Fire of Love - The Penultimate Episode

Margaret Wicks or Peggy.......

Peggy, just after the Second World War

..........was his favourite Aunt.  She was for me, the best aunt-in-law in the world and when I started life as a married woman in England, Peggy and Dorothy were my best girlfriends.  She's gone now.  But she led an amazing life, a brave and very generous woman although she had very little in the way of  fortune.  She deserves a posting of her own, my tribute to a wonderful lady.

We met up with Peggy in Bishop Auckland where she lived and decided to take a little holiday up north in Northumberland.  Peggy knew this area like the back of her hand but 'sir'  ( what she used to call him when he got stubborn) the geographer insisted on using his map.

So we got lost looking for the Cheviots!!!  Maizie was cross and Peggy had to cross her legs because we could not get to the Youth Hostel at the arranged time.

Peggy wanted us to visit the tidal island called Holy Island or Lindisfarne.  It was connected to the mainland by a natural causeway that was only passable at low tide.  He did try to to leave us stranded on the island but he would not be able to find his way home without Peggy!  Drat, double drat he said!

 We usually cooked our own meals at the Youth Hostel - it was cheaper and more homely.  Peggy and I did the cooking and 'sir' did the washing-up. For this, I ticked a pass in his Report Book - to add to his credentials.  He still keeps to this duty today. 

One night, in a fit of generous madness he gave us two women a treat of fish and chips at Wooler.  That was great fun and I shall never forget the exotic experience of eating fried potatoes and fried fish in batter all wrapped up in newspaper.  I cannot remember eating better fish and chips!

In the years to come we had many little sorties with Peggy - we would visit her about 4-5 times in a year.  She was lively, cheerful, intelligent and great fun to be with.  On one of those trips she presented me with this wooden-peg doll.  She made it herself and the hair for the doll was her own hair!  That doll has pride of place in my home here and in my life.

I love the little handbag and dog and the umbrella and the other intricate details. This doll is only 5 inches high!

For the final episode - there will be a change of scene.  Our hero, who has a pathological fear of flying decided to return to another island which he left about 13 years ago - to return to Singapore.