Preface

After my mother died in 1997, her children (includes me), had to deal with her belongings.

Amongst them was some writings. They were created over a long period, on a typewriter
on a mixture of sizes of paper, some of it reused, with inked ribbons in various states of wear.
There were handwritten corrections made. There were carbon copies as well as top copies,
not of every page.
Many of the pages had a handwritten page number in the top right hand corner.
She was writing a book.

My mother, apart from bringing up five children, did many other things, mostly to do with
caring for the Elderly People in Hayes and Harlington where she lived. But when I was a
lad I can remember helping her deliver election leaflets for the LABOUR Party, then later
the SDP, and taking part in exit polls at polling stations. But she became dissolutioned
with politics and concentrated on trying to improve things locally rather then nationally.

Her writings were about just one of her many activities, namely, The Annual Holiday
for elderly people who might not otherwise have one. (This included a holiday for the carers
of the elderly people, who had a holiday at their home without them!)

So here are the writings. They may not be politically correct in that my mother
had a rather Maternal care for her charges, but if that is all you can fault her for,
she was still a remarkable person.

I want, I must, acknowledge the service of the Data Preparation Staff at the University of
Newcastle upon Tyne, headed by Carol Hellier, who entered the writings into machine readable form.


1.Maggie's Angels 21.Buddies
2.Holiday Started 22.Failing Brains
3.Complicated Preparations 23.Spoon Feeding
4.Paper Work 24.A Week Away from Boredom
5.Transport 25.A Wallace Arnold Tour
6.Subsidies 26.Thora
7.Beyond a Century 27.Accidents?
8.Edward and Victor 28.First Experiences
9.Auntie Jenny 29.A Small Brown Sparrow
10.Independant or Not 30.Our Vulnerable Folk
11.Blonde with One Leg 31.Dedication
12.Bessie & Eileen 32.Local GP
13.Police in Big Blue Car 33.Conquering Authority
14.Wheelchairs 34.Some People are 'choosy'
15.Bonus on the Broads 35.Ada
16.The Angels 36.Avoidable Mistakes
17.The Staff 37.Aversions
18.Helpers 38.On with the Show
19.Slipping Haloes 39.Goodbye Till Next Year
20.Maggie's Phobia 40.The Inquest

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