I Thought They Spoke English

Robin was born into a loveless relationship and is still unsure who his father was. By the age of four he was placed in a "home" which is a nice name for "orphanage". This life was to become a normal existence until age eleven when he was sent to Thirsk in Yorkshire to live with, at first his sister and grandfather and when this didn't work, with his mother and stepfather

Despite making many friends of his own age, life at home was again without any feeling of being part of a family. No interest was shown in what he did, whether schooling, sports or interests he was left to his own devices.

By the time he was sixteen he couldn't wait to get away and so under the auspice of the Big Brother Movement he left Thirsk and sailed to Australia to work on a sheep and cattle station. Here he was made welcome by an Aussie family, married their daughter, and was eventually conscripted and sent to South Vietnam.

He now lives in a small town in New South Wales and apart from health issues is quite content with his life. He and his wife have four children, thirteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. Together they have taught him about family.