Scandals in Suburbia

By P.A. Fenning

The challenging years of 1977 to 1982, when Amy Brown becomes embroiled in scandalous behaviour involving her family and friends. At work, she attempts to cope with the additional pressure of greater responsibilities brought to bear by a new, more extensive computer. Unbeknown to her, she is heading towards a difficult decision as she approaches a significant crossroads in her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Dec 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781698715803

P.A. Fenning

After my marriage I lived on a barge on the River Medway until my son arrived. Later, after I was divorced, I worked for many years in Kent as a supervisor in a computer department until the firm closed. I then ran a pet shop and garden centre before moving to rural Norfolk and setting up a breeding cattery specialising in Persians. In retirement I moved to the coast and lived next door to the lighthouse with panoramic sea views. I then met an ex-boyfriend from back in 1969 and now enjoy life in a quiet village with my husband and our cocker spaniel.

Book preview

Copyright 2023 P.A. Fenning.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-6987-1581-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-1580-3 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 11/20/2023

22970.png www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 844-688-6899 (USA & Canada)

fax: [phone]

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Cats and Corsets

Chapter 2 A Nocturnal Intruder

Chapter 3 Changing Partners

Chapter 4 A Fling and a Flirt

Chapter 5 Dangerous Liaisons

Chapter 6 Tina Wreaks Havoc

Chapter 7 Scotland on a Shoestring

Chapter 8 Outings Galore

Chapter 9 A Blast from the Past

Chapter 10 Marital Infidelities

Chapter 11 Exodus

Chapter 12 End of Another Era

The True life Adventures of Amy Brown

Also available:

Mayhem at the Manor

Sleepless in Soho

Bedlam in a Bedsit

Ralphy to the Rescue !

Baby on a Barge

Chaos in the Computer Room

This book is

dedicated to the memory of

Dave Fearn

Known for his wonderful

sharp-witted humour.

He founded a club for the Route Master 8 buses

that he admired so much.

You were taken far too soon.

Introduction

The story of Amy Brown’s life continues from ‘Chaos in the Computer Room’, relating the events from 1977 to 1982. Amy is working for the same company, supplying spare truck parts. As computer supervisor, her responsibilities increase when a more extensive computer is installed.

Now thirty and divorced, her son’s sixth birthday is approaching. Her private life tends to be mercurial as dramatic situations unfold with friends and family that ultimately impact on her life.

However, the most significant changes affecting her occur when the company makes two momentous decisions.

31835.png

ONE

Cats and Corsets

The enormous rat opened its mouth wide and let out a loud scream, stopping Jojo in his tracks. He was a handsome black and white cat with a feral background that made him an expert at catching the local wildlife. Jojo had cornered the rat in a pile of logs at the side of the driveway and was about to pounce for the kill. But now, he was transfixed, staring at the long yellow fangs as the rat stood its ground and continued to scream.

The noise brought Amy to the kitchen window, curious to see what was happening. She could hardly believe her eyes. Jojo was being intimidated by this giant rat. He eventually left well alone and backed off, allowing the rat to escape into the back garden and seek refuge beneath the shed.

Amy guessed the rat had come from the nearby dairy. She was disappointed that Jojo hadn’t managed to catch it, but he evidently knew when retreating was wiser. She never realised that rats were capable of such a frightening scream. The rat had been aware that it was in a desperate life-or-death situation.

Amy had just reached the milestone age of thirty. She and her five-year-old son, Byron, were settling into the bungalow they had recently moved to in Dartford, only a few streets away from their previous house. Byron inherited his blonde hair from his mum, but he had his dad’s eyes.

Their two cats, Kitty and Jojo, were now allowed their freedom after being kept indoors since the move. Jojo was a natural hunter, whereas Kitty, with her pretty tabby and white markings, was a more home-loving, gentle cat. Amy’s ex-husband, Stuart, had brought her home as a tiny kitten from the mental hospital where he worked as a student nurse. Although Kitty also had a feral background, she had no desire to hunt.

One day, soon after being allowed outside, Kitty went missing. The following day, Amy’s previous neighbour came knocking on her door. He handed her a box, and inside was Kitty. I saw her in your old back garden, so I took her indoors and gave her some food, he explained.

She must have found her way to her old home across the back gardens since we haven’t moved far, Amy said. She thanked her neighbour for returning Kitty and decided to keep her indoors for a little longer. A week later, Amy again allowed Kitty into the garden. All went well for a few days, but then she disappeared once more, only to be returned by the same neighbour.

Amy sighed. She seems determined to return to her old home.

Well, if you like, we would be happy to adopt her and give her a good home, the neighbour suggested. As much as Amy and Byron would miss Kitty, they were pleased their ex-neighbour had resolved the problem. Kitty would be happy in her old environment where she preferred to live.

Amy felt she needed a holiday after all the hassle of moving house. She booked a week in the Lake District once the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebrations had ended. Byron wanted a beach to play on, so Amy found a self-catering bungalow on the only stretch of beach in the Lake District.

She worked full-time as a computer supervisor in charge of the computer room at Intertruck, a local firm that bought and sold truck parts. She relied on her parents to look after Byron when he finished school each afternoon.

Mr Brown had been retired for two years. He suffered from emphasaemia caused by smoking roll-ups. He finally managed to stop smoking, but it was too late; the years of smoking had already damaged his lungs. Mrs Brown was nine years younger than her husband and had been a housewife since her marriage. When she was single, she had worked as a nurse during the war. She met her future husband when he was admitted to her ward with cracked ribs after falling into a ditch while marching with his platoon in the dark.

Byron attended Amy’s old infant school and could walk to his nan and grandad’s house in the Crescent accompanied by their neighbours’ children. Mrs Brown generously provided Amy and Byron with a meal each evening when she came to collect him. Amy invited her parents along on their holiday to the Lake District as a way of showing her gratitude.

Amy and her mother had many clashes when she was a teenager, resulting in her leaving home to live in London with her friend, Pam. Later on, her mother strongly disapproved of her rash marriage to Stuart, which, after four difficult years, had ended in divorce. Now that Amy was bringing up Byron alone, her relationship with her mother had greatly improved.

After the move to the bungalow, her parents had bought her a three-piece suite for the lounge as a house-warming present. Amy appreciated this unexpected and generous gesture on their part.

Amy had separated from Stuart four years ago after discovering his affair with Murni, a Malaysian nurse he worked with. Amy began working part-time at Intertruck, typing invoices. But, with a mortgage to pay, she started working there full-time a few months later. She relished the relaxed, friendly atmosphere in the offices and warehouse.

These days, she had an assistant, Carol, who she had trained to become a competent computer operator. Amy felt confident that Carol could be left in charge of the computer room while she took a holiday.

Keith was Amy’s boss and the managing director of the company. He was a good-looking, dynamic young man, keen to push the company into the twenty-first century and beyond with the latest technology. Now that Amy had an assistant, he no longer worried about who would take over the daily running of the computer if she was absent. The computer was his personal project to bring the company’s business up-to-date as the workload grew with ever-increasing orders. He had employed a small programming company to write bespoke software for the system. According to Harold, the co-owner of the programming company, this computerised system would be ten years ahead of its time once all the various departments’ computer programs were interacting. Harold had persuaded Keith that Amy could be trained to operate the computer after it was installed three years ago. Harold was a sweet, bald-headed little Jewish man to whom Amy was indebted for his recommendation. She had worked closely with his programmers as they installed the software and enjoyed being involved with testing the new programs and demonstrating how they worked to the relevant departments. After Amy moved to the bungalow, she was surprised and delighted by the beautiful bouquet of flowers Harold sent her as a house-warming gift.

The week of the holiday soon arrived. Amy’s younger brother, Ray, had offered to take care of Jojo and the two pet rabbits while they were away. With suitcases loaded into the boot of the Ford Escort, Amy, her parents, and Byron set off Saturday morning. The long journey from Kent to the northern part of the Lake District would take most of the day.

They arrived early in the evening, looking forward to the much-needed break. The key had to be collected from the local grocery shop. It was about to close as Amy rushed in, just in the nick of time. The spacious 1950s bungalow would be their base for the week. After exploring the rooms, they were pleasantly surprised at the level of comfort the bungalow offered. There was even a dishwasher in the kitchen to save time washing up by hand.

They only needed to cross the road from the bungalow to reach the sand dunes that led down to the beach. It was an easy two-minute walk, which pleased Byron. After the long drive, everyone was happy to spend Sunday relaxing on the beach and paddling in the surf to cool off.

The next day, they travelled into the heart of the National Park to visit Dove Cottage in Ambleside, which was once the home of William Wordsworth. The beautifully preserved stone cottage had many mementos of William Wordsworth’s life spent there with his sister. Amy and her mum found it fascinating, more so than her dad and Byron. They strolled down the garden to the small, peaceful summerhouse at the far end, imagining Wordsworth sitting there composing his poetry.

They wandered around Grasmere and the lake before heading home via the Wrynose Pass. Amy’s poor Ford Escort found it quite challenging when it reached the steepest inclines. The gear stick kept popping out of gear under the extreme pressure. Sitting beside Amy, Dad had the difficult job of holding the gear stick in gear so the car could make it over the Pass.

Their next-door neighbours at the bungalow had a little boy of Byron’s age who was off school recovering from measles. Fortunately, Byron had already had measles, so they soon became friends, as it was safe for them to play together whenever Byron was back at the bungalow.

Another day, Mum put together a picnic in the morning before they drove to Ravenglass to ride on the small Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway that terminated in the quaint village of Boot. The little train travelled through the beautiful, lush scenery of the Eskdale Valley. The open carriages were pulled along by a small steam engine, which excited Byron. He happily posed beside it when they arrived at Boot while Amy took his photo.

A plaque explained that this was England’s first public narrow gauge railway, which opened in 1875. Its original purpose was to transport iron and copper ores from the Nab Gill Mines near Boot plus slate from the local quarries to the mainline railway at Ravenglass.

At Boot, there was a picnic area beside a tree-lined beck where they could enjoy the food Mum had prepared. Then, it was time to catch the little steam train back to Ravenglass.

They enjoyed driving around the panoramic scenery of the National Park with its many lakes. They even drove up as far as Carlisle in the north, a town they had never visited. But it was late when they arrived. They drove around the city walls on the outskirts but decided to leave the rest of Carlisle for another time. Its castle, situated to the north-west, and a citadel in the south-east of the city, would need a full day to explore.

Mum wanted to make a break in the journey home to visit her sister, Con. She lived near Blackpool with her husband, Alf, and their three boys.

They left the bungalow a day early, on Friday and headed for St-Annes-on-Sea to stay with Con and her family until Sunday. They arrived in the early evening at the four-bedroom semi-detached house.

Con was Mum’s youngest sister and Amy’s favourite aunt. Their eldest son, Norman, was a year older than Amy and her least favourite cousin. She kept her distance from him as much as possible. He had always been an oddball with an unpredictable temper who had never managed to acquire a girlfriend, so he letched after Amy, making her distrust him. She tried to have as little as possible to do with him.

Richard was a year younger than Amy. She really liked him, though she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him because his older brother often bullied him. Amy’s youngest cousin, Desmond, was still at school and the apple of his mum and dad’s eye. They doted on him, as did Richard, whereas Norman seemed jealous of his youngest brother.

On Saturday, Byron celebrated his sixth birthday. Amy took him to a well-stocked toy shop at the local shops, where he was free to browse and select a toy. He was over the moon with his choice of a heavy-duty Tonka lorry. Then, Amy called at the baker’s and bought a birthday cake for tea.

Sunday morning, it was time to say goodbye and return home to Kent after an enjoyable week.

Growing up, Amy had often dreamed of owning a pedigree cat. Sometimes, as she walked to school, she saw a pair of Siamese cats sitting in a window like a pair of bookends, gazing out at her as she walked past. Amy was struck by their beauty and aloof, regal attitude. She loved their markings of a dark brown face with vivid blue eyes, brown ears, feet and tail that contrasted with the creamy white fur on their bodies.

Now that she and Byron only had one cat, she wondered whether it was time to realise her dream and buy a pedigree cat. Recalling her attraction to the elegant Siamese cats, she decided this was the breed she wanted. She scrutinised the ads in the local paper and found one for a litter of kittens in Essex. Amy rang the number and arranged for her and Byron to go and see the kittens one Saturday morning.

They travelled through the Dartford tunnel into Essex and soon found the address. A young woman answered the door and led them to a spare bedroom where three kittens were romping on a duvet spread over a bed. Amy had her heart set on owning a female seal point as this was the typical dark brown colouring seen on most Siamese cats. There was one seal point female in the litter.

This is Cassandra, the lady said, handing her to Amy for a cuddle. Amy gazed at her large blue eyes and was immediately captivated. Byron was equally enthralled with the adorable little kitten. She came with her pedigree papers, so Amy agreed to buy her there and then. She and Byron were soon heading back home with the new addition to their family.

Cassie, as they decided to call her, settled in well and became good friends with Jojo. He didn’t mind his domain being invaded by another cat, especially a pretty female. Fortunately, he had been neutered, so there was no risk of half-pedigree kittens.

Amy soon discovered that Cassie had brought a bad habit with her. She regarded the duvet on Amy’s bed as the correct place to do her toilet instead of the litter tray provided. Amy realised she had been accustomed to using the duvet in the bedroom at her previous home. It took a lot of persuasion to break her of the habit. Amy had to persevere and remember to keep the bedroom door closed.

After many weeks of being confined indoors, Cassie was allowed outside to explore the garden, and she was introduced to the two rabbits, Mitsy and Thumper. Mitsy, the white Flemish Giant, was unimpressed with the newcomer. But little Thumper, the Newfoundland Dwarf, liked to chase her around the lawn. Cassie was a very friendly kitten. Occasionally, Amy would discover her on the front driveway, having escaped from the back garden. She enjoyed sitting, watching the children go by on their way home from school and receiving strokes from some of them. As soon as Amy realised Cassie was out there, she would bring her indoors as she didn’t want her in danger near the road.

Then, one day, little Cassie vanished. Amy and Byron hunted for her in vain. Amy assumed she had been stolen. A pedigree Siamese kitten sitting at the end of her driveway had likely been too much of a temptation for someone. Cassie had never made any attempt to leave the garden before. Byron was upset, and Amy was distraught at losing her. She blamed herself for allowing Cassie too much freedom outside.

She made enquiries, but no-one had seen her. She placed missing posters in the local shop windows, which resulted in a promising phone call. A lady rang to say she had found a kitten with brown markings and blue eyes. She felt sure it must be the missing Siamese, so she arranged to bring the kitten around that evening.

Amy was excited and hopeful when the lady came in carrying a wriggling material bag and carefully opened the top. Out jumped a beautiful kitten. To Amy and Byron’s immense disappointment, it wasn’t Cassie. It was bigger than Cassie, and although it did have the same creamy body and seal point markings, its feet were white.

This is a Birman kitten, Amy told the lady. I can understand why you thought it might be our kitten.

The lady sighed. That’s a pity. This kitten arrived in my garden yesterday. I’ve never seen it before. Now, I shall have to put a notice in my local shop window to try and find her owner. The lady returned the reluctant kitten to the material bag. As she was leaving, she paused and turned to Amy. I don’t suppose you would like to keep her if I can’t trace her owner?

I would love to have her, Amy said without hesitation, but we are still hoping to find Cassie. The lady promised to keep in touch.

A week later, she phoned to say the Birman had been reunited with her rightful owner. Amy was pleased for the Birman but had to resign herself to the fact that Cassie probably wouldn’t be returning.

At work one Monday morning, Amy was chatting with the girls in the sales department. Jill, tall and blonde, and Chrissy, a petite brunette, had become firm friends since they started working together, taking customers’ orders. Then Janet arrived at her desk late, the third and original sales team member. She was a plump, pretty, dark-haired girl with whom Amy often socialised. Janet had taught Amy how to use the invoicing machines when she first started working part-time at Intertruck. Janet had been taking advantage of the flexitime system operated by the company. This system suited Amy, too, as she had to take Byron to school each morning.

Janet told Amy about another dance being held at the Barn in the rural village of Hartley. We all had a great time there last year. Kenny Ball will be appearing on Saturday, so it should be a fantastic evening.

I’d like to invite my in-laws as I know they would love to see Kenny Ball, Amy said.

Janet smiled. By all means, bring them – we’ll have a marvellous time.

Amy’s ex in-laws, Joan and Cyril, were a young-at-heart couple for whom Amy had great affection. Joan was an attractive young woman, slim and energetic. She loved nothing better than playing with her only grandchild, Byron, and running around after him.

With his dark hair and prominent nose, Cyril was quite handsome, sporting an impressive Mexican moustache. He loved food and considered himself a gourmet. Amy felt indebted to them for their support during her turbulent marriage to their son, and especially since her divorce. They had moved to Cox Heath the previous year, a village about three-quarters of an hour’s drive away, in the Kentish countryside near Maidstone, so Amy saw them less often. However, she was sure they would want to go to a dance at the Barn as they loved traditional jazz and would want to see Kenny Ball and his jazz band playing live.

Amy’s other main friend at work was Wendy, an attractive dark-haired girl who worked on the switchboard in reception. She was several years older than Amy and married to Dennis, a Jamaican. Wendy was always good company with her bubbly personality and sharp humour. She and Dennis had also been invited by Janet to the dance on Saturday after enjoying the last dance at the Barn.

Amy rang Joan that evening, and she was thrilled at the opportunity to see Kenny Ball. They arranged to come over to Amy’s on Saturday afternoon, then they could spend some time with Byron, who they doted on.

Amy cooked a meal for early Saturday evening. While they ate at the dining table in the kitchen, she told Joan and Cyril about their holiday.

The Lake District is one of my favourite places, Joan said. Cyril and I have had several touring holidays around the lakes. We once managed to camp in a Minivan some years ago.

Cyril grunted. As you know, I like my home comforts, so I didn’t enjoy being cramped in the back of that Minivan. It definitely didn’t make a good camper van.

Oh, but the scenery there is so wonderful, Joan declared. I didn’t mind putting up with a little discomfort. Changing the subject, she asked: Have you been getting acquainted with your neighbours?

Amy chuckled. Well, Mrs French and her teenage son, Dave, who live in the chalet bungalow next door, are charming. Mrs French always stops for a chat whenever I see her. However, Miss Smart, the large elderly spinster living in the house next door on the other side, does test my patience. She gets a bit lonely. Her friends bring her home Sunday evening after church, and then she usually comes around for a visit. But this coincides with Byron’s bath time, so it’s really inconvenient. She comes in using her two walking sticks, settles herself down in the lounge, and then reminisces about when she worked as a cashier at the local Co-op until she retired. She also likes to recall her holidays abroad with the Bible group she belonged to. The main problem comes when it’s time for her to leave. She struggles to get out of the chair. I end up tugging her hands while Byron pushes hard at her back. Last week, we were pushing and pulling for ages and on the brink of giving up when she asked if it would help if she uncrossed her feet! Once her feet were uncrossed, we finally got her to stand up!

Cyril roared with laughter. You’ve got more patience than me. I’d have found an excuse for not letting her past the front door.

I don’t have the heart to turn her away. Now Miss Smart has persuaded me to give her a lift to her hairdresser once a week. She sees me coming home at lunchtime and wants to use me as her chauffeur.

She’s got you at her beck and call, Joan said with a smile. She knows you won’t refuse her.

She’s asked me to take her into town to buy a new corset. I agreed to take her next weekend. Amy sighed. What have I let myself in for?

With the meal over, everyone got ready for the dance. They dropped off Byron at his other grandparents’ house before heading out to the rural village of Hartley and the large wooden barn where the dance was being held upstairs.

Janet’s friend, James, welcomed them at the door and took the entrance fees. He recognised Amy from the dance the previous year when they had ended the evening with coffee at his bungalow across the road from the Barn. They climbed the wooden stairs to the large room on the first floor. There were tables around the sides, a bar at the far end and at the opposite end near the entrance, a stage where the resident band were warming up and tuning their instruments.

Wendy and Dennis were already there, seated at a table. Wendy yelled and beckoned them over. No sooner had