kept the little house and helped him get his own place once he was gone I started taking in my family letting them live with me till they got on their feet. My sisters Wendy and Olga, then my brother Charles and his wife Irene and their daughter my only niece at that time Angela, they stayed till they saved up enough money to buy their own house.
Then finally my mum begged me to let my older brother Raphael come and stay which I never wanted to do as he caused me a lot of pain and misery as a child for many years. But he was having mental and depression issues and we were worried about him so I said I would take him.Shorly after I let him move in my mum asked me to go on holiday with her to Miami Beach Florida.
This was the destination in the window of every travel agency and Laker airlines were flying direct from Manchester to Miami, for very cheap price.Mum said it would do me good to get away from Jim as I was missing him and still in love with him and the stress of having my brother with me thought it would be a good idea to get away and be in the warm weather in Florida. besides this my mum wanted to show off and tell everyone she was going to Miami and had not one friend to travel with and did not want to go alone.
We booked a package deal to Miami 5 nights stay at the Carillon hotel Miami Beach and a 2 day bus trip to Disney Orlando all-inclusive. Another step towards my coming to the U.S.A. never knew then that my life was about to change direction again and bring me one more step closer to my American dream
More to Come..
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