Chapter Twenty Two him to invade my life, nor would I ever forgive him for the blatantly cavalier and shabby way he had treated my valued and vulnerable family unit over the years. And I never did forgive him; I believe that our Ruth with a much more sensible and Christian outlook eventually reached some closure. I know little about Betty save that she was an orphan and our father most likely met her through a family acquaintance, Clarrie, whom our mam had worked alongside whilst living in Berkhamsted. The chances are that Betty and my father were already in some form of relationship before our mam left Berkhamsted for the North, a suspicion borne out by the conjectured age of the eldest child, Mary. Life could never have been easy for Betty either before or after meeting our father, the house we visited in Yateley being reminiscent of 50 Dale Street but more crowded with the addition of a bad-tempered and unpredictable partner. At the time of our fateful visit there were four children in the already overcrowded house, later there were two more children, Mandy and Stanley, to complete the union. Over the years there were occasions when various members of the Stretton family attempted to effect a conciliation of sorts between Betty’s family and myself, not least from the children themselves. I always resisted such approaches. I have no doubt that this attitude would have been seen as churlish, vindictive and vengeful. Nothing could be further from the truth. On a purely personal level I have always felt sorry for Betty and her children; life can’t have been pleasant for them growing up in Yateley. They must have experienced a sapping poverty similar to our own, as well as having to contend with my father’s unacceptable temper and tantrums. The children have, to their credit, overcome their disadvantaged start and all seem well balanced and successful in their chosen careers.
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