My Mothers' parents had divorced when she was 5 and Grandad took her to India with his work! His sister 'Aunt Bess' was Mums' chaperone.
Mum went to a convent school up in the hills near Darjeeling while Grandad worked hundreds of miles away in Bombay. For the summer holidays Mum spent days on the train, cross country to be stay with her father. Grandads' friends, Mr and Mrs Donald Cacary, often entertained and used to 'helpfully hijack' naval officers to go spend the evenings playing cards and enjoy time ashore.
Mum was 13 when Lieutenant David McGregor RN (24) was invited round.
Dad sailed off but fell ill with tuberculosis and was sent ashore to hospital in South Africa. Having time on his hands he decided to write to Angela and they corresponded for years. Dad spent 2 years in S.A. having major surgery and eventually returned to service out of Greenock, Scotland. Mum finally left India in 1948 aged 18 - and became a Nurse in London. She and Dad married in 1952 and by 1958 had 5 children. Dad wasn't particularly fit or sociable but he and Mum often went away for romantic weekends, leaving us in the care of Aunt Jean. Dad always said he wanted to die at home - and before Mum - and he did, on his 66th Birthday, in 1984!
Mum now has 8 grandchildren and shows no sign of slowing down.
...I've just re-read this and clearly remember Mum and Dad waltzing round our large hallway one night when the gramaphone was moved to the hall because the lounge was being decorated! Happy days.
H.