Return to Iris

After the end of February, our relationship took on a more permanent bond. I introduced her to a life she had never known before and, no longer a mouse, she blossomed out into a more sophisticated and desirable woman. I was immensely proud of the admiring glances she received. I gave her confidence in herself and she very quickly adapted to this new life. We were so very, very close.
Iris was now moving in a different circle that hitherto she had never experienced. She became popular with all my friends and colleagues. Very soon, I was spending more than half my time with her; living with her, and we were accepted wherever we went as a couple. We went all over the place, including many holidays to places she had never been. I took immense delight in showing her things new and in telling her about the history of the places we visited. Just being together for a week or a fortnight at a time away from home was total bliss. We went all over the place on our holidays; from Cornwall to Scotland and places in between. We also managed a couple of holidays abroad. In all our eight years together, we hardly ever argued or disagreed and we never once strayed from each other.
An interesting meeting took place one evening in early March 1973, when I was working in one of the clubs. Iris was with me and suddenly gasped out, “I know her!” I had been participating in a “Comedians’ evening” and was working with two others that night. They were both old friends, one of whom was Marti Cane, later to have her own show on TV. Iris went up to her and said “Lynne? Is that you?”
Marti was amazed… She cried out, “Iris!” What transpired was that they had known each other in the care home. Marti, (Lynne) was about six years younger than Iris and remembered her from those days. Iris and Lynne kept in contact with each other for years afterwards.
Unfortunately, Lynne died from cancer in November 1995.


This is an early shot of Iris taken in April 1973. I had a friend who bred pedigree cats and I got one for Iris. It was a silver tabby and we called her "Smokie".
Iris had just had her hair set, hence the headscarf.