Betty, as she was known, was my mum. She had six children, of whom I am the eldest. Betty was a very placid woman, who let her life be domineered by others, mainly my father and younger sister. She hardly ever stood up for her children, some of whom suffered physical, mental and sexual abuse from their father. I loved my mum in spite of her complacency. We were close and my family went to see her every day when my sister was at work. Betty was a big woman, whose weight crippled her and the last time she had been out of the house was in 1988. She suffered physical abuse at the hands of my sister, who was not one of the children who was abused in her early years. Out of the six of us, five lived to adulthood, Linda dying in childhood of meningitis in 1965. Out of the rest of us, myself Elizabeth(1957), Peter(1959), Robert(1966), Alison(1968) and Scott(1969), it was Robert and I who were systematically abused. I can honestly say that I never heard my father abuse my mum. Mum you really should never have got married nor had your children as it was so obvious to me from a young age that you could not cope with either. You actually did hint at it yourself. Your funeral was like my past come back to haunt me as Peter, who had a totally different childhood, arranged it and it was all about you and father. He made it look like you were both still married when he died, although you hadn't been together in 20years and divorced for 10 of them. I'm sorry for that mum as I know that when you found out about everything (you didn't know all that was happening), you said you would never have him back. You kept that promise mum even although it was Alison's desire to have her mum & dad back together. I suppose that you know you made many mistakes. I learned strength through watching you have none. I thank you for that. Well mum I hope you're happy running around with Margaret, cause I know that's what you'll be doing on the other side. No families eh. Rest in Peace mum. Your daughter Elizabeth. xxx