1965 - what a good year!

Yes - I was born on March 28th, 1965........Mothers' Day that year. I was officially my mum's FIRST Mothers' Day gift............. and probably her only one that year too. She gleefully tells of how mean my dad was, and wouldn't buy her any flowers because they were too expensive, with it being a special day - and the same again when she gave birth to my sister at Christmas in 1966!

I was born Amanda Stone (no middle names) to Jillian Stone (nee Tuvey) and David George Alfred Herbert (you can understand why my mum was determined not to lumber me with middle names) Stone. Twenty one months later, I was to be joined by Heidi Stone - but more of that later!

At the moment, all I can do is waffle on here - I can't put any baby or kiddie photos on here, because 1. I don't really know how to work the scanner and 2. most of the photos from my childhood have been "kidnapped" by my sister - who isn't asking any amount of ransom money - she just isn't admitting she has them! Oh well, maybe one day I'll raid her house all kitted out like someone delivering a box of Milk Tray............ and as well as leaving a box of chocs, I'll whip all the old black and white photos. In fact, I could probably get them, scan them and return them to her without her ever even knowing........ save me the cost of the box of chocs!!

Anyway, obviously, I don't remember being born...........but my very first memories are of Christmas in 1966 - when my sister was newborn, and my Mum had been "taken away" and kept in hospital for 10 days (that's what it was like in "those days" - not like now, where you give birth and they throw you out after a couple of hours!). I was staying at my Nan and Grandad Tuvey's house in Walthamstow and I can remember sitting in their "best" room, having been told that I couldn't go to see my Mum because they didn't let children in there (a lie I later found out - but one my Nan insisted on me being told so that I didn't visit my Mum and then get upset...... strange, cos I got upset anyway!). I remember thinking "what kind of place have they got my Mummy in if children aren't allowed in there?"............I didn't realise at the time she would be coming home with a baby!!!! My Aunt Sue was there with me (my Mum's younger sister) and she made it fun for me - I can remember her playing records for me on this huge old fashioned record player and us dancing around the room together. But - I still missed my mum and imagined all sorts of horrible things about where she was.