大象传媒

My father was ready to go back to his regiment in Southampton after being on leave at home in Burnley. The year was 1942. My mother, who lived in London, was working in a factory in Coventry. A month before she had been taken ill with diphtheria. When she was on the mend she went to stay with her younger sister, who was working in Bolton at the time. My father was heading for Manchester to get the train. Arriving late, the train had gone, so he caught the next one.

My mother now recovered also caught the same train back to Coventry. The train was packed with soldiers - not a seat anywhere. My parents stood in the corridor a few yards apart. According to my mum, my dad kept looking at her but never said a word until she was ready to get off the train. Then he went over and asked her to write to him. She said that she would, but did not intend to.

That night she was chatting with workmates about how shy my dad was. 'But did you like him?', one asked. 'He was 0K,' was the reply. 'Well, write to him.'

My mum found the piece of paper my dad had given her with his address on. She wrote to him that night, and they met on his next leave. They married a year later, and are still going strong after 60 years. So if my dad had not missed his train and my mum had not been ill, they would proberly have never met, and yours truly would never have existed.

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