Left Home with kids in tow...

I think it was in 1977-78 when I left home with my kids in tow.
Hubby and I had a massive row about money, he wasn't giving me any house keeping and gambling it away. He used to give me a bit of money to do the shopping and when I returned he said I was a long time, who have I been talking to and what was said, and there was a massive row and he would count the change I gave him and if there was a bit short I would say, something had gone up and I pocketed the bit I had hidden and save it for something.
Hubby was a compulsive gambler from the time the bookies opened until late at night when they closed and when he came in he had his dinner which I kept warm on the stove on top of a saucepan of boiling water. Sometimes he would come home earlier if he lost all his money or he would stay until the bookies shut if he had won. He has always gambled from an early age around 6 years old and was a runner for his dad to go and put his bets on and other members of his family too. I know this sounds so far fetched but its the truth him being about 6 years old. It was easy for him to go and put the bets on as it was a close friend of the family who owned the bookies. And, it was his dad who started him smoking around that time too and he bought hubby cigarettes when hubby wanted them.
Anyway, getting back to what I was saying about hubby and I. A lot of times hubby came home with thousands of pounds. Hubby would put the money on the floor and the kids, hubby and I would count the money and put it in piles. When all the counting was done hubby hid all of it away. When Alan was older he was the only one who knew where hubbies hiding place was. That's another story for another time...

Hubby only gave me £10 a week for shopping and paying the rent and he would have thousands of  pounds stashed away in the house. Sometimes he gave me £10 for myself.
My clothing wasn't good in the early days and I didn't have much of them either, but I always kept my kids clean and tidy. I often bought a bit of clothing here and there for the kids and knitted a lot of stuff too. In those days I was compulsive knitter and used to unravel old jumpers and use them to make something else for the kids. I used to save a few pence when I went shopping so I could buy wool or a little dress for Sheila or trouser for Alan which made me feel good to see them looks smart.
Getting back to me leaving home. Well, this particular time hubby had a massive row over money. He said he was the one who gets the money and its his to do what he wants with. I said you get that money to keep us all (social money) but, he wasn't having any of it and said it was all his and if he wants to give me money or not is up to him. I told him I wanted a divorce and he said you can go but, your not having the kids and he left to go to the bookies.
The kids were home and I got them, gathered some clothing that I/we could carry and a bit of money and left house. 
I went to social services for help and told them what had been happening and they found me and the kids a B&B in Barking.
I was all over the place and didn't know what to do for the best. We stayed at the B&B for a couple of nights and we wandered around Barking during the day. I was feeling lost and confused and didn't know what to do for the best and the kids were confused too. 
In the end I rang hubby and we all met up at the pie and mash shop at The Fiddlers in Dagenham. Hubby looked haggered I could see the worry on his face. He agreed to give me proper house-keeping money and treat me better than he had been doing.
The kids and I went back home and the next day hubby and I collected our things from the B&B. 
Everything was going really well and I was happy, the kids were happy too. I was glad to be home. I had asked social services to keep check on us from time to time and they did and I was glad for them to visit as it kept hubby on his toes and me happy.
There were other rows and more upset, but that's for another time or I might as well write a book...haha!