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I can't remember the exact date, but Peter and I met. It would have been in the mid to late fifties. I was working at the D IC. Um, in 1958 that we met John. Yeah. 1958. Um, I was working at the D IC, um, window dressing. And I saw this wonderful looking man walk past, uh, tall, good looking blonde hair. I thought, Oh, I'd like to know him. Um, so I thought, Now, how can I get to so eventually I thought, [00:00:30] Well, um, nothing ventured, nothing gained. So I stepped outside, um, on the pretext of checking the windows and start to talk to him. Well, um, I used to when I I used to work at Midland Hotel. That was in at Midland Park. And I used to be a porter for a while, and I had to, um, take the money to the bank. And that's how I used to walk past John's windows every day. But I didn't on John. I didn't take any notice of him. Rather [00:01:00] rather sad that so I had to do my utmost to be noticed. I think I've been doing it ever since Well, when we first bought a house, we the people next door, actually, some people in the area were especially next door were quite funny because someone too. I mean, they quite obvious. I mean, John looked deaf when I looked different, and then we couldn't be tried to be too, but because [00:01:30] that was not us, anyway. I mean, we've never been in the closet. We always been what we what we are. But I think I think people get used to I mean, my my attitude has always been Well, I'm not going away. So you better get used to me, and it works because they do. They really do get used to you. Yeah. And I mean, having been there so long now, well, we've probably been there longer than anyone around. We've been there 37 years. Yes, [00:02:00] it's a bit like Coronation Street, because quite a lot of gay people in the area now to what? Well, I mean, we were the only ones when we first went there, but now there's quite a lot next door to us. Used to be two story place. I used to have this old guy living there and he used to say it's going to be bloody Queer Street. All those bloody queer living here. They got that way. They didn't. Not too long after. Yes, he probably would have died of shock if he'd been there. Now see what there is? Yeah, [00:02:30] seven hours we had, like most people. I guess we we've had our share of cats over the years. But then I I thought, Well, it would be rather nice to have a dog and I. I looked through books to see if I could find a dog which was rather awesome and quite camp looking. So a Maltese came up, and I thought, Now, this is just divine. So it had to be a Maltese. So I asked a friend of mine who was a vet at the time, um, where [00:03:00] you could get it. So he put me in touch with somebody where we could get Maltese and and we got, um, this little we so and, uh, we thought, Well, it's rather unfair just to have one. So we got another, um, to keep it company. So this was the start of it. Never look back. The first one, we had her name was Mercy and she was tiny wee thing and she was deformed. She she has something wrong with her back [00:03:30] legs, and we didn't know because we never had a one of those types. Doctor was in bleeding and, um, we had to take, She had to have a big operation at Messy, but it didn't fix it, but she was. She died when she was 14, wasn't a job, and she used to walk on the font legs. You stick a bottom and her back legs in the air and run along on her front legs, even up the path to the lamp to the up to the gate and and the letter box. And, um, she just managed amazingly, you [00:04:00] know, for for 14 years, the only problem she really had was in eating because she'd fall into the food box. So she she was sort of rather top heavy with with having done that. She was quite bulky up the front department, you know? So she had to be hand fed, but she lasted. She lasted till 14, and it was wonderful, um, and and we the her her little friend that we had He he died earlier on his name was he was a bit of a wimp, but, um, he died [00:04:30] and and then we got another couple. Uh, then a friend of ours died, and we inherited his four, which took us up to seven. So it was rather chaotic, but wonderful. People think you're quite mental, having so many dogs. I mean, especially, they sleep on on a bed. And I got four, to sleep on John's bed and the rest sleep on my bed. So instead of getting up during the night, lifting him off to bed, I made them for them to walk up. [00:05:00] Yes. Um, not many people really know. They They're very good. Um, even our next door neighbour. She never knew. We had so many until we told her she thought we had two, but, uh, she was, uh, rather amazed at having so that when she found out we had so many. They are absolutely wonderful when you get religious people calling because we just let them all come downstairs and we say, Kill, kill, kill. And there there's five. Well, five now or six or seven they used to take to the front door [00:05:30] And as you can probably imagine seeing, uh, that many dogs at the door. It used to make it, uh, move around a bit, and it was rather noisy, and it sounded rather gruesome. So, um, the, uh, Jehovah's Witness and Mormons beat a hasty retreat, which was great. Like John said, The dogs are like our family. I mean, we if you know, people come up and see us and said, I like to be your dog when I come [00:06:00] back a game. How many people say that? Because they live in heaven. I mean, it gets spoiled a lot. I mean, we don't I mean, we don't go on holiday to get if you do go on holidays to get it, John stays home. I stay home because we don't want to put the dogs in a kennel. And I mean, it'd be too expensive anyway, but that would die if you leave them with somebody else because they're so spoiled. Yeah, well, I have I haven't had a holiday, I think probably for 16 years, [00:06:30] because I wouldn't leave the dogs, um, with anybody or in kennels. So no, they're they're our life, Really, I guess. Or part of it. A big part of it. Well, I think they make a lot of difference, because it's great to come home, you know? I mean, when you've had a lousy day at work, Peter and you come home, they're always screaming their heads off to get to you, aren't you, Aren't they? You've got to lie on the floor so they can all kiss you at once and things like that. I mean, it's quite a mad house. [00:07:00] Hm. The time I think about growing, I won't say growing old. But growing older is, um when I see my brother's grandchildren and he is younger than I am, and I think Oh, my God, I could be a grandparent too. God forbid. This is why I think it's wonderful to have dogs. I mean, they only last for about 16 or so years. Then you get on to a new lot. You know, it does help keep you young. [00:07:30] And of course I mean, there are other awful sort of practical things which you've got to think about as growing older as things like painting the house and all that sort of nasty nonsense and climbing up ladders it's not quite as easy as it used to be, but I guess we'll manage. Yeah, yeah, I think that I think that's about the only thing that you think about, um and growing older. I think I You don't have the The the good thing about growing older is you don't have that desperation to Oh, well, [00:08:00] I must go out tonight because it's Saturday. I mean, I think I think young people do have that. I mean, I probably did, too, when I was younger. Um, if there wasn't a party on a Saturday night, it was the end of the world. But you you don't feel that as you get older. I think I think it's a good way to be, too. Yeah, well, I find if you get older, you sort of quite happy to stay home and watch TV or read a book or listen to music. And you know, you don't sort of I mean, when we are invited to go out, sometimes you look at one and said, Oh, hell, we can't [00:08:30] be bothered trying to find an excuse. Yeah, no, there's always seems to be plenty to do. I mean, I I'm always amazed at people who say they get bored because I just don't find that there's time to get bored. There's really so much to do. Another thing is people think because you're gay. I mean, they quite often ask me, I think you have made dinner parties or you have parties and, you know, it sort of fascinates me because we couldn't be. We don't know. People think it's one big [00:09:00] social social thing. Yeah, but it's not. No, it's it's all quite ordinary, really. When we first met and start living together and we used to go to parties, things were a bit more difficult because, um, people used to make a, um I hope you don't mind me saying this, John. People used to make a lot of fuss about John, and I used to get a bit jealous because I felt left out. But over the years, you get things changed and you look at things a different way. I [00:09:30] mean, I'd be quite happy. I. I used to say to John, Why don't you go out and enjoy yourself? Because you know, I'm more inclined to stay home and read a book or listen to music, and John used to like going out a bit more. I still do. I still do go out a lot more. I mean, it's really great, because I mean, um, I'm always glad to get home, though, because, I mean, it's, I think it's such a hassle to keep sort of, um, partying until 34 or five in the morning. That's that's really not my scene. But [00:10:00] it's nice. I think you've got to keep putting in appearance every so often because people do seem to think you're dead. If you don't, don't you find that I must be dead then I I'm I'm pretty terrible when people say to me, you know where's Peter? And I said, Well, he's at home Of course. I mean, he's not allowed to come out tonight. This is what I'd say to people, you know, think Oh my God, he tells people I have to stay on. We look after the dogs, and I think they do believe him. [00:10:30] After while Yeah, John is very easy going and nothing up. You know, he doesn't seem to get upset very much about things. Um, I look in the past when I used to be more temperamental than John and I used to dying to have an argument, and he wouldn't, uh, so I used to keep at him nagging at him, and [00:11:00] then he used to lose his temper. But, you know, he seems to sort of take things a little bit more. I'm inclined to get more temperamental, and John quietened me down a lot because of his attitude towards things. And, you know, it's very difficult to to describe somebody's personality. But, um, I think he's got a marvellous personality. He's he got to be because people the way people say things to him sometimes [00:11:30] and the way he looks. So he's got a really broad minded outlook on things. Oh, thank you. That's very kind. I'll tell you something else when I get home. Well, I mean, that's the only way I can describe it, You know? Perhaps. I mean, I don't know how to describe you Otherwise, [00:12:00] yes, well, I'll try and describe you. Um, Peter's great. He's good fun. He's He's good to get on with. He, um, agrees with most things I say, and I think that's probably just to keep the peace because I'm a bit berserk at times. And I think, um oh, I don't think I'm hard to live with, but a bit strange. Perhaps, but, um, I think this probably, um, cuts both ways. Uh, well, I don't think you have to live with, you know? No, not really. I mean, [00:12:30] yeah, And if I don't take any notice of you, I think Oh, here it goes again. Morning. Back to something and a turn off. Yeah. No. All I can really say is that I, I think that that Peter is, um, easy an easy person to to live with. He's He's very obliging, very sweet natured. Um, and that's really all I can say. We get on. Great. What more could you want? [00:13:00] When John asked me to go out with him first, I thought, Oh, he looks he's quite a cute little guy. I you know, But I didn't sort of format and left it on the on the spot. It took me a while to fall. I left with John, but John always fascinated me more than anything else, because the way he used to do it here and the way he was different and it used to fascinate me more than anything else. [00:13:30] Um, and he still does. Oh, how wonderful. I mean, you don't I don't tell him all the time that you know, I. I do really appreciate what he does and how he's still living together. I really, really appreciate it. And I think it's marvellous. Sometimes you might think I'm a bit boring because, you know, I sit and watch TV and fall asleep, but but it's sort of Yeah, Like I said, [00:14:00] I, I really do love John, and I don't know what I would do without him.
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