My husband Raymond Weaver was 28 years old when he arrived in Bahrain in 1956. He was an engineer and worked in the powerhouse. They were still expanding the township and so men, even if they were married, lived in bachelor accommodation for about two and half years, after which, a house would be allocated to them and they could move in and bring their families over.
My son Andrew, then five, and I, joined Ray (Raymond) two years later. I was 26 then. We flew aboard the Bristol Britannia, from London to Nice, to Rome, to Damascus, to Kuwait, and then, finally to Bahrain.
Helena, my second child, was made in Bahrain but because of potential anticipated complications for her birth, I was told by the Awali Hospital to go back to the UK for my delivery. We returned when she was just six weeks old ... the youngest age that one was allowed to fly back then.
We had to move many houses before we got a permanent one. At first, it was difficult, as we had to keep making new friends. However, we did forge some long-lasting relationships over time.
We bonded over sport and recreation. There was the Bapco Sailing Club at Zallaq. Ray was a founding member and while he never actually owned a boat, he loved sailing and was one of the people to get the club going.
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