My diary records how happy and ecstatic I felt during my pregnancy. I was convinced ( in these days before scans) that my baby would be a boy that I would name Alexander James.

On February 24th, 1973 – two weeks before his birth, on March 11th. 1973:

‘ Thank God for little Alexander inside me. How I want this child and long for him, and want to look after him’.

I rang Jonathan , from the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital for Women, in Hampstead, to tell him about Alexander’s birth.  He was kind and congratulatory, and pleased that everything had gone wellWe were to meet almost a year later, when he called to see his son.  He brought with him a copy of his latest book  Soft City, and gave me a signed copy.

We had both been busy that year.

After that,he took us both out to a visit to London Zoo, followed by tea at the Ritz, but he made it clear that he would have no further involvement with us.

I decided to book a flight to Australia very soon after. I would take Alex with me to visit my father.

I was coming out of the shadows now. This was to become a new chapter in my life.