Liz was an only child and always fiercely independent. She had a paper round by the time she was 13.
Her father was a manager in a large railway company which meant that his family, including Liz got, free travel by train across the UK.
Taking advantage of her free rail travel, Liz would go with friends to Southend where they would browse the department stores, go for coffee, and go to the cinema.
Liz failed the 11+ and went to a secondary modern, where she was in the A stream. Female students were funnelled into nursing, office work, factory work and maybe teacher training.
But Liz had other ideas.
Taking inspiration from a magazine article about a young woman called Tilly, who travelled the world with her job as a writer, Liz stayed on at school for an extra year to take French and short-hand typing.
Liz travelled much more, and much further, than most girls her age. When she got her first job she spent some of her salary on holidays to Spain and France with her girl friends. Aged 17, she flew on an aeroplane for the first time to go to Greece on holiday.
Liz’s first job on leaving school was with the railway company. After some training, she was posted to far-away Humberside. But she was lonely and found it intimidating being the only girl working in an office full of men.
Meanwhile, Liz’s father became ill and died. She returned home to look after her mum, keeping her company and attending church with her on Sundays.
By her late teens, London was swinging! Liz had a very active social life, going to clubs and shopping in the city. A C&A department store had recently opened and Liz and her friends, would go and try on clothes off the rack, a new and exciting idea at the time.
But Liz still had itchy feet. She knew that extra skills would help her get the job she wanted, so she went to night school to get more qualifications, quickly gaining a promotion to be a personal assistant.
Aged 19, after searching for a job in the US or Canada she was hired as a PA at a travel company based in Boston, Massachusetts.
At 21 she met and married an African-American serviceman. Despite going on the pill she soon got pregnant.
Her husband was unfaithful and the marriage fell apart quickly. Soon Liz was a single mother and an immigrant in a foreign country. At 24, a divorcee with a two year old mixed-race son, she reluctantly returned to the UK.
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Liz felt a responsibility to provide a good life for her son, Michael. She felt guilty about being a single mum and because Michael was the only child in his class who wasn’t white.
Determined to better herself, Liz bought a house on the verge of collapse and did it up to make a home for her and Michael. She worked hard, and is proud of her career as a paralegal.
Liz regrets her marriage to the ‘wrong man’ and having a child with him, even if her son has been a joy. But she doesn’t regret following her dreams to America.
Recently retired, Liz had planned to continue her travels but this hasn’t happened yet, with the Covid-19 pandemic making it seem less likely.
Michael recently moved back in with her, together with his girlfriend and daughter, so home is quite full. Liz would like her own space, but has always tried to provide security for her son to make up for him not having a father.
Credits:
All images: Candice Purwin