Love Changed Everything

 The Bridges (Briggs) family struggled to escape poverty because of Albert’s ill health. The children were happy until they realised they were deprived of the pleasures their friends enjoyed. But love surrounded and encouraged them every day of their childhood lives. Their days were filled with good times and adventures.
Eddie (the author), the eldest child of four, suffered at the hands of the bullies. But his father showed him how to stand up for himself. Albert taught his children that success could come even after multiple failures if they kept trying. But when he had a lung removed, he lost his job and their home. The family moved in with Grandma in her terraced house in the Colliery village of Browney. Gran was already caring for her divorced daughter’s family of three young men. Somehow, they managed to coexist for over a year.
A few months later, Albert’s family was rehoused in a new housing development in Brandon and their first home with hot water and an indoor loo; what luxury. Eddie was training to become an unpaid Minister in the Independent Methodist Movement. His girlfriend, Doreen, for eighteen months, was the daughter of one of the Senior Ministers in the circuit of six chapels.
When Eddie met Pam, he was employed as a University Junior Technician, and his life was turned upside down. Cupid’s arrow flew and lodged so deep that the warnings of his friends in the Chapel never got past his ears. The pair were immediately smitten; nothing could part the young lovers. Eddie was not immediately aware that this was the girl he used to walk home with many years ago, on a common route from different schools.

It was hard to break off with Doreen and even more difficult to heed the warnings of his associates in the chapel community. Pam was a Roman Catholic, and he was warned that their faiths were incompatible.
After purposely underperforming at school GCE ‘O’ level, because otherwise, his parents would have insisted he continue studying for ‘A’ levels, with more expense, Eddie chose to earn, to make a much-needed financial contribution and to study part-time at night school. After six years, he gained HNC level Chemistry certification and could have been awarded an Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemistry but. he was invited to take up a career in Technical Sales by a National supplier of scientific products and instrumentation. For the first time ever, Eddie could afford to purchase a desired item instead of having to save to acquire a necessary or needed object. Within a year, he and Pam had secured a mortgage on their first home and never looked back.

As in most partnerships, there were ups and downs, but love always got them through the sticky patches. Eddie and Pam are approaching their diamond wedding anniversary in September 2024.2024.