Lorraine & Gordon’s Life
Gordon Fredrick Grosvenor was born in Collie WA 12/07/1931 he had three sisters Joan, Norma and Joy, Gordon was the third born child, Joan was the first then Norma and younger sister Joy, they lived at 61 forrest road collie, Mother Sylvia Madeline and Father Fredrick Charles Grosvenor. They moved from Collie around 1942 to Padbury terrace Midland when Dad was about 11 years old, unfortunately Fredrick passed away in 1949 aged 55 while sleeping during the day. It is believed he had a Chronic respiratory problem from being exposed to mustard gas in the trench’s during the war, Dad was only 18 at the time, this thrusting him into the roll of the man of the house being the only boy. Dad work a variety of jobs to help support his mother and sisters, Bucher shop, Midland railway workshops, Uncle Joe Neave’s poultry farm in Pickering Brook, carting wheat from the country with Malcom Beard who Dad become good friends with for many years to come.
Lorraine Joan Weston was born at King Edward Hospital Subiaco on 15/08/1932, Mum had a step brother Bob Coe, their Mother Daisy Burdett Weston, Mum never knew her Father, all we know is he was possibly from New Zealand. They lived in East Perth until Mum was diagnosed with some sort of TB around five years old, Doctors told Daisy it would be best to move up into the hills for better air quality, so they move to Weston road Pickering Brook. Mum was around 6 years old when Daisy adopted Bob who was the baby of an unwedded lady that was going to send Bob to the orphanage, Daisy couldn’t bare the thought of Bob going to an orphanage so she adopted Bob, now Lorraine had a baby brother to protect and look after. Mum went to school at Pickering Brook for most of her schooling life, making friends with Malcom Beard also. Times were very tough, money was very short, when older Mum started working at the Sanatorium factory in Bickley, packing wheat bix and other cereal products, quite often Mum would ride her bike back home after dark. Mum also worked in the Pickering Brook store, owned by the Beard family, quite often Mum would baby sit the Beard twins. One day at the Pickering Brook store Mum pulled one of the Beard twins from a bucket of water, the toddler had fallen head first into the bucket and couldn’t get out, it would have surely died if not for mums quick action.
By this stage Mum had lived in Pickering Brook for over 10 years and was quite well know, both Lorraine and Gordon had seen each other around the district but Dad had never mustered up enough courage to ask Mum out on a date, one Saturday night they both attended a local dance at the Pickering Brook hall, this was a regular spot to go dancing and socialising, Dad was quite shy and not a dancer were Mum on the other hand loved to dance. Dad met up with Malcom Beard outside the hall, Malcom said what the hell are you doing out here go in and ask Lorraine for a dance because your the one she wants, Dad went inside and asked Mum for a dance, I think they had eyes for each other but each other didn’t know it at the time, after that first night I believe they where inseparable, Dad was living in Bellevue at the time, travelling up on his motor bike to work on his uncle Joe’s poultry farm on Woodbine road Pickering Brook.
I believe Mum and Dads romance was somewhat of a whirlpool, dating for some 6 – 8 months before getting married at the Midland registry office on the 17/12/1950. After they married uncle Joe Neave let them move into a small out building on the poultry farm until they could get themselves a proper place. National cash register company as a technician repairing cash registers, this job took him to Melbourne for training that ended up lasting 3 months away from Lorraine with small children, he worked for Joe Neave on his property in Pickering brook tending to the orchard and chickens, were he managed to buy 6 ackers off Joe that become the family property. At this stage still living in Bellevue and traveling to and from to Pickering