Generous and friendly, they all accepted me and produced all manner of surprise packages for 'when the baby comes'. I all but blow my top when I hear unkind jokes about mothers-in-law, because mine was ideal; she treated me as a daughter and we even got on well in the kitchen, which fact speaks for itself.
In due course my time came and I was whisked away to an expensive Nursing Home in Broxbourne, a nearby town, to await my delivery. Ten hours on a high, hard labour bed is no picnic as many of you know, especially over the long night hours with a Sister shorttempered and busy who had hardly time or patience to talk to me, let alone allay my fears.
I was so frightened that the 'something to make you sleep' which she produced at 4 a.m. came up before it got half-way down. Daylight arrived and with it, Matron. Just one quick, efficient examination and things began to hum.
Nurses rushed quietly about bringing in tables of instruments, yards of rubber sheeting, bowls, and rolls of cotton wool, then my ankles were strapped to the ends of the bed. "wouldn't anyone please let me know what's the matter?" I was bathed in perspiration and felt completely alone; everybody was in such an obviously controlled 'Flap'.
Presently my own Doctor appeared and started to 'scrub up' without delay - he did manage a "Hello there" over his shoulder and a "Don't worry", but his smile was forced and he couldn't conceal the tension
in his voice. "Oh God" I thought, "Why don't they give me some 'Twilight Sleep' or some of these other aids to labour of which I'd heard and read such glowing reports."
It was all over by 9 a.m. and I was finally told that my baby had been born base over apex. "You're lucky to have him alive" they said. Lucky! Right then I was too exhausted to care so I slept and slept. A cat meowing woke me up many hours later - well it sounded like a cat - but it was coming from the cot! Our first son and heir, Malcolm, was announcing his presence and demanding his first meal.
During the remainder of my stay there I saw that Night Nurse several times - she couldn't have been more charming - we didn't mention my first night in the Home - why should we - we both knew now why she hadn't felt the head.
Bringing home The Baby was indeed a Red Letter Day, the entire family turned out to welcome us and admire the little pink scrap. You see, he wasn't only our first child, he was also the first grandchild and the first great-grandchild. And to add to that he was the eldest son of the eldest son for no less than seven generations.
We continued to live with Ron's parents until our baby was three months old, when because of the 'points' system operated by the Town Council, which took into account many things such as the length of time the family had lived in the district, number of rooms in the house. War service of us both, etc., a delightful flat fell into our laps, as you might say.
Our own front door at last in Gwendoline House, right opposite the Eleanor Cross Monument, erected by King Edward I, to mark the resting place of his Queen's body on its journey to London in 1290 A.D.