This is Kathleen Mays / Faux
Born :9th October 1913
Died :1st April 1997
Married to Stanley Andronico / Mays13th May 1940
worked for John Logie Baird
Photo taken by John Logie Baird in the garden in London
As early as I can remember my mother hated me for coming along and my first memories were that I was not wanted and should not be here. She often told me I was the cause of all the rows between her and Stanley. In my first working year I saved up and bought her a fantastic porcelain dog, as she loved dogs, for Christmas, she did not want anything from me so she gave it immediately to my half brother Bernard. She disliked my first wife and daughter, wanting nothing to do with them and me. By this time Stanley had mellowed and I managed to help them with cars etc. My mother had a hard side and it was always shown to me all my life I was not wanted but managed to get love from unsuspecting strangers who would hold my hand. Eventually on her 80th birthday she told me for the first time in my life " I love you" and kissed me. My father John Logie Baird with the best of intentions bought 107 Wanstead park Ave for my security, I hope of his free will, I am sure my life would have been better in a orphanage. I was always told by Stanley and my mother that I was stupid, and so did not need education, so at the first chance I left school on the Friday and was working at a job Stanley found me in printing. It would be several years before I found my calling as a inventor and Garage owner owning the great Yorkshire Garage Gildersome. The strange thing is that as I grew up many of Stanley's and Mothers friends disliked me and I wondered why they loved Bernard and Elizabeth. It was years later that I knew that mother had told them who I was and how she hated me for coming along so her friends who we called uncle and auntie disliked me.
Left is Kathleen with Diana Johns Daughter, Next is the garden. I was sad when I E Mailed Johns son and he said he could not remember anything about the home but on research I found out that they were seldom there.
The wedding day of Kathleen to Stanley. Photo taken outside the Faux home at London Road Cottages Abridge
Kathleen was a Land Girl for a short while. These are her sister Jessie's children with her sister Jessie peeping through the fence.
The picture is of the Bairds dog a Bedlington. My mother all her life loved Belington's, maybe it reminded her of her love John. I think the child could be her sister Jesse's son whom mother loved . All her life she remembered the Baird children as I feel she was involved with there upbringing. Maybe one day I will be able to ask the siblings of John Logie Baird if they remember Kathleen? All my life I was compared to Malcolm Baird, as he was so good and I should have been a girl? what this meant I am not sure maybe John wanted a daughter or maybe it was Stanley who wanted a daughter. But sad to say I was always the outcast of the family but remain grateful to Stanley for bringing me up. he never once through it in my face but I got strange Christmas gifts such as a plastic Ukulele! Most of my gifts were sold within 6 months of getting them. After many years of looking after mother financially and in making her comfortable she admitted with a tear in her eye and a kiss that at last she loved me.
Here I am on my first picture with the Baird hair, it was impossible to control then Brylcreem came to the rescue
Kathleen with sisters Olive and Jessie, Kathleen and Jessie were very close and made Olive feel left out. Plus later from the photos of Stanley Mays and Olive Faux something was going on?
Kathleen with her Mother Maud Plum who was Taurus and loved her home and family also ruled the roost. But Granddad always had the last say.
Kathleen with her brother
Just Kathleen Faux
Kathleen and Stanley's wedding out side Lambourne Church
Myself and brother Bernard on the Brighton beach. The dog was called Boz and did so many tricks that when Walt Disney saw it he offered us a chance to go to America as he wanted to make a film starring a dog, The other is of us children and mother in the garden at 107 Wanstead Park Ave. Sadly the old dog died and the dog shown is another Boz who was absolutely part of the family.
Because photo taking was such a big event I remember most photos being taken. The one on the left was when we went to see Santa at Selfridges London sweet Elizabeth was always the center of attention and it was good for us boys as Dad would be in a good mood when with Liz. The next is mum with Liz I wonder how old mum was?
This was taken at Farnley, Leeds England. The excuse of not decorating was that any day we would return to London. Eventually the home was compulsory purchased by the Leeds City Council for road widening. The road never was widened and the home was sold by the Council at a large profit. They offered my parents a low price then fought it in court eventually settling at a price too low to allow them to buy another home. I hate these greedy Jobs Worth people, God says Vengeance is mine!!
Pictures from Elizabeth's Wedding Mum is with myself and Bernard. She loved Bernard so much and I was a mistake so I must have caused her many a bad moment. Mum always said that she did not want me but wanted a girl. As soon as I could understand mother told me I was a mistake and should not be here. I don't blame her as there were so many rows and fights as we grew up, life became horrible. As small children we don't understand but we do need care and love. At the end of her life after Stanley died with Bernard in Canada it was left to Liz and myself to look after her. We did this with love but at Elizabeth's husband Trevor was so tight with money it fell upon Carole and myself to pay for the extras like coal for the fire. At last on her 80'th birthday she gave me a hug and said "I love you " I did not know how to react but I had after all those years earned her love and she died at the age of 83 loving me and of course Carole who looked after her so well.
I have many pictures of mother, this is of her in her flat the final home with pictures of Rebecca around her. Rebecca is Elizabeth's daughter.
Mothers Bank Book that she kept her whole life because she loved her job and was independent.
I knew how important my mother was to my life from being able to understand. I used to see faces and people which I did not understand at the time but I think I have a small physic ability. I can now see how my birth was a major traumatic occurrence in the Mays life so from a early age I tried never to complain. One night the nice faces I had been used to seeing turned into ugly scary faces and as I saw them in the middle of the night I automatically yelled out and cried. Of course it woke the whole house and then I heard Stanley coming. I guessed I would get hit for waking everyone up but with a deep knowledge of what to do Stanley just wiped the wall with his hand disposing of the faces then with tenderness he tucked me in. This side of Stanley showed it's self on many occasions for a short time and then he was so kind it was difficult to realize it was the same man that beat us for nothing. Well a foot note must be added I know I deserved most beatings.
Mother always wanted to see the Tulips in Holland so after Stanley died we took her.
Mother loved to be involved and earning so I created a job for her at the garage. The whole staff soon loved her.
Here she is with two engineers the one in the middle Mat was the best. He came to me raw and over the years he was so willing to learn that he became the best.