Colin said he would have killed June

[Caroline]

I know the boys had no choice, am just saying if my children were that frightened of their grandmother I wouldn't take them for more than a day and their grandfather would have understood. 

Jeremy seems to want us to believe June was a saint which she obviously wasn't anymore than most people are and she definitely had all kinds of problems but I don't believe she was so wicked she was the cause of everything.

Sheila was a grown woman with free will, she was either very, very ill and therefore needed real support and help or she was as some claim mildly schizophrenic and in charge of her own destiny and making her own choices....  just saying.

I don't get the impression that the twins were 'frightened' of June, more that they didn't like her strictness. People seem to be suggesting that the trip to WHF was like a trip to monster mansion - I imagine that people's accounts have been influenced in light of what happened. 

[Caroline]

Susan,it's because I've read snippets of Colin's book that I have a different view of June. I feel he could have said a lot more but probably thought better of it. If anyone knew what life was like at home and at the farmhouse it was Colin as he'd known far more than anyone else,including Jeremy who still sings his mother's praises. I reckon he,Jeremy, didn't know the half. He couldn't have done or he'd have said before now.

Why on earth would Colin know more than Jeremy? Jeremy had lived there, June and Nevill were is parents. Did Colin know more than Sheila? That doesn't make sense Lookout.

[Jane]

The " scene " between mother and daughter puts me in mind of the film " Mommy Dearest " which depicted Joan Crawford and her abusive behaviour towards her adopted daughter, Christina. Crawford was a horrible person in real life which is why she was able to play horrible parts in films.
The film was out in 1981.

That, of  course, would be the scene in your imagination. Colin stayed for a couple of hours(?) and makes no mention of arguments, cat fights or wars between June and Sheila.

[maggie]

I don't get the impression that the twins were 'frightened' of June, more that they didn't like her strictness. People seem to be suggesting that the trip to WHF was like a trip to monster mansion - I imagine that people's accounts have been influenced in light of what happened.

I think it's been blown out of proportion .  Colin writes that they 'clung' to him when time to leave them at the farm but he may have put his own emotions and sense of loss onto the memory.
Many schizophrenics develop 'hate' figures often the mother, some adopters transfer the anger of the loss of vCard the natural mother onto thevadoptive mother so where did Sheila's problems end and June's begin? Who knows?

[lookout]

Why on earth would Colin know more than Jeremy? Jeremy had lived there, June and Nevill were is parents. Did Colin know more than Sheila? That doesn't make sense Lookout.

Because Colin was married to Sheila and had herself lived at the farmhouse and by all accounts received more wrath from her mother than Jeremy ever did. It went on after Sheila's marriage too when June hadn't approved of Colin so that was a bad start. Naturally Colin would have been told about the rocky relationship between the two women as most of his book is written about it.Because Colin was more a man of the world than both Sheila and Jeremy,and because he was outside looking in,he could probably see far more than they. It's usually the way of anyone who can see the faults and foibles from being on the outside as opposed to living amongst them.  This is besides what Sheila would have told him and what he'd experienced himself.
CC must have been furious when he wrote his letter to Neville about calling a halt to the prayers and Bible-readings.He didn't want his sons to be brought up that way or to be scared in any way and end up like their mother.

[susan]

I think it's been blown out of proportion .  Colin writes that they 'clung' to him when time to leave them at the farm but he may have put his own emotions and sense of loss onto the memory.
Many schizophrenics develop 'hate' figures often the mother, some adopters transfer the anger of the loss of  the natural mother onto the padoptive mother so where did Sheila's problems end and June's begin? Who knows?

Maggie Colin may have done what you have suggested but then again he may not we will never know guess he is the only one who does actually know.

[Jane]

Because Colin was married to Sheila and had herself lived at the farmhouse and by all accounts received more wrath from her mother than Jeremy ever did. It went on after Sheila's marriage too when June hadn't approved of Colin so that was a bad start. Naturally Colin would have been told about the rocky relationship between the two women as most of his book is written about it.Because Colin was more a man of the world than both Sheila and Jeremy,and because he was outside looking in,he could probably see far more than they. It's usually the way of anyone who can see the faults and foibles from being on the outside as opposed to living amongst them.  This is besides what Sheila would have told him and what he'd experienced himself.
CC must have been furious when he wrote his letter to Neville about calling a halt to the prayers and Bible-readings.He didn't want his sons to be brought up that way or to be scared in any way and end up like their mother.

I agree he was angry, but he never gave Neville the letter. Too absorbed in his own thought, perhaps? We'll never know.

[lookout]

I agree he was angry, but he never gave Neville the letter. Too absorbed in his own thought, perhaps? We'll never know.

I know the letter wasn't passed on. It didn't need to have been with what occurred. Actions spoke louder.

[Jane]

I know the letter wasn't passed on. It didn't need to have been with what occurred. Actions spoke louder.

He could have handed it to Neville when they arrived OR as he was leaving.

[lookout]

He could have handed it to Neville when they arrived OR as he was leaving.

Mmmm,I wonder where it ended up ?

[lookout]

Speaking of Compassion ( was I ? ) The people of Merseyside have handed in 100,000 signatures after seeing that harrowing picture of those two little boys who drowned  on a Turkish beach, to let those people in.

[Jane]

Mmmm,I wonder where it ended up ?

I think he handed it to the police. Whatever he did, it's contents are in the public domain.

[maggie]

Speaking of Compassion ( was I ? ) The people of Merseyside have handed in 100,000 signatures after seeing that harrowing picture of those two little boys who drowned  on a Turkish beach, to let those people in.

Well done Liverpool, typical of that great city.  Its a pity so many had to die before the establishment woke up.  Shame on the government, the suffering of these people is horrendous.

[scipio_usmc]

I think it's been blown out of proportion .  Colin writes that they 'clung' to him when time to leave them at the farm but he may have put his own emotions and sense of loss onto the memory.
Many schizophrenics develop 'hate' figures often the mother, some adopters transfer the anger of the loss of vCard the natural mother onto thevadoptive mother so where did Sheila's problems end and June's begin? Who knows?

It is intentionally blown out of proportion.  He explained what the boys didn't like.  They didn't like the food they were served while staying and didn't like being taught about religion, having to do chores...  They were probably allowed to do anything they want except when at WHF where they had to do as they were told and were made to do things they didn't like. 

People who harp on such do so in order to push an agenda it is not an accident. It is used to try to suggest June and Nevill were horrible people though it is quite ridiculous to suggest this establishes such.

[Caroline]

Because Colin was married to Sheila and had herself lived at the farmhouse and by all accounts received more wrath from her mother than Jeremy ever did. It went on after Sheila's marriage too when June hadn't approved of Colin so that was a bad start. Naturally Colin would have been told about the rocky relationship between the two women as most of his book is written about it.Because Colin was more a man of the world than both Sheila and Jeremy,and because he was outside looking in,he could probably see far more than they. It's usually the way of anyone who can see the faults and foibles from being on the outside as opposed to living amongst them.  This is besides what Sheila would have told him and what he'd experienced himself.
CC must have been furious when he wrote his letter to Neville about calling a halt to the prayers and Bible-readings.He didn't want his sons to be brought up that way or to be scared in any way and end up like their mother.

I wouldn't say Colin was 'more a man of the world'. Having never met him I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to make that judgement. It's not always the case that someone outside looking in can see more clearly, they are bound by what they are told and if what they are told - in this instance, Colin was influenced by Sheila and at times, by Jeremy. If he is only given negative information then that will cloud his opinion and his judgement. Sheila and Jeremy, were the only people who knew what went on behind closed doors and as such would know far more than Colin.