Chapter 8

I resisted giving too much away when asked what I’d been up to. I just said that I’d gone with Randall to a job interview. Christine wanted to know if he was leaving the police and I told that he wasn’t, just going to another area, but that we would still be able to be together. I think that she was starting to realise that change was in the air.

Anita was also acting a bit oddly as well. She still wore the good dresses for her evening program, but her voice wasn’t as sultry any longer, still somewhat sexy, but not her usual ‘I want to be in bed with you’ voice. I fact she was sounding as if she would rather be in bed and asleep.

I managed to cajole her into taking an early lunch with me. Instead of going to the bakery, I led her to the Crumbs café, were we could talk. She was curious.

“Why are we here and not at the usual café?”

“Because we need to talk without Christine catching on. She’s a lovely girl but she’s too close to management.”

“Ah. I see what you mean. What am I doing wrong?”

“Your night voice isn’t there any longer. You’re sounding as if you can’t wait to be home.”

“Damn right I can’t wait. I’ve been doing that shift for a good five years and it’s got old. Our gigs in the bases has shown me another life. I’ve been talking to Chuck about getting a permanent position on the bases to DJ the shows. It will mean that I’ll become a contractor, forming my own company, and getting a contract to be exclusive in the two bases. That means that I will be rid of the afternoon shows and can get a proper eight-hour sleep. You seem to have a different air around you as well. When are you leaving?”

“I’ve been offered a job with BBC1 Essex, working in Chelmsford. Randall will be transferring to the Essex Police as a detective. We’re keeping the lid on it until we’re absolutely certain. Some organisations thrive on meetings.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“Sometime late in the year or early next year. There’s a few hoops to jump through before that.”

“While we’re sitting here and clearing the air, I really have to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For putting Zack in a position where we could weather the lockdowns and even grow. I know a few of my friends in the industry are zealous of us. Quite a few had to go on short hours or drop pay. There have been a couple of companies with multiple stations who’ve shut up shop. It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t brought your voice to us.”

“Thank you for the thought, but most of it was the luck of being in the right place and looking like a solution. I would have never thought of converting the van like that. Chuck was the one with the idea and the means to make it work.”

“He’s quite a guy, that’s darn tootin!”

“Getting with the sayings are we?”

“That’s because of Marty. He’s a pilot in the Grim Reapers. He always comes to our shows on Sundays and spends most of the time looking at me. I’ve got Mark doing more so we can dance. If I’m able to go in the base on weekdays, we’ll be able to get a lot friendlier, if you get my drift.”

“What happens when he goes home?”

“Not sure. Even if I never see him again, I’ll have something to remember. He’s told me that he’ll come back when he leaves the air force. He said that he may enlist with the RAF, considering his F35 training.”

We had our lunch, and I got a few things from Sainsburys to make it look as if we’d gone shopping. We went back into the studio and carried on. Anita had some of her sultry working when I left, a bit after ten.

It was well into March when I had the confirmation that I would be starting with the BBC. They wanted me to start working at the beginning of July, learning the ropes and getting my voice into various programs. With the shared content, programs were made without local announcements and could be played throughout the network. That meant that I could, one day, be heard on a BBC station anywhere in the country.

Randall now had a firm date as well. He would be starting the extra training at the police college, doing advanced study in crime scene assessment and forensics. He would be going to Chelmsford at the end of April. I called my doctor and told her of the new situation and also told her that I would take a cancellation spot before September should one happen.

We went to Colchester on a Sunday morning to tell my family what we were going to do. I would be putting my notice in at the end of March, to finish at around the time he leaves Mildenhall. I asked if I could stay in my old room and was welcomed back into the household. I would live in Colchester while he was in training and spend my days looking for somewhere to live within easy reach of our two jobs. I would have May and June to get something sorted out. I had enough savings to cover my expenses and still help Mum out with the shopping.

We would live together from then until I had the operation, then as a couple until my new paperwork came through and we can get married. It won’t be in his old church, but it wasn’t an important factor.

I put my notice in at the end of March. The boss tried to tempt me with more money, but I just told him that I was following my fiancé to Essex, which he had to accept was a valid reason. Anita got her contract and new ID in the middle of April and put her own notice in. Our management had to replace both of us inside a couple of weeks. The extras that had come in during the lockdown and our trips to the bases were lifted into the seats and juniors brought in to fill their places. I was only doing training in my last two weeks, and Anita would take that over in her last two.

I had done my final show, part of the Saturday evening party, and was only in the station during the days for the last two weeks. Anita did her final show on the day after I had left. That Friday, it was bittersweet. Everyone was sad to see me go, praised me for the work I’d done but were all wondering about what their own future would be. I had to tell them that their future was in their hands.

I went off to lunch with Christine, telling her that she may hear me on the BBC1 station in future, but to let it be a surprise for the others. She told me that Chuck had given the station a two week notice of ending the contract to supply the two bases’ entertainment. She had guessed that it was to be Anitas’ next job.

In the afternoon, I packed some of my things and spent some time with Maude. She was unhappy that I was leaving but knew that nothing is for ever. I would be heading to Colchester on Monday morning. Randall and I went to the cinema on Friday night and cuddled in the back row.

On Saturday, I drove over to Wamil Court to help him pack the MG with his clothes. We loaded his sound system and TV into my car, along with his small collection of kitchen things and his vacuum cleaner. I would be taking these to Colchester on Sunday, along with my own heavier things. I wished him luck at the college, and we had an extended kissing session, and then he drove off in the MG towards his new future in Chelmsford and a long way from his father. I could see the new determination in him over the last couple of weeks.

When he had left, I drove to the Lakenheath base entrance and parked by the office. I went in to be greeted by an officer who I knew.

“Good morning, Miss Novac, what can we do for you today?”

“I need to hand in my base ID, Major. I’m leaving the area next week. I expect that the others will have theirs collected in two weeks.”

“I can take that for you, Miss, and pass it to the General. Is there anything you would like to get from the Exchange before we take it from you. I believe that the General has set up a farewell amount for you to spend, in appreciation of all that you’ve done for us.”

“I’m gobsmacked. That’s a wonderful gesture. Please pass on my thanks to the General. My car hasn’t been inspected for entry, I have always come with others or the station DJ van.”

“That’s no problem, Miss. We’ve all appreciated your shows in hard times.”

He turned towards the back office.

“Johansson, get the jeep warmed up and take Miss Novac to the Exchange. Carry her bags and bring her back here when she’s spent her money.”

An airman came out and grinned at me.

“It will be a pleasure, sir.”

He went out and started the jeep. I looped the lanyard over my neck.

“See you later, Major.”

I was driven to the Exchange. On the way, my driver told me that it was our regular shows that stopped him, and his fellows, from going crazy with worry over the COVID bad times. He had lost, he said, a few of his older family members during that time, and didn’t have anything nice to say about his own government.

At the Exchange, I found that my credit was in the main store that sold US clothing and electricals. I had enough leeway to buy four flight jackets, two of the ‘Grim Reapers’ for my father and Randall, and two ‘Valkyries’ for me and Mum. There was enough left over for a New York brand dress and a golfing sweater for my driver, which was left under the counter for him to pick up later. He bought me a snack in the café and then drove me back to the gate to help me add the bags to my car, then I gave him a hug and my ID. He, and the Major, waved to me as I drove away from a very interesting time in my life.

Back at the house, I added my own things to the load and had a quiet evening, watching TV with Maude and Jaunty. I was going to miss their no-nonsense and no-regrets approach. They had taught me a lot in my time here.

Sunday, straight after breakfast, I was heading down to Colchester. Dad had made room for me in the garage and helped me unload before going off to the golf club for a late morning round. I had lunch with Mum and made up my bed for tomorrow night and made sure that the wardrobe and drawers were empty. She was more than happy that I was back but questioned my own reasons.

“Are you sure that you’re doing the right thing? Not the marriage part, but the new station. You won’t be so high profile in future.”

“It may not be high profile for a while, Mum, but being a regular morning show host on weekends will give me some relaxation after the craziness of the last couple of years. I will also be making contributions to the shared content. If they are well received, I’ll still be heard throughout East Anglia, and perhaps other stations around the country. This will mean that I’ll have steady work, without needing to be on in the evening. It’ll be more like a normal job. On top of that, it’s good money and having been on the Beeb will look good on my resume.”

“I suppose you’re right dear. It’s a mothers’ place to worry. When will you be back tomorrow?”

“Late morning, I think. There’s a few that I’d like to see before I leave. All I need to load will be clothes and personal things.”

I drove back north after lunch but went to Bury St. Edmunds first. When I walked into the day room at the care home, I was greeted by a lot of the residents. Randalls’ mother was sitting there with a magazine in front of her. I sat down.

“Hello, Mum.”

Her face lit up.

“Carol, isn’t it? My son came in the other day and said something about going away. I know that most of the time I’m off with the fairies, and didn’t take it all in.”

“He’s gone to Chelmsford, to become a detective. I’ll be going there to go on the radio, and we’ll be getting married.”

“That’s nice, dear. You make a nice couple. Chelmsford, that’s where that Marconi chap lived, I think. Just don’t become one of those naughty Essex Girls, that was a fun show, but not a life I would lead.”

She started off with anecdotes about a life well led, but all over the place. I stayed for a while and gave her a kiss on the forehead before I left her, still chattering about some cycling club and Disraeli gears, such a clever man!

In Mildenhall, there were a few business owners that I wanted to say goodbye to and thank for their support. Finally, I went into St. Mary’s to say a silent thanks to whatever god lived here, for nurturing my future husband. I told the Vicar that we would be getting married in either Colchester or Chelmsford, and he nodded, sagely.

“You are a good woman for him, Carol. He needed someone strong, but supportive, in his life. The two of you should do well.”

I went back to the house that had been my home for some years and filled the back seat with a pile of clothes and the boot with bags. All I would have, in the morning, would be my bag of today’s clothes, and my bathroom things. That evening, I watched some TV and then went upstairs, changing into my nightie and sitting in the now nearly empty spare room, catching up with emails on my laptop. There was one from Friday, from the Colchester Hospital, advising me that there was a cancellation that opened up a spot for me. It would be the Monday of the third week of May, giving me a few days to reply.

I answered it straight away, giving my old home address to send the paperwork to. This would mean that I would be finished with that before my starting date with the BBC. I would tell Randall when I next saw him. He would be emailing me with his schedule in the college when he knew it. Once again, things were happening to help me.

In the morning, I had breakfast with my hosts and loaded my final things in the car. After double-checking the rooms with Jaunty, I hugged him and then bent to give Maude a hug. We were all a bit teary, and she told me to look after Randall.

I drove back to Colchester. I had flourished while I had been in Mildenhall. The radio gig had given me a lot, the business with the bases had added more than I could have ever imagined. If I bombed in radio, I could now start my own business as a DJ for hire. Have disc, will travel.

At home, I unloaded the car and took it all up to my room. The wardrobe was filled with things on hangers and the drawers were filled with underwear and accessories. The contents were colourful and so unlike what it used to be. My laptop went on charge, along with my phone.

That evening, I had an email from Randall. He told me that he was sharing a room with another new recruit and didn’t want to talk on the phone unless he was alone. He would be working the weekdays in classes, and spending his Saturdays with a detective training officer, so Sundays were all we’d have for a while. His probationary period wouldn’t start until he had completed the fast-track course for uniformed who were stepping up.

I replied, telling him that I would be parked on Kingston Avenue, next to the police college, at eleven. I had made a list of places we could look at after lunch. The closest to where we would work was on Dove Lane, and in the low four hundreds. It was about two miles from the police station, and less than half a mile from the radio station. There were others on the list but further out.

We had a hug and a kiss when he walked up to the car, and then had lunch at the Toby Carvery, catching up with the past week. I told him about my new hospital date, and he kissed me some more. He used a local street map to guide me to a two-storey semi, with a driveway for cars, on Dove Lane, about two miles south of the police headquarters. The last place was at Galleywood, some way further south and another fifty thousand, but on a decent size block. They were a good start and gave us a good idea of what was available.

While we were in the area, we had dinner at the White Bear and then I dropped him off by the police college and carried on back to Colchester. During the week, I looked at other places, Mum beside me to offer guidance. In the second week of May, we found a nice, detached home, in Regal Close, off of Wallace Crescent. As the crow flies, it was around a mile from the police station, and about the same from BBC Essex. It was modern, two storey, had space for both cars with one in a garage. On top of that, it was well inside our budget. There was a Lidl and Farmfoods not far away, with The Moulsham Inn sharing the same car park. It was a Greene King pub, so had a big range of food and drink. Mum and I had stopped there for a meal.

As we could buy immediately, after we had looked at it and agreed, Randall and I put a good deposit on it and went to my bank to apply for a mortgage. With my impending work with the BBC and my link with Newman Electrical, and his job with the police, we had no problems being accepted.

We put the house in joint names, as I would be continuing as Carol Novac into the future if I stayed on radio. We got the keys on the Friday before I went into hospital, so my parents helped us take our things to the house with one of the work vans on the Sunday. I was able to take all of my clothes, which had to lay on a sheet on the bedroom floor, because we had no furniture.

On the Monday, I went into Colchester Hospital, staying there ten days and staying with Mum for another ten. Our doctor did the final exam, tidied up the remaining couple of stitches and filled in the forms to allow me to get a replacement birth certificate and a new driving licence in the name of Carol Novac.

In the meantime, Mum and Randall had been to the box stores and she had been at our house to receive the furniture that we needed to start with. I moved there on the weekend before I started my new job, taking some time to put my things away. Randall joined me on Sunday, now graduated from the college. That night, we slept together for the first time. Unfortunately, it was only a cuddle and a sleep, as I wasn’t allowed any nooky for a while. On that first Monday in July, we made sure we had locked up and Randall went off to the first day of his probationary period, and I went off to my first day with the BBC.

The first stop was HR to tell Walter that I had completed my medical intervention and would be available from now on. He took me up to see the station manager, leaving me with her to have a long talk about what I had done, and what they wanted me to do. We talked for a couple of hours, with breaks for tea and cake. I was surprised at how much they knew about my work, and what they expected.

I was, as already told, to be starting on weekend mornings from the first weekend in September, along with one of their own presenters, who had been making programs for the shared content. I was introduced to her, Eve Stafford, and she was tasked to get me up to speed with the studio desk here, and at Broadcasting House, in London. What they wanted was me recording a regular show, similar to what I had been presenting from Mildenhall. It was to use the power of my name and voice in East Anglia as part of the shared content in the afternoon. If it was well accepted, they would be part of the evening network programming.

We would do them as ‘Carol and Eve, Mining the Archives’, and had a free hand for the next two months, until we took over mornings. Eve had been making shows from the sixties to the eighties. There was an Anthems station, which worked with post-2000 material, so we had around seventy years of material to choose from.

Over July and August, we made some shows in Chelmsford, but mostly worked in London, going in by train. There was a huge library of music and other things to choose from, and we would pick a year, play the music, talk about the events of the time and add any audio that had been recorded at the time. Otherwise, we did a mash of my two shows and hers. If the first were broadcast weekly, then we had over a year of programs that we could use.

After the first month, we were firm friends with similar likings in music and food, seeing that we had our lunches together. We had also attracted attention from the BBC bosses in London, with our main show being added to the network content, every two weeks. That was planned so that we would have 1999 being broadcast in 2026.

By the time we took over the morning show, we were a team, able to banter on air as we read out any messages and played the music. Our ratings were trending well by the time Christmas came around, and we were asked if we could be part of the Christmas broadcast, as well as presenting the New Year Eve show. In six months, I had managed to be heard nationally.

On the home front, Randall had eased through his probation, with a couple of good comments on his record, and had been promoted to Detective Sergeant in October. We had consummated our partnership and had filled our home with all the things we needed. We had my parents for the odd meal, as well as friends that we had gained in our two jobs.

I learned to cook, with help from Mum, and we didn’t go out for meals as often as we had. Randall was pretty good with looking after the house and garden. Eve and I had enough shows in the can to be able to slow down, and we spent more days in Chelmsford. With us on air on weekends, we had two days off in the week. I would often go to Colchester, sometimes spending time in the family store, especially when our shows were on air, and on loudspeakers in the store.

Marianne Gregory © 2026