Stepping Stones
A Tale of a Spirited and Long Life Lived to the Full.
Description:... Olive Roberts's story, interspersed extracts from her husband Ron's account of his war years and subsequent work for GCHQ, is a warm-hearted and personal account of a very interesting life. Throughout, her resilience and optimism shine through, even as she moves away from her beloved North East to explore the exotic shores of Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Mediterranean. Her account is humorous and knowledgeable, casting light on the constraints of the 1930s, the fear and exhilaration of the war years and, eventually, the chance to see the world and become immersed in cultures that a person of her background would otherwise have little access to. Olive's story is a remarkable one. Beginning in the North East of England in the late 1920s, her life encompassed the aftermath of the First World War, the upheavals of World War Two and the unexpected post-war opportunity to travel and see the world.
Born in Morpeth, Northumberland, in March 1928. An older brother died in early childhood. Her parents had suffered the hardships of a working-class upbringing but at the time of her birth were happy and settled into family life. This was all to change with the death of her father, who died in 1934 of TB, the result of a chest weakened by a gas attack during World War One. Her mother married again, but after just two years she died while giving birth to twins. These children were adopted and Olive was left as an orphan.
Soon after this tragedy her grandparents stepped in and raised her in East Bolden, Co. Durham. They were old-fashioned and strict, but had her best interests at heart and there was a large family around to mitigate some of their rules and regulations.
Olive was clever and went to a school for bright but poor children in Sunderland. During this time war with Germany was declared and she recalls the full force of the Blitz on Sunderland and Newcastle. However, amidst the fear there was much excitement too! Olive left school and went to work at a firm of solicitors' in Sunderland, as well as standing in rationing queues for the little luxuries she needed.
During the war she met a sailor, Ron, her grandmother did not approve but the pair were reunited at war's end, marrying in the summer of 1949. Ron had been a radio operator during the war and, after several peacetime jobs, was recruited by the government to work with the fledgling GCHQ.
Three sons arrived in quick succession as they moved around the UK before finally making the journey abroad, to Singapore, where Ron worked to protect Britain's interests in the Far East. For the entire family, a life of real adventure would begin at this point. Olive's account of settling into a completely new country, with three small boys in tow, is both illuminating and hilarious. Subsequent secondments to Hong Kong (where Olive worked for the British Army's top brass) and Cyprus are equally insightful.
After many years abroad, Olive and Ron moved home permanently. Ron retired from GCHQ and they moved to Gloucestershire to be near two of their sons. However, Olive and Ron developed similar macular degeneration problems with their eyes and, after discovering that the NHS would not fund the treatment they needed, became dedicated campaigners for a change in the rules. Their efforts paid off, and now people suffering from the same condition are funded by the NHS. However, the victory was bittersweet, because it was during this period that Ron was diagnosed with cancer, passing away in April 2007. Olive now had to learn to live without the man she'd been married to for almost 60 years and, as she says, 'it was either sink or swim. So I swam.' Olive was determined not to get bogged down in grief so she joined various groups and classes, took up painting with relish and got to grips with the internet.
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