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1.1 1955 (1) Corbridge, Northumberland (Birth at Dilston Hall)

Giant redwoods on the drive of Dilston Hall

I was born at Dilston Hall, Corbridge, Northumberland, on the banks of the Tyne

which makes me a Geordie; something of which I am extremely proud.

Dilston Hall remains

Until the age of eight I celebrated my birthday on the 6th May, and then later on the 4th

although my mother Elsie always insisted that my true birth date was the

5th of the 5th 1955. Such things at that time were of little

importance to the Social Services when taking children into care.

Dilston Hall now Mencap National College

Dilston Hall, is the country seat of the Earl of Derwent, and since making this discovery

I have delighted in telling my family ‘I told you I was of Royal descent’; mainly because having

been blessed with something of a Prince Charles nose they have been merciless

over the years, and so it was nice to turn the tables.

Dilston Castle

For a while, in dreams, I had decided that I was the illegitimate son of the Earl;

one close friend affectionately calls me Derwent.

Dilston Chapel

Curious about my place of birth I discovered that Dilston Hall was turned

into a maternity hospitalafter the war as facilities in the area were few

and far between; today it is the headquarters of Mencap and a residential home

for people with learning disabilities and so has had quite a fascinating history.

Dilston Castle and Chapel

For now though it’s still 1955.

1.2 1955 (2) Stonehaugh, Northumberland (My Birth family)

My parents, Elsie and Charles Henry, already had two children before I arrived. My sisters Kerrie and Christine were about 4 years and 2 years old respectively and we all lived in a forestry workers’ cottage in the village of Stonehaugh. Naturally my Father was an employee of the Forestry Commission at that time. Outside my first home in Stonehaugh nearly 50 years after I left it The village was very isolated, as I found out when I returned for a visit almost 50 years later, consisting only of a few streets and a very small social club but there was no denying it was a beautiful place to live. Warks Burn Stonehaugh View from Stonehaugh village The surrounding scenery gave an ambience of peace that most people could only dream of although I’m not convinced that my parents felt that way about it. Road to Stonehaugh Around Stonehaugh One thing which delighted me about ‘my’ house, when I finally found it, was that it was the only one in the village painted completely green, my favourite colour. A few weeks after returning from my visit to Stonehaugh, a close friend told me that the village of Stonehaugh was famous for having the biggest swingers club in the UK! Obviously there was more to that little social club than I had at first realised. 1.3 1955 (3) Stonehaugh, Northumberland (Disfunctional parents) It was many years later that I found out Elsie had psychiatric problems. And according to my Fathers’ sister (Auntie Joan) he (Charles Henry) suffered from schizophrenia caused by a bullet which had been lodged in his head since the war. It’s difficult to know at this point whether this is true because my Aunt was very protective of her brother, and his family clearly didn’t warm towards Elsie. Although the family lived in an idyllic location and had an income, it was apparent that all was not well in the household. Charlie was out at work all day leaving Elsie at home in a very isolated place with three  children under the age of five; it was only a matter of time before things imploded. There’s no doubt alcohol din’t help the situation. When the rain came down not everyone got wet. 1.4 1956 (1) Tyneside Social Services (Into care) It isn’t really clear what the straw was that broke the camel’s back, but I do know that the family split up when I was around eighteen months old, placing me into the care of the social services with my sister Christine. She would have been around 3 and half years old and, as was the policy, we were sent together to the same children’s home. Our elder sister Kerrie apparently stayed with Charlie, who returned to his parents Anthony and Hannah in Rowlands Gill, Co/Durham. Hannah Morpeth, my Grandmother Around 30 years after this event, when I finally tracked her down I asked Elsie directly why she had put me into care. With a practical sort of honesty she said that she had been receiving benefits but was struggling financially and so went to the benefits office to ask for more money. The office refused to pay her more money at which point she placed me on the counter saying “Well I can’t keep him on 8/- bob-a-week….. you keep him”; she then walked out. Over the years, as I began growing into manhood, I developed quite a strong sense of humour which at one point in my life bordered on the cruel. It was around then that I first heard this story and my first reaction was that it was so cool; in some bizarre way it justified my own cutting and sarcastic sense of humour. Since then, and having reflected on things often, I have tried to imagine how a Mother must feel in giving away her child. I can’t. Childhood reject