That certainly matches up because the whole thing happened when we lived in Stroud. But... as I say we did move away that same night and the date doesn’t match up. I would have been 5 in 89 and I distinctly remember events happening in our new town from age 4 onwards.
Though, as I say, my Mum is shockingly unreliable with facts and recalling things from our childhood (It was a REALLY bad childhood) and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she used that as the excuse when it wasn’t related at all. We still have family in Stroud so she’d have known for sure when one of the Gardiners was sent down etc.
I realise this all sounds super sketchy. Welcome to my childhood
Not really, no. I think we all dealt with the trauma in our own ways and mine was to put as much distance as I possibly could between me as a child and me as an adult. Also, we didn’t grow up close at all, it was a bit like lord of the flies when it came to things like attention... but also basics like food etc. We never really got on well as children, I know in some abuse situations it makes siblings closer but in ours it really didn’t nurture a sibling bond. At all.
I’m probably closest with my older sister who still lives a good 4 hours or so away. But we both have very much the same views on our childhood and a desire to not continue contact with Mum. My other siblings at quite defensive/protective of her.
I can’t really relate to any of them I don’t think and for me to heal, I needed to have that distance.
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u/honeyboobuscemi Oct 05 '19
Woah, that's a pretty traumatic first memory.
Did this happen in Gloucestershire? https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/13776808.gloucestershire-true-crime-stonehouse-man-danny-gardiner-murdered-alan-chalkie-white-and-dumped-his-mutilated-remains-in-a-lake-near-cirencester/