Continue the story of Maureen and Alan with alamore-onward.co.uk Again using modern technology to present diaries written years previously -onward will portray how we learned to form a new relationship outside the bounds of correspondence. Plus the trials and difficulties of having a second person to consider in any situation. To give a taste of…
We met 4th January 1961 at the Ilford Palais. After 8 months in Cyprus with the RAF his tan and his sun-bleached hair stood out amongst the winter pallor of the Essex boys. Of course, I accepted his offer of an escort home. It was a bitterly cold evening and I shivered as I…
Dear Diary,
A day that deserves capital letters and all the fancy trimming it can get!
All through the day I had been doing my utmost to clear all thoughts of him from my mind. I know that the more I thought about him the slower the time until the evening would pass. I think I did jolly well, for the evening arrived before I realised it.
After the disappointment on Tuesday I have resigned myself and was thinking along the ‘whatever will be, will be‘ lines.
Dear Diary,
The main happening today was Lena’s return home from hospital. Dad phoned the hospital after lunch to see how she was and they said we could bring her home whenever we wished.
Dear Diary,
Another lazy day. I didn’t get up until nearly lunch time and I haven’t got one scrap of conscience about it. Isn’t it marvellous to be on holiday?
Jennifer and I went to see Lena in hospital. She is fine but complaining about the injections she has been given. Apparently they hurt more than her ankle. There was so much to talk about that I nearly forgot to ask her how she was.
Dear Diary,
The day I have been waiting for, for many, many weeks.
I was actually up pretty early considering Lena is still in hospital and I am on holiday. I dressed with extra care, for, not knowing what time he would be here, I wanted to look perfect every minute.
Dear Diary,
Of all the absolute rotten luck. I’ve never known anything like it in all my life! I had better start from the beginning before I get carried away with my tale of woe.
Uncle George came round as arranged and took us to Rush Green Hospital. He waited outside and I went in the Outpatients Department with Lena. Half an hour later, I was informed that they were going to keep her in ‘for 2 or 3 days’. The swelling had gone down as expected but they were frightened of tetanus. They said they do have to keep a special eye on foreigners as regards to tetanus – something to do with the different air.
Dear Diary,
Today has been very quiet. Just the sort of day needed to recover from last week. Nothing very interesting has happened and all thoughts, especially mine, are turned to Tuesday and Alan. One thing can be said about this holiday, it hasn’t ended in an anti-climax like all the others. Usually, coming home from a holiday especially one that has been enjoyable, is terribly and depressing. This year there has been so much to think about and worry about, we were home before I realised it.
Dear Diary
Feeling very, very sleepy. We crawled to the dining room for breakfast and crawled out again. By the time we had packed the last odds and ends it was ten to eight.
The taxi was already there when I reached reception. We said our farewells to David and Ian who were staying over another week- and, the taxi pulled out of the camp. Breaking the final ties of a marvellous holiday.
Dear Diary,
Last day of the best holiday I have ever had. Yet it hasn’t gone particularly quickly. It feels like we have been here for weeks.
Neither Lena nor I got up for breakfast, although we were awake.
Nothing spectacular happened during the day. The gang walked to the nearest village, Osmington Mills, during the afternoon.
Lena’s ankle has been a bit stiff and she went to the First Aid place after dinner so I walked back to the chalet alone.
Dear Diary,
This evening was the best part of today. No one had much energy after the barbeque last night and the gang spent the whole evening in the Sun Lounge. One of the crowd realised he hadn’t had much to drink all week and obviously decided to make up for it. He was making an awful row in my ear with his singing.
Hello Sweetheart,
This will be my last letter to you from Cyprus and to tell you the truth I am very glad it is. Time is passing so quickly now that I hardly have time to sit down and think.
Today has been very eventful in that I started the clearance procedure from the station. This entails wandering around with a blue chit and having my name crossed off various registers etc. I have handed in all my K.D. uniform to stores, so it only remains for me to pack up and go.
Darling Alan,
I’m fed up, bored stiff and I want to go home! I might as well start from the beginning of everything.
We had a fine old laugh packing for this holiday. Everything we saw, we packed ‘just in case’. We’ve brought four times as much stuff as Lena brought to England for three weeks. The two cases weigh a ton. We didn’t get to bed til 12 Friday and we were up again at 5.45. We found the coach ok with Lesley’s help and it left at 8.30 Saturday morning.
Hello,
Sorry that I haven’t written for some time but have been kept extremely busy what with one thing or another.
Our touring the island trip over the weekend went off marvellously. I think that I will always remember those few days.
On the first day we went up to the Troodos Mountains stopping at a village called Platres. It is a charming place, set in excellent surroundings. A place where visitors to Cyprus always head. We had a few drinks and a walk around noting the cool mountain streams that seemed to rush from the pine covered mountains above, down through the village on for an unknown destination. The effect of such a spot seems to bestow peace on oneself.
Darling Alan,
Thanks for the last letter, number 45.
I’ve still got nothing else to write about except Lena. She’s a pet, she really is. I must get to Sweden somehow or other even if I have to swim there. It will be awful when she leaves especially if I know I won’t see her again.
Hiya!
This probably won’t make much sense because I never can concentrate properly unless I have perfect quiet. It is Sunday morning – imagine Sunday morning and me up!- and the house seems to be full of people. So Lena and I have retreated to the bedroom to write letters.
