Memoirs of GD Fell

In April 1980 Margaret’s condition deteriorated to the extent that the doctors advised that the family should come out to visit her for the last time. Arrangements were made through the Department for Steve, Tony and Lindsay to be flown out to Cyprus with the Department bearing the cost of two of them. Nicks arrangements were dealt with by the Royal Navy with Paul Madge being involved at the Cyprus end. I believe Nick had a bit of ribbing to contend with on board ship when he was told that he had to report to MRS Dhekelia on arrival in Cyprus.

In Cyprus at this period of time there was a petrol shortage and the way it was being dealt with was by restricting vehicles on the roads at weekends. This was achieved by only allowing vehicles with odd number plates on the road one weekend and ones with even number plates the following weekend. Bill Denton, who had a ‘People Carrier’ vehicle volunteered to go to the airport at Larnaca to pick up the family and Alan Binney, the Chief of Police in the SBA arranged with his counterpart in the Republic for a trouble free passage from the airport to the hospital. I believe everything went smoothly with the van being waved through the various roadblocks that were in place.

Seeing the family appeared to give Margaret a new lease of life as she seemed to pick up while they were with her, however, after a few days Steve, Tony and Lindsay had to  say their goodbyes and return to the UK. Nick was able to stay a bit longer as Paul Madge was able to get weekly extensions to Nicks compassionate leave, however, eventually the time came when Nick also had to return to his duties.

Not very long after this, on 26th May 1980 Margaret finally gave up her courageous fight, a fight that that in the latter stages was so painful that it was almost a relief when she finally succumbed. At this stage I would like to state that the treatment that Margaret received during the whole of the time she was under the care of the medical teams at Halton when she was in the UK, and both Akrotiri and Dhekelia was exemplary. She could not have been better looked after in any way by both doctors and nursing staff.