1983

The family rapidly made friends in Maldon and soon had a cheerful social life. Most of our new adult contacts came not from my work but through people Gill met at the gate when she walked the children to school or people we met directly through the children.

The vast majority of the photos in the family albums - of which there aren't a very large number anyway - are of the children. We have no recollection of what social event David was bound for in this picture but it must have been something rather special for him to be wearing a tie. However, he does have a rather fine police car waiting to take him there.

If the camera didn't come out often in our early days in Maldon it was dusted off for birthdays, but almost exclusively David's - apologies in retrospect to Lizzie and Katy. Judging by the candles, this is only David's fourth birthday but we already have the older children trained to run the event - that's Elizabeth at top right and her friend Kate Lees at top left.

Up until this point Katy always looks angelic in her photos but there is now a look of determination in the set of her jaw. At an early point in our time in Lodge Road she packed her suitcase and walked out - we have no recollection of what so upset her but are pleased that she did decide to forgive us enough for her to return home.

What with her long and demanding school days and her friends in Maldon Elizabeth seemed always to be busy so this picture of a pensive young lady makes a nice change.

In our life at Lodge Road we tried to make sure that the girls did 'all the right things'. So, as well as being members of the church choir - something they were not always enthusiastic about, even though they were paid to sing at weddings - they joined the Guides and Brownies. One of the things we most appreciated about Maldon was how safe we felt the children were on the town's streets even when walking alone after dark.