Well, before I went away I told you all that Muti was in for a grilling - as a result of the Vodafone Ad, I realised that I knew very little about how Muti and Dad met......nothing of the circumstances of their romance.....but I was definitely going to find out.
One evening after Dinner I put the question to Muti ' How did you and Dad meet?'.....I was shocked to find o ut that they had a whirlwind courtship and married after knowing each other for only 3 weeks. (And I don't mean knowing in the biblical sense).
Muti worked in the Naafi in Newark.....my dad was stationed on the Army camp there. He was a corporal in the REME. One evening Muti was in charge of the canteen and Dad's platoon were being a bit tardy in clearing their plates. Muti went out to ginger them up a bit.....the soldiers then threw their plates into the kitchen.....some of them smashed and Muti was not best pleased as she would get a rocket from her superior.
My Dad was sent to apologise. Muti said it was hate at first sight. She said Dad was arrogant and egotistical and although he apologised and said he would get the soldiers to pay for the breakages.....she felt like he didn't really mean the apology. I asked where they went for a first date.....Muti couldn't remember. Anyway the upshot of it was they were married 3 weeks later by special licence. This was not uncommon at the time. Dad was being posted to France and Muti was due to be posted to Japan. Muti said her commanding officer thought she had married in order to scupper the posting to japan......and Muti was told that she would still be posted, but she wasn't for some reason.
I asked how her parents and my dads parents took the marriage.....Muti said the my Dads parents all thought that she was in a delicate condition......but that proved to be wrong. I was truly amazed at this information. Mum and Dad had a strong marriage. OK. they had their differences and they fell out sometimes. It was definitely a scream to watch them decorating.....they would shout and scream at one another and then collapse in a heap of giggles.
I asked whether Dad wanted a boy or a girl when mum was expecting me.......Muti said he wanted a girl......and one that looked like Muti.
I asked where he was when I was born.....she said that like all fathers at that time he was not allowed into the delivery room. The nurse sent him home. They were hoping that Muti would not deliver as it was only the 18th of June and I was not due until the 24th of August.....but I could not wait to rush headlong into life......and I arrived on the 18th of June at 9:45 pm weighing 3lbs 8 ozs. The matron of the nursing home asked Muti to have me baptised as I was not expected to last the night.....though obviously I did......and even after that Muti was told not to expect to take a live baby home. When I did go home I was kept in a wooden box lined with flannel and kept by the fire. I was wiped down each day with cotton wool dipped in olive oil. It was thought that a bath would kill me.....but Yee haaa I was made of stronger stuff. Muti tells me that Dad doted on me.
So there you are. Dad got his way......I am looking.....sounding and acting more like Muti every single day. Now that IS scary!
Back to Exmouth Now.
Thursday morning was absolutely wild. The wind was storm force and when the tide was in the waves were kissing the tarmac of the esplanade. We were off to Sidmouth. I was in Sidmouth in September......and I remembered it as a genteel delicate resort. The coach ride took about 45 minutes through the wind blown winding lanes. Gone were the green hedges and the leafy overhangs, and in their place were the skeletal reaching branches of the bare trees. It was still strangely beautiful though. The coach brought us to the sea front.....our hair was blown all over the place. Muti sat in a bus shelter while we waited to get her wheel chair off the coach. The sea was boiling mad.....and it sounded like someone frying chips.....that is the best way I can describe it. Muti got settled in her chair and pulled her scarf tight about her head......she looked just like a russian peasant in a bread queue.....not the most fetching look. I tried to push the chair against the wind it was bloody hard work.
Then the wind swung round and it was behind us and we were being pushed down a street that I hadn't planned to go down. Once we got off the front it was a bit easier to move the chair....we were sheltered, but it was still cold and by this time it had started to rain. The rain had little particles of ice in it. A cup of tea was favourite. We ducked into a cafe and had a lovely hot cup of tea and watched other people battling the forces of nature.
We had a very cursory look at the shops.....Muti bought herself some clogs and a lovely raspberry coloured mohair cardigan.....the assistant wanted to wrap it up, but Muti said she was going to put it on.....so the assistant cutt the price tag off and Muti disrobed and put the warm cardigan on.
We made our way back along the seafront to the rendezvous point......the coach was nowhere to be seen. Muti managed to squeeze into the bus shelter.....but debs and I were left outside to blow about until the coach turned up. We looked like raggle taggle gypsies by the time we got back on the coach.
The driver had planned a scenic route back to Exmouth.....the mist came down and to be honest we could see very little of the views that woul have been lovely if the weather had been kinder.
We were on the back seat and warming up nicely after our visit when we heard a nasty metallic crunching sound. This was just as a car transporter was taking the corner that we had just come around. We realised that we had been hit. We had to pull to the side of the road and both drivers were seen to be doing a bit of arm waving and gesticulating.....they also seemed to be using some quaint saxon phrases too.....we couldn't hear them, but we could certainly see what they were saying. Fortunately no-one was hurt, or even shaken up for that matter.....but it made a very good excuse to have a brandy when we got back to the hotel.
Once we had had our brandy we went out to the town.....there was a park near the hotel and the squirrels were very tame.....I bought a bag of monkey nuts and we hand fed them.
At dinner that evening all the staff were done up in fancy dress....it made for a very festive atmosphere.
We have to be up and at 'em tomorrow morning......we are leaving at 9am.....cases to be packed and left outside the rooms by 6:30 am.
One evening after Dinner I put the question to Muti ' How did you and Dad meet?'.....I was shocked to find o ut that they had a whirlwind courtship and married after knowing each other for only 3 weeks. (And I don't mean knowing in the biblical sense).
Muti worked in the Naafi in Newark.....my dad was stationed on the Army camp there. He was a corporal in the REME. One evening Muti was in charge of the canteen and Dad's platoon were being a bit tardy in clearing their plates. Muti went out to ginger them up a bit.....the soldiers then threw their plates into the kitchen.....some of them smashed and Muti was not best pleased as she would get a rocket from her superior.
My Dad was sent to apologise. Muti said it was hate at first sight. She said Dad was arrogant and egotistical and although he apologised and said he would get the soldiers to pay for the breakages.....she felt like he didn't really mean the apology. I asked where they went for a first date.....Muti couldn't remember. Anyway the upshot of it was they were married 3 weeks later by special licence. This was not uncommon at the time. Dad was being posted to France and Muti was due to be posted to Japan. Muti said her commanding officer thought she had married in order to scupper the posting to japan......and Muti was told that she would still be posted, but she wasn't for some reason.
I asked how her parents and my dads parents took the marriage.....Muti said the my Dads parents all thought that she was in a delicate condition......but that proved to be wrong. I was truly amazed at this information. Mum and Dad had a strong marriage. OK. they had their differences and they fell out sometimes. It was definitely a scream to watch them decorating.....they would shout and scream at one another and then collapse in a heap of giggles.
I asked whether Dad wanted a boy or a girl when mum was expecting me.......Muti said he wanted a girl......and one that looked like Muti.
I asked where he was when I was born.....she said that like all fathers at that time he was not allowed into the delivery room. The nurse sent him home. They were hoping that Muti would not deliver as it was only the 18th of June and I was not due until the 24th of August.....but I could not wait to rush headlong into life......and I arrived on the 18th of June at 9:45 pm weighing 3lbs 8 ozs. The matron of the nursing home asked Muti to have me baptised as I was not expected to last the night.....though obviously I did......and even after that Muti was told not to expect to take a live baby home. When I did go home I was kept in a wooden box lined with flannel and kept by the fire. I was wiped down each day with cotton wool dipped in olive oil. It was thought that a bath would kill me.....but Yee haaa I was made of stronger stuff. Muti tells me that Dad doted on me.
So there you are. Dad got his way......I am looking.....sounding and acting more like Muti every single day. Now that IS scary!
Back to Exmouth Now.
Thursday morning was absolutely wild. The wind was storm force and when the tide was in the waves were kissing the tarmac of the esplanade. We were off to Sidmouth. I was in Sidmouth in September......and I remembered it as a genteel delicate resort. The coach ride took about 45 minutes through the wind blown winding lanes. Gone were the green hedges and the leafy overhangs, and in their place were the skeletal reaching branches of the bare trees. It was still strangely beautiful though. The coach brought us to the sea front.....our hair was blown all over the place. Muti sat in a bus shelter while we waited to get her wheel chair off the coach. The sea was boiling mad.....and it sounded like someone frying chips.....that is the best way I can describe it. Muti got settled in her chair and pulled her scarf tight about her head......she looked just like a russian peasant in a bread queue.....not the most fetching look. I tried to push the chair against the wind it was bloody hard work.
Then the wind swung round and it was behind us and we were being pushed down a street that I hadn't planned to go down. Once we got off the front it was a bit easier to move the chair....we were sheltered, but it was still cold and by this time it had started to rain. The rain had little particles of ice in it. A cup of tea was favourite. We ducked into a cafe and had a lovely hot cup of tea and watched other people battling the forces of nature.
We had a very cursory look at the shops.....Muti bought herself some clogs and a lovely raspberry coloured mohair cardigan.....the assistant wanted to wrap it up, but Muti said she was going to put it on.....so the assistant cutt the price tag off and Muti disrobed and put the warm cardigan on.
We made our way back along the seafront to the rendezvous point......the coach was nowhere to be seen. Muti managed to squeeze into the bus shelter.....but debs and I were left outside to blow about until the coach turned up. We looked like raggle taggle gypsies by the time we got back on the coach.
The driver had planned a scenic route back to Exmouth.....the mist came down and to be honest we could see very little of the views that woul have been lovely if the weather had been kinder.
We were on the back seat and warming up nicely after our visit when we heard a nasty metallic crunching sound. This was just as a car transporter was taking the corner that we had just come around. We realised that we had been hit. We had to pull to the side of the road and both drivers were seen to be doing a bit of arm waving and gesticulating.....they also seemed to be using some quaint saxon phrases too.....we couldn't hear them, but we could certainly see what they were saying. Fortunately no-one was hurt, or even shaken up for that matter.....but it made a very good excuse to have a brandy when we got back to the hotel.
Once we had had our brandy we went out to the town.....there was a park near the hotel and the squirrels were very tame.....I bought a bag of monkey nuts and we hand fed them.
At dinner that evening all the staff were done up in fancy dress....it made for a very festive atmosphere.
We have to be up and at 'em tomorrow morning......we are leaving at 9am.....cases to be packed and left outside the rooms by 6:30 am.
more please