192 College Road
During this entire period, our family home remained 192 College Road. My older sister, Tricia, moved out in 1976 to go to university, see Chapter 120, and I did the same in 1978. As a family, we had lived there since October 1973, see Chapter 102, having moved there some four months after mum and dad split up, see Chapter 99.
Issue of Ownership
There was an issue over the ownership of this house. Although dad never lived there, it seems that mum and dad bought the house jointly. In principle, dad agreed to sign over his half of the house to mum. However, actually doing so required the involvement of lawyers and took all of 1975 and into January 1976. In addition, conflict over house ownership continued well beyond that into 1976 because dad was buying a house in Birmingham and apparently told mum that he was going to buy it jointly with her, see Chapter 114.
Bedrooms
Although I lived in the same house for the entirety of this period until I went to university, see Chapter 120, I did move rooms within the house.
A Big House
Although it was semi-detached, it was a very big house with six bedrooms, four on the first floor and two attic rooms on the second floor.
A First Floor Bedroom
Initially, Alan and I had had rooms at the front on the first floor. In the photo, these two rooms were behind the first floor window. My room was on the left and Alan’s on the right. From memory, they had been one room but mum had had them separated which involved adding a staired entrance to what became Alan’s room from the main staircase.
Moving to the Attic
However, in September 1976, I swapped my room with mum’s office which had been on the second floor, in the attic. This meant I moved up into the attic and mum’s office moved down to the first floor. I noted that it was very tiring but was happy that it was done even though I considered the room a mess and needed a lot of tidying.
Mum’s take on this was that she changed her office for my room with help from me and Tricia. She noted that Liz helped a bit too. Apparently the reason for this shift was so that I could work in quiet. Also, the attic room was bigger. From memory, the two rooms Alan and I had were the smallest as they had originally benn one room. In addition, as a teenager, I confess I thought it was cool to have an attic room. On the next day, I got up early to get my room in order but got into trouble for this. I am not sure why! Mum did not comment on this in her diary. A few days later, I moved the posters from my old room upstairs.
It is this attic room that I mainly remember as my room although I was only in it for two years while I had my original room for the first three years we lived in College Road.
Back to the First Floor
When I was about to go to university, see Chapter 120, in September 1978, rooms were shifted round once again. Mum noted that, Tricia and Angus moved Alan’s room to Tricia’s, Tricia’s to the office, office (back) to my room and my room to Alan’s. This meant I ended up in what was Alan’s room but I don’t recall this. I guess this might have been because I was no longer living there although presumably I stayed there in the university holidays.
Moving Things Around
Mum sometimes moved things around at home including within rooms. For example, in March 1975, she moved the wardrobe and dressing table in her bedroom. The next month, in April 1975, she moved the dresser from the attic to her bedroom. In June 1975, mum moved the fridge and washer in the kitchen. The following month, in July 1975, she moved Alan’s wardrobe downstairs. The next year, in May 1976, she moved things round in the kitchen. Then, the year after that, in February 1977, she moved the furniture in the dining room over a two day period.
Decorating
Mum also decorated parts of the house during this period, sometimes with help from one or more of us. In April and May 1975, she decorated the kitchen and bathroom with help from Tricia. In December 1976, Liz’s bedroom was decorated. It seems that Tricia and I did quite a bit of this while mum was in hospital.
I Decorated My Room
In January 1977, I decorated the attic room into which I had moved the previous year. On the 17th, mum and I bought wallpaper and paint and I started preparing. The next day, I stripped wallpaper noting that there were two layers and that the top layer came off easily. I assume the implication is that the second layer was more difficult! The following day, I repaired cracks in the walls with Polyfilla. Polyfilla is the brand name of a form of spackling paste produced by Polycell.
On 20 January 1977, mum noted buying primer paint. I noted that Alan and I painted the ceiling. Five days later, I primed the wood in my room, doing more painting for the next two to three days after that. On at least one occasion, Liz helped me. On the 29th, mum and I papered the wall and, the next day, I started painting the wallpaper blue. I did more of this in early February with Alan’s help. A few days after that, I painted both sides of the radiator. Then, mum and I put a final coat of paint on the walls. By 9 February 1977, I was able to start moving furniture back into the room.
Incidents
However, my attempts at DIY were not incident-free!
I Disconnected a Light
When painting the ceiling, I accidentally disconnected the light so had to repair that. Also, later when I was doing painting I had to stop because of problems with the light. I don’t know if this related to my “repair” or not!
I Unplugged the Fridge
In addition, when I was painting the radiator, I really got into trouble with mum as I mistakenly unplugged the fridge when I meant to unplug the radio. But, I felt I got blamed for everything else as well, see Chapter 114!
I really don’t understand how I did this! Presumably, it meant I was working in or near the kitchhen but I assume I was painting the radiator in my bedroom on the second floor. It is possible that I was listening to a radio downstairs but it does not seem likely. It is also possible that the radio was working on an extension lead run from the kitchen. However, I am not sure why I would have done this when there were much closer electric points. Perhaps most likely is that I was painting the radiator downstairs. It had certainly been taken down allowing both sides to be painted.
Repairs
Mum had to deal with various repairs to the house when they were needed.
The Roof and Issues of Damp
Throughout the early part of this period, there was a problem with damp at the house and the issue underlying this appears to have been problems with the roof. In September 1975, mum noticed that there was damp again in the lounge in two places. It seems that there had been problems with damp before. I am not sure when. Two days later, she noted that there was damp in the ceiling of the attic stairs.
The following year, in October 1976, mum woke at 3.30am to water dripping through the ceiling. She put a plant there to catch it! Mum also found damp in the corner of the lounge so stripped it and painted it with two coats of “stuff” that Mr Claxton had given her in the Spring.
Cuprinol Damp Proof
Mum thought this was Cuprinol damp proof. Cuprinol is a company that produces a wide range of paints and stains primarily for outside use. The company was founded in 1911 and the name is derived from the Latin phrase “Cuprum in Ol” meanting “copper is oil”. I am not sure what specific Cuprinol product mum was referring to.
Peter Claxton
Peter Claxton was a builder/painter/decorator who initially did some decorating for grandma and grandad in January 1974, see Chapter 102. Mum used him for a wide variety of jobs in the late seventies. However, towards the end of 1979, she found that some of her stamps were missing and the police concluded that Mr Claxton had taken them, see Chapter 114.
Further Leaks
However, two weeks after the earlier leak, it rained heavily and mum discovered that water had come through her bedroom ceiling again and the paper had come away. She contacted Mr Claxton and, two days later, he came round with another man to look at the roof.
Roof Repair Required
I noted that it looked like the roof was going to be repaired. Also, I commented that it would be expensive but it was getting unmanageable. I appear to be implying that the problem had been going on for some time and temporary fixes had been applied, presumably to avoid the cost of more definitive work.
Quotes
Mum received a quote for the work, which was £1,200 plus VAT plus the cost of fibreglass which Mr Claxton would do himself. Mr Claxton told mum that he later got a second, much higher quote for £1,725. Mum noted that grandma had said to go ahead with the work as soon as possible. I am not quite sure why grandma was involved in this process. It may be just that mum trusted her on such issues but it could also be that she was paying for the work either directly or in the form of a loan.
The Work is Done
Mum agreed that the work should go ahead and it was carried out in early November 1976. The scaffolding arrived on 1 November 1976 and the work started the next day. On the 3rd, however, I noticed that plaster was falling in my room from work being carried out on the roof. The work was completed to Mr Claxton’s satisfaction by the 4th. However, just over a year later, about 20 tiles slipped down the roof. Mum phoned Mr Claxton who came to look at it. I presume he went ahead and repaired the roof. I am a bit surprised this happened relatively soon after major work on the roof. In particular, I am surprised that mum did not raise this issue.
Other Work
Mr Claxton did other work for mum during this period. For example, in January 1977, mum tidied Alan’s room and moved furniture in hers so that Mr Claxton could do work on her wall and finish the cupboard. Two days later, Mr Claxton came to see what needed doing. A further two days later, he and another man came to do work on the house. Just over a week later, Mr Claxton and another man came again and finished all the jobs in the house including a new cistern in the bathroom. I noted that Mr Claxton had done a lot of the major things in my room but I did not specify what.
In January 1977, the wind blew one heavy gate off its top hinge. The other was bent. Mum went down to it at 3.30am. In the morning, she and I lifted it off and she phoned Mr Claxton to fix it.
In January 1979, there was a leak from a pipe in Tricia’s bedroom. Mum tried to tighten it and made it worse! Hilda Crowe went to work for mum and mum called Mr Claxton. He came about 9.20 and fixed it but it took him 2½ hours. The tank in the attic was dry and he said the boiler could have blown up!
Other Issues
A number of other issues arose during this period.
Loss of Water Pressure
For example, on 28 February 1975, mum noted that the water pressure was “gone” when she got back from choir practice. I wonder if this was just a temporary loss of water pressure. As far as I can see she did not do anything to rectify this and she did not mention it as a recurring problem.
The Gas Pilot Light
In April 1978, the gas pilot light went out twice. Mum phoned and within 20 minutes a man came to fix it. It took him about 20 minutes. Apparently, a part was worn.
Chris Deighton
The following year, in April 1979, when visiting, my friend from university, Chris Deighton, see Chapter 120, knocked a radiator off the lounge wall with the rocking chair!
166 Drayton High Road
Grandma and grandad lived in their bungalow at 166 Drayton High Road almost all the time they lived in Norfolk from May 1964, see Chapter 76. Grandad remained living there until his death in November 1975. Grandma lived there for most of the rest of this period before moving to Cromwell House in September 1979.
Grandma and Grandad Thought of Moving
However, although I was not aware of this, it seems grandma and grandad at least thought of moving during this period. For example, in April 1975, mum noted that grandma said they’d move if they could buy a flat on the main road, ground or first floor. In May 1975, while Auntie Dolly was visiting, she and grandma went round “the bungalows”. I am not entirely sure what this means and am also not sure if this referred to looking for a new place to live or not.
I am not sure what the problem was with their bungalow. Perhaps it, and the surrounding gardens, were too big. It was located on a main road. I am not sure why location on a main road was important, perhaps proximity to a bus service? I don’t know if they were serious about moving but they never did.
After Grandad Died, Grandma Thought More Seriously of Moving
Some time after grandad had died, grandma began to think of perhaps moving herself. In June 1978, mum noted that grandma told mum to make enquiries about Cromwell House and also told her to have our back yard concreted and the back loo fixed so she could come to us if she wanted to.
Mum Contacted Estate Agents
On 12 June 1978, mum phoned estate agents about houses but they had nothing. I am not quite sure what mum was looking for and how this fitted with what grandma said she wanted.
Discussions About a Garage
Nothing further happened about this for over a year but then, in July 1979, there was a discussion in Drayton involving grandma, mum and Mr Claxton concerning a garage etc. My suspicion is that this proposed garage was at College Road and grandma might have been lending or giving mum the money.
The Garage Was Built
Mr Claxton started building a garage at the house in College Road on 25 September 1979. On 1 November 1979, mum noted that she put the car in the new garage. Mum brought grandma to see the work on 12 December 1979.
Talk of Selling the Drayton Bungalow
Presumably as a spin-off from that initial discussion about the garage, Mr Claxton said the bungalow was worth £32,000. I am not sure on what basis he said that or what expertise he had in that area.
Moving to Cromwell House
On 2 September 1979, mum had a discussion, presumably with grandma, about Cromwell House. Mum noted “going there” on 11 September which I believe refers to the date grandma was going to move to Cromwell House. On the 4th, mum took carpet from Drayton to Cromwell House with help from Janet Bennett and me. On the 7th, Mr Claxton took some of grandma’s furniture to Cromwell House. Mum had thought there would not be room for the bureau but there was. Mum and I tried to get it in the car but we couldn’t. On the 8th, mum and Alan took grandma to visit Cromwell House and she went there to live on the 11th as planned. Mum visited at lunch-time and in the evening. Other times mum visited Cromwell House included the evenings of 14 and 16 September 1979. In the evening, she and Alan took grandma her TV.
Items from Grandma’s House
At the end of September 1979, Tricia and mum went to Drayton to see what of grandma’s furniture Tricia wanted. On 19 October 1979, mum took grandma to Drayton to sort a few things out. Two months later, in December 1979 mum went there and brought a carpet from the kitchen, a table and a trolley. Tricia also had a chest of drawers.
My Recollections
Although I recall that grandma moved to Cromwell House, I do not recall visiting there even though I may well have done. On one level, this is odd as I knew the location of Cromwell House really well as it was near my school on Cecil Road. However, by the time grandma moved to Cromwell House, I had left school and was mostly living away at university. In addition, she lived there for less than a year as she died in June 1980.
Selling Grandma’s Bungalow
From the time grandma moved to Cromwell House, efforts were made to sell the house in Drayton. The next month, on 8 October 1979, Potters phoned to say they had a buyer for the house at £26,000. But, on the 12th, it seems the man who was buying the house decided not to as he claimed there was subsidence. The house did finally sell in 1980.
Potters
I assume that Potters were the estate agents selling grandma’s house. Potter and Co were estate agents in Norwich for many years. The company was established and operated by Frank Malzy Potter but he died in 2006. The company does not seem to be active currently and may have wound up after his death. It seems that in the sixties, it was based at 2-4 Bank Street but, from the seventies, it operated at 2 Prince of Wales Road. I think the former address is where Fosters Solicitors are now, in a modern-looking building, although their address is given as 19 Bank Plain. The Prince of Wales Road property was occupied for many years by another estate agent, Arnold Keys, but, from at least July 2024, the property has been available to let and that remained the case as of May 2025.
Photographs and Adverts
Paying Rates and Utilities
Throughout this period, and at other times, grandma and grandad used to pay their rates and for their utilities in person in Norwich. For example, in January 1975, grandma went into Norwich to pay the water rates. This was £6.20. In April 1975, grandad noted that grandma paid the water rate for the year. This was £10.40.
In February and May 1975, grandma paid the gas bill. In April 1975, grandma took grandad’s income tax returns in and paid the electricty bill. She also paid the electricity bill in June 1975.
In June 1978, mum discovered that grandma’s fire insurance had not been renewed since it expired in May. I wonder if this would have usually been done by grandad but he died some three years earllier so it would not have been the first year grandma had to do it.
Repairs and Maintenance
Grandma and grandad did various repairs and maintenance on their house during this period. For example, in July 1976, while on holiday in Dunoon, see Chapter 122, mum got a letter from grandma which said that Mr Claxton was going to do the roof. So, mum then rang Tricia who said she didn’t know anything about it but would speak to grandma.
Decorating
Grandma and grandad also decorated their house during this period. However, they increasingly used other people to do this because of poor health and advancing years. For example from 10 to 21 March 1975, Mr Larkins decorated their two bedrooms. They paid him £25 plus £8.40 for paint. He also used one quart tin of white paint that grandad had in the cabin. Following this, he also decorated their hall.
Airing the House
In January 1976, mum went to Drayton to air grandma’s house. She went with Tricia, Alan and Liz. I was at work. Grandma had been in Mansfield for a week visiting Auntie Amy.
Dad Moved from London to Birmingham
At the start of this period, my father, Royle Drew, was living in London near Ilford, see Chapter 99. However, at the end of 1975, dad got a new job, see Chapter 121, within the Norwich Union and moved to Birmingham.
Buying a House
In December, mum noted that dad wanted Tricia to go to Birmingham one weekend to help him house hunt. Mum noted that Tricia did not want to go but felt that she should. Tricia did go early in January 1976. However, I think things may have moved quite slowly as, in June 1976, when mum asked dad if he had got a solicitor, presumably for the divorce, he said no but he would be buying a house soon so would get one then.
Things moved quickly after that as dad phoned in July 1976 to say he should get possession of his house in a fortnight. By the end of that month, July 1976, I noted that dad had received the keys for his new house. I was hoping he would come one day the following week and I would go back with him to help him move in. I didn’t know how long I’d be there but thought about a week as I thought that would be the maximum amount of time dad could have off work.
Helping Move In
In the end, Liz and I went with dad to Birmingham on 9 August 1976. We went to dad’s house in an office car. Liz and I spent our time there helping dad move and settle in. This included putting furniture in, putting net curtains up, laying carpets and buying a gas cooker. We were staying at the Cobden Hotel.
My Recollections
I recalled that dad lived in Great Barr, Birmingham but I could not remember the street where he lived. However, I found a letter I had written to Jo from there in December 1981 and this had the address, 25 Walcot Drive.
Other People’s Moves
A number of other people moved during this period.
Mrs Douglas
In March 1975, Ron Douglas’ mother moved out of the house next-door to grandma and grandad where Ron lived, 168 Drayton High Road. I am not sure where she moved to. She had previously moved out once before, in August 1969, when she had moved with another son John to Cambridge Street in Norwich, see Chapter 91. She must have moved back in at some point but I am not sure when.
Miss Cooke
In August 1975, grandma went to see her friend, Miss Cooke, to help her pack ready for “flitting” the next day. I am not sure where she moved to.
Flit is a Northern term for moving house, see Chapter 3. Grandad used it often.
Christine Carter
In April 1978, Christine Carter, the wife of mum’s friend and confidant, Rev Malcolm Carter, told mum that she had a flat and was leaving Malcolm. Six months later, in October 1978, mum went to see Christine Carter’s place. She said it was a nice place but there was not much furniture.
Pam Ludlow
In July 1978, mum went to visit Pam Ludlow’s new cottage. Pam was someone mum knew through church. Mum noted that the cottage was nice but very tiny.
Angus Carrick
The next month, in August 1978, Tricia and Angus went to Basildon to find him somewhere to live. Presumably, he had finished university and was starting work. I think Angus was a year ahead of Tricia so he finished university as she entered her third year.