After School Specials – Part 6

1971

How did it start? Well, we had all been to church for the morning service, and Dad was driving us back to the house for dinner. Been good church goers, we were all in our Sunday best, and looking forward to a quiet afternoon.

I was about ten at the time, and had on a short pink gingham dress with a wide collar, white tights and black shoes. My big sister Coral was wearing a short dress as well – hers was white, with lace sleeves and a round collar, and she had black sandals on.

Mom was also wearing a white dress – hers had a funny collar with a square cut at her throat, and the sleeves gathered at the cuff. They both had a gathered waist as well.

And then there was Gran – she had on a blue striped dress with white details, and white shoes. All of them also had pantyhose on.

Dad? Suit and tie – all he ever seemed to wear was a suit and tie. Anyway – we drove onto the front of our house, Dad and Mum getting out first and going to the front door while Gran waited for me and Coral to get out of the car, so that she could lock it. I remember there was an old van parked outside, but didn’t think much of it as we walked in. Gran and Coral went to the kitchen, while I walked into the front room – to see Dad standing with two men next to him, and Mum passed out on the couch. I was going to say something, when someone grabbed me from behind and pressed a damp, sweet smelling cloth over my nose and mouth. I was taken completely by surprise, as I breathed in – and my head started to swim while my eyes went all blurry. I was vaguely aware of Gran saying something, before it went misty and I must have fallen asleep…

When I started to wake up, I felt funny – something was in my mouth, and there was a tugging feeling over my lips. What’s more, I couldn’t move my arms or legs. I could hear Mum trying to say something, but it was mumbled, faint…

When I finally opened my eyes, I could see Mum looking at me, but there was something over her mouth. It was only as I managed to focus that I saw that someone had put sticking plaster over her lips, and that her arms were behind her back. Looking down, I saw that her ankles were tied together with rope – and then I was shocked to see mine were tied together as well.

I could feel there was rope round my wrists as well, and I realised I must have some of the plaster over my mouth too – and something else in my mouth. When I finally managed to wake up, I saw I was lying next to Mum on her bed – and one of the men I had seen with Dad looked in the door, walking over and making sure the ropes were still tight, before he walked off again.

I tried to say to Mum “what happened,” but all that came out was “Wwhthhhphndd?” Mum just shook her head, and pressed her covered lips on my forehead, as the second man looked in as well. I heard him say “any word yet” and then the telephone next to Mum and Dad’s bed rang. He came in, picked it up and listened for a few minutes, before he reached down and pulled the cable away from the wall, Mum rolling over and protesting as he did so.

“Shut up or we chloroform you again,” he said in a low voice, Mum shaking her head and then rolling back over before she said “whllbhlrrhhtthnnee.” I nodded as we heard the men walk down the stairs, and then the front door open and close.

“Whrhrssdhddd?”

“Ththkkhhmm,” Mum said as she looked at me, and then said “shnuushtnndhpo?” I nodded as I managed to get myself sitting on the edge of the bed, and then stand up, turning and watching as Mum did the same, and then motioned with her head to the door. I followed her out, taking short jumps, and we heard voices from Coral’s room, so we jumped into there.

Coral was sitting on the floor, tied like us with plaster over her mouth, while Gran was lying on her bed, her eyes slowly opening as she looked round. I jumped over and sat with her, while Mum jumped to Coral’s dressing table, looking over her shoulder as she picked up a pair of scissors and started trying to free ourselves.

It took a while, but she did so, and then cut Gran free before she peeled the plaster away from her mouth, and spat out a soaking wet rag cloth. Handing the scissors to Gran, she walked out while Gran freed us. It turned out they were bad men, who had taken Dad to give them something from his office, and knocked us all out as a way of persuading him to do so…

1978

Mummy and I had been to the park with our dog to let her have a walk – it was a beautiful Afghan hound called Betsy. I must have been eleven at the time, and Mummy was still in her early thirties. I had on a mustard coloured jumper, brown trousers and black shoes with white socks, and when we went to the park I had my favourite grey hooded poncho on – it was crocheted, and held by two large buttons at my neck and a little way down.

Mummy also had a hooded crochet top on – hers was grey with brown squares, and she wore it over a brown jumper and long skirt, and a pair of brown knee length waterproof boots. We both had the hoods up over our blonde hair – something I was grateful for given what happened when we got home.

Mummy took our dog into the kitchen to settle her down, and I went into out front room to find a book I was reading – but when I went in, there were things all over the floor, and then someone put a gloved hand over my mouth and whispered “not a word, little one.”

When Mummy came in, she looked at me, and then whispered “please, don’t hurt her.” I heard whoever was holding me say “I won’t hurt her if you both do as I say. Understand?” Mummy nodded and told me we were going to do what he said, and I nodded before he let me go, letting me run to Mummy as she hugged me.

I looked at the man who had been holding me – he had on a black jumper and trousers but he had one of those ski masks pulled down over his head as well, so that we could only see his eyes and mouth. He had something in his hand like what you see in cowboy films, as he told us both to sit on the couch, and put our hands on our heads.

Mummy asked if we could take our ponchos off, but he shook his head, so we sat down and did as he asked, while he opened a black bag he had and took some ropes out. Handing on to Mummy, he told her to tie my wrists together in front of me – starting by doubling the rope over.

She nodded, and said she was sorry as he told her what to do – the rope going round my wrists as I put my hands together, then pulled back as she wrapped it round them, and then between my arms before tying the ends off. He checked it, and then told Mummy to put her hands back on her head while he knelt in front of me.

I watched as he used some more of the rope to tie my ankles together, in the same way as my wrists, and then he did the same to Mummy – before he tied our legs together below our knees as well, so that all we could do was try to move them. I giggled as I heard Mummy’s boots squeak, and she smiled back at me as we both wondered what he would do next.

He answered that as he lifted me and sat me on Mummy’s lap, telling her to put her arms round me and hug me. When she did this, he used some more rope to tie her wrists together, while I rested my head on her and she said everything was going to be all right. I nodded and said I knew, as the man tied some rope from my wrists to my legs, and then tied Mummy’s wrists to the rope round her legs. We were staying there, that was for sure…

He then took from the bag a roll of silver tape, and made sure Mummy’s hood was over her head before he wrapped it tightly round, covering her mouth as he did so. He did the same to me, as I felt the wool on my head and cheeks – and the tape pulling on my mouth. I tried to speak, but it was only a mumble that came out, so I rested my head on Mummy as we watched him put some things from the display case into his bag, and then went upstairs.

He left a little while later, as we wriggled on each other - but we could not get free. That was when our dog came in and looked at us, and then lay at Mummy’s feet as he went to sleep. I must have fallen asleep as well – because the next thing I remember was Daddy asking if I was all right as he cut the tape from my mouth…

1971

I lived with Mum, Dad and my three sisters in downtown Springfield, just your ordinary everyday family in many ways. Mum had brown hair which the hairdresser invariably set in a bun, and when this happened I was twelve, Cindy ten, Shirl eight and Emma five. Dad worked in the local newspaper, and Mum as – well, Mum.

The week before we had the visitors, Dad had been working late some nights – he said he was finishing off an article, and he did do that form time to time. Then on the Sunday he went into the office, leaving us at home. Mum was wearing a short dress with white sleeves and a white wing collar, the main part in blue with a thin black belt, and blue shoes. I was going out later, so I was wearing a purple long sleeved dress with a brocade front and belt, purple tights and new white knee length boots.

Cindy was going to an event at the synagogue, and had on a grey and white top, short grey skirt, dark tights and black shoes. Shirl and Emma were on the front room, watching cartoons – Shirl had on a green dress with a white lace front and sleeves, white socks and blue shoes, while Emma was in a white blouse, a purple skirt with a wide brown belt, white tights and red shoes.

It was Sunday, nothing was going to happen – and then it did. And it happened when Cindy heard a knock on the door, and thought it was her friend coming to take her to the event, so she ran down and opened it – and then Mum and I heard her scream.

Mum went into the corridor, and I heard her say “oh god – no, don’t hurt her,” so I went out, as did Shirl and Emma – and we saw the three men who had come in. they looked like Dad does when he goes to the office – short sleeved shirts, ties, jackets, trousers – but they had something pulled down over their heads that looked like they were Mum’s stockings. One of them was holding Cindy, with a hand over her mouth, the second one was holding what looked like a rifle, but it seemed much shorter – and the third one ordered all of us to go into the front room, told Mum to draw the drapes over the windows, and told us to sit quietly on the couch.

Well, we were all scared, as Mum told us to do as they said, so we went in and sat down, the man pushing Cindy over to sit next to me, while Mum closed the curtains and then sat in an armchair.

The men looked at us as Cindy started crying, and told us to – well, he told us to be quiet and stop crying, but that wasn’t exactly what he said. He then put a bag he had been carrying on the floor, and told Mum she was going to call Dad and tell him to do something – but first, we all had to be tied up and gagged.

Well, we were really scared now, but I said to Shirl and Emma we could make it like a game of cops and robbers – only it’s only the robbers here right now, the cops would come later. They both nodded as I told them we’d be fine, and then watched as one of the men took out of the bag some lengths of what looked like washing lien that had been cut up.

He told Emma and Shirl to put their hands together in front of themselves, and when they did he used one length each to tie their wrists tightly together. Mum asked what they wanted, but the man with the gun just told her to be quiet and he’d tell her what to say.

The man tying my little sisters up looked up and smiled, before he took two more lengths of the cord and tied their ankles together, just as tightly, and then he tied their legs together below their knees. He then told them to shuffle back in the seat, and when they had done so he tied their wrists to the rope around their legs. He then looked at me and Cindy, and said we were to kneel on the floor, and put our hands behind our backs.

When we did that, there was a knock on the door, and the armed man told us all to be quiet while Mum was told to go and see who it was, and get rid of them. We heard her talking to someone, and saying Cindy was in bed ill, and we realised it was her friend – but we were too scared to say anything, as the man crossed my wrists behind my back, and I felt the rope around them as he tied them together.

He then tied Cindy’s wrists, as Mum came back in and told us we were all been very brave. I wasn’t feeling brave right now – I was scared as he tied my ankles together, and then tied Cindy’s ankles, before he helped us both to sit back to back and he tied us together at our waists and around our upper bodies.

Then came the even scarier bit – he took four white cloths out of the bag, and used one on each of us as a gag, pulling it round our heads and between our lips. It tasted funny on my tongue as he tied the ends together at the back of my neck, but it meant all we could really do was mumble.

I held Cindy’s hand behind my back to show I was all right as the armed man made Mum stand up and walk into the hallway. I could hear her talking to someone – I think it was Dad – and then she came back in – but this time her hands were behind her back as well, and I could see rope around her arms and upper body, keeping them in place.

She sat back in the armchair, and we watched as he tied her ankles together, and her legs below her knees, and then sued another cloth between her lips to keep her quiet as well. All this time, the television had been playing, and as the news programs started Mum mumbled “htwhntntbglhngghrrlss.”

It was at least two hours before the phone rang again, and the man listened to a message, before they all left. When the door closed, Mum started to twist round and I could tell she was trying to get free – Emma and Shirl started to try and call for help, and I could see the cloth had got grey in their mouths. I guess the same thing that was happening to me happened to them – I was getting very thirsty.

Another hour later, the door opened and two policemen came in, removing the cloths and then untying us before we went to the hospital, where Dad met us. They had forced him to hand over his story – but not before he had sent a copy to his editor…

1972

I’d invited Penny back after school for tea, and then so that we could look at some new magazines I had bought over the weekend. As it was, we discovered something else…

I was wearing a very nice blue short sleeved top, a gold mini skirt, and knee length brown leather boots that were laced up the front. Quite the fashionable thing – and Penny was just as smartly dressed, in a purple gingham style dress with puffed sleeves, and short black laced boots that came half way to her knees.

Anyway, we were talking as we walked along the sidewalk to my house, and then we went in the back door as I always do, stopping to get two bottles of coke from the icebox. It was as we walked past the door to my front room that I called out to Mom to say we were going upstairs – and I heard something strange, a muffled call that sounded like Mom, and yet wasn’t.

So I looked in the door – and shrieked “MOM!” My mother was lying on her side on the long seat, looking at me with her eyes wide over a wide strip of sticking plaster that covered her mouth. She was wearing what she had on when I left that morning, a short printed shirt dress and knee length burnt orange suede boots – but there were bands of rope round her ankles and legs, and her hands were behind her back, with more rope around her arms and body.

She looked at me, shook her head and said “RHNNNN” but as I turned round, I saw Penny looking at me – and the big man behind her, covering her mouth with his large hand as he said “great – the kids are home. You going to cause any trouble?”

“No sir,” I whispered, as he nodded and said “good – upstairs, both of you. Stay right there Mommy.”

“Dhnnthhrrthtmphlsss,” I heard her say as he made me and Penny walk in front of him, me taking her hand as she put it out for me to hold so we could tell each other we would be all right. He made us go into my room, but as I passed my Mom and Dad’s room I saw things scattered over the floor.

“Okay you two,” he said as we went into my room, “lie face down on the bed, and put your hands behind your back.”

“We’ve walked into a robbery, haven’t we,” Penny said as we did as he had said, and I felt him cross my hands behind my back as she looked over. I felt the rope on my wrists as he pulled them together, the tight cords rubbing no my wrists as he took them around and between my arms, and then tied the ends out of reach of my fingers.

I looked over and watched as he did the same to Penny, and then crossed her ankles before he tied them tightly together as well. I heard her boots squeak as her legs rubbed together, and then the rope round my own ankles as he tied them as well.

He then made us both roll over and sit up, as he tied our legs together below our knees, and then took one of the longest ropes I had ever seen, and started to wind it round Penny’s upper body. We were both twelve, and our bodies had not really started to develop, but as he took the rope round in two bands I saw her dress as it was pulled over her chest, and saw the strange look in her eyes as she watched.

He then tied two shorter lengths between her arms and body, before it was my turn. It felt very strange as the ropes were pulled tightly round me, and I saw my jumper stretching as well – it felt different, especially after he had tied the shorter lengths to tighten those two bands round my body.

As we looked at him, he then took a roll of sticking plaster out of the bag the ropes had bene in, and tore off two wide strips, pressing one over each of our mouths. Penny looked at me and said “Whtddhwwhhdhnhw?”

“You both stay there,” the man said as he looked at us, “or I pull those legs back and tie them to your other ropes.” We both shook our head as he made us lie down, and then left the room as we started to twist round.

I started to feel hot, flushed – and strange as the ropes rubbed on me – and I looked at Penny as she looked back at me. We just looked at each other for a few minutes, before she shuffled over and put her head on my chest. It just felt nice, right, the best thing to do as I rubbed my cheek on her head, and she rubbed her cheek on my chest…

I don’t know how long after it was, but we heard someone shuffling outside the bedroom door, and then we saw Mom making her way in. She had pushed herself up the stairs, and as she looked at us she said “huhhrrghrrelshllrhtt?”

“Whrfhfnnmmm,” I said as the front door opened and closed, and I heard Dad say “where is everyone?”

“HPPHUUHHRRRR” we all shouted out as he ran up and looked at us, then rushed in and hugged us before he untied us. The man was never caught – but Penny and I became closer friends, and we started to play tie-up games together after that…

1980

It was school photo day in Primary 5, and my twin sister Tanya and I were both sitting side by side, smiling as the photographer looked at us and said “say cheese.”

“CHEESE” we both said, grinning as the flash went off, and he said “great – thank you.” We both jumped off the seat and walked out hand in hand to join the others. I was wearing a brown dress with a little white bit at the neck and a lace collar, with a pair of long light brown boots with a cork heel – and Tanya a red Laura Ashley style dress with a white fern pattern, and similar boots to mine, but a darker brown leather. She also had her brown hair slightly longer than mine – but not much.

We went back to the classroom and sat at our desks, looking at the clock – we had an hour still to go before we left for the day, and Mummy had promised us a special treat when we got home…

As the bell rang, we collected our bags and ran out to see Mummy standing there. She was also wearing a Laura Ashley dress – hers was a long one, with a thin black belt round her waist, and two white lace trims half way up the skirt and at the edge, as well as baggy black boots. She hugged both of us as we ran over, and said “have you had a good day?”

“We have Mummy,” I said with a smile, “are we still going to have a treat?”

“Yes we are – let’s get home then,” she said as she held our hands and we started to walk home. It only took us ten minutes, and we were really excited as she opened the door and we ran in…

And then were grabbed, a gloved hand clamped over my mouth as I saw someone doing the same to Tanya before Mummy came in. She looked at us, and then said “oh my god” as she dropped her handbag on the floor, and put her hands in the air.

“Smart move lady,” a male voice said from behind me, “do as we say, none of you get hurt, understand?”

She looked at us and nodded as she said “they won’t make any noise – please, let them sit on the couch, I’ll turn the television on, it will keep them occupied.”

“Do it,” the man said, “and close the curtains as well.” Tanya and I watched as Mummy walked across the room, and pulled the curtains over the bay window, before she turned the television on and we saw BBC One come on.

“Go and sit on the couch, and do what the people tell you to do,” she then said quietly as we were released, and we walked over before sitting down. We could see the two men now, with what looked like Mummy’s stocking pulled down over their heads. One of them opened a bag he was carrying, and then put Mummy’s hands behind her back as she said “please, they’re just kids.”

“Then it’s an adventure,” the other man said as he looked at us. “Can you both put your hands together in front of you, as if they are a ball?”

We both nodded as he took two lengths of white cord from a pocket, and then he tied our wrists together in front of us, Tanya and me looking at each other as he took the rope around and between our wrists. It was tight, but it didn’t hurt, and when he was done we could not move our wrists apart at all.

I looked at Mummy, who was mow having some rope tied around her arms and tummy, as the second man walked to the bag and took out two more lengths of rope. He then knelt down and tied my ankles together, again taking the rope around and between my legs so that they were held tightly together, but it was the funny noise my boots made when I tried to move my legs that made us both giggle.

Doubly so when he tied Tanya’s ankles together as well, and then found some more rope to tie out legs together below our knees. As he did this, the second man took Mummy upstairs for a few minutes.

“Where’s Mummy going,” Tanya said as he took the rope between her legs.

“Oh don’t worry, she’ll be back in a few minutes,” the man said as he tied the rope off, and then brought two more lengths over, this time using them to tie our wrists to the ropes between our legs. We weren’t going anywhere now, as the man took from the bag a roll of silver tape, and tore a strip off. He stuck that firmly over my mouth, and put a second strip on top of it, before he did the same to Tanya and we had to watch the television quietly.

He was right though – Mummy did come back a few minutes later, looking at us as she was sat in a chair and then her ankles tied together as well. The man also tied her legs together, but above her knees, gathering the skirt of her dress around her legs as he did so.

Some silver tape was then pressed over her mouth before the two men left, and we heard the front door open and close. Mummy started to wriggle round then, her boots squeaking – so Tanya and I did the same thing, the sound of all three of us making our boots rub together and squeaking eventually making us laugh as another program started.

We were stick there until Daddy came home at Six – he freed us, and after we talked to the police he took us all out to a Berni inn for dinner…

1973

This was a Saturday – Mum and Dad were working at the newsagents they ran, and I had been to the Saturday Morning Cinema with my friends at the ABC, while big sis Lesley looked after my younger sister Dawn. It was a warmish day, so I was wearing a new blue dress I had, with a very large white checked pattern on it, blue tights and my brown Frye boots. I had a short alieved white blouse on a swell, the collar over the top of the dress – just to keep the chill out.

Anyway, we all caught the bus back from the centre of town to the estate I lived on, and it must have been about one o’clock when I let myself in. I was eleven at the time, Dawn was five and Lesley seventeen.

The house was quiet, which I thought was a bit funny given how loud Dawn could be, but I soon found out why when I walked into the front room, and Lesley looked at me, shaking her head as she said “Ghhhhlppfhrrmnhxtdhr!”

Now, that did sound funny – but that was because she was sitting in one of the chairs from the dining table, and she had a strip of Elastoplast over her mouth. What was more, Dawn was sitting next to her in her wooden chair – and she had some sticking plaster over her mouth as well.

Dawn was wearing her yellow sundress over a white top, and brown socks with white and yellow strips at the top – but her ankles were tied to the front legs of her chair, and I could see the rope around her waist and the chair back, while her arms went round that back. As for big sis, she was wearing a yellow blouse and pink miniskirt, but she was also tied to the chair, her ankles tied together and pulled under the chair, and her arms around the chair back as well.

Something was very wrong – but before I got the chance to go for help, I was grabbed from behind, a rough hand over my mouth as a deep male voice said “no, I think she’s going to do exactly what we say, aren’t you girlie?”

“Hhhhruh,” I mumbled, but I then heard a laugh as the voice said “someone who’s going to make sure you can’t raise the alarm. You going to keep quiet in the meantime?”

I nodded slowly as the hand was taken away, and then my hands were pulled behind my back, as I felt the rope around my wrists as they were forced together.

“Dnnthrhrhrrr,” Lesley called out as I felt the rope tugged between my arms, and then more rope around my arms and stomach, locking them into place before I was told “lie face down on the couch.”

I walked over and lay on the black leather seats, looking at my sisters as I felt the rope around my ankles, forcing them together, and then around my legs below my knees, before I was told to raise my head. When I did, he pressed something over my mouth which pulled at my skin, and I realised he had put Elastoplast over my mouth as well.

There was footsteps, and then I heard whoever it was go back up the stairs, as I rolled onto my side and looked at the other two. “Hmmshrreeee,” Lesley said, Dawn nodding as I saw a tear run down her cheek.

“Shhllrhtdhnwhllbhfhnn,” I heard myself say, as Lesley started to twist herself round in the chair. I then heard footsteps running down the stairs, and the front door open and close, before a thought struck me.

Where was Mum?

I got an answer to that a few minutes later when I heard some thumping on the stairs, and then Mum jumped in, Elastoplast over her mouth as well as she looked at us. She was wearing a yellow coat mini-dress, and white shoes, but she had been tied as tightly as us, the ropes around her arms and body as well as her legs.

She said “hrrughrlsshllrht,” all of us nodding as she jumped slowly over and kissed Dawn on the head, before turning round. We watched as she started to pick the plaster away from little sis’ mouth – wondering how long before we could call for help…

1975

It was a quiet evening at home – just me, Mum, Dad and my eighteen year old sister Barbara. We had finished our tea – Findus Pancakes and chips with peas – and were sitting watching Nationwide. I was in a blue and white striped dress, with a sash belt, and white tights. Barbara was in her work clothes – a mustard coloured blouse and crochet cardigan, checked miniskirt and brown shoes.

Mum was in the kitchen washing the dishes, while Dad sat with his pipe in his mouth. He was wearing a brown and cream striped t-shirt, black trousers, socks and shoes – he worked as a driver for a local firm.

Anyway, as I said, we were watching television when there was a crashing noise in the kitchen. Dad stood up, and called out to Mum to ask if she was all right, but none of us was expecting her to be pushed back in the room, her hands behind her back – or the two men who came in with her. They were big men, wearing boiler suits and gloves, and they both had black ski masks over their heads, so that we could only see their eyes and mouths.

The worst thing though as one of them had a gun, and pointed it at us, telling us to sit down and shut up, and if we did as they said, nobody got hurt. Mum was crying as she walked to be with Dad, and I saw she had some brown rope around her wrists, holding them together behind her back.

Dad asked if she was all right, but she shook her head as she, Barbara and I were ordered to sit next to each other on the couch. Barbara and I were then told to lean forward, and put our hands behind our back, while the man with the gun stood with Dad. We did this, and I felt the rope rubbing on my wrists as the second man pulled it tightly round them, forcing them together as he made sure it was very tightly tied. I watched as he tied Barbara’s wrists as well, and then we were both pulled back in the seat as we looked at Mum.

Dad asked what they wanted – we weren’t exactly rich, and we didn’t have any money. That was when the man said they didn’t want money – they wanted Dad to take one of them to his depot and drive a van for them.

Well, Dad said he would not – and the man said if we did not, it would be us who got hurt. Mum shook her head, and pleaded with Dad to do what they said, and he eventually nodded in agreement. He then had to watch as we all had our ankles tied together side by side with more rope. Mum was wearing a black and grey dress, and I could see she was crying as they tied her ankles together.

The rope hurt – it was rough, and it was tight on my wrists and ankles, but I was too scared to say anything. I looked at Barbara, who nodded and said we would be all right, and I nodded as well as the man said to – gag us?

The next thing I knew, a rolled up headscarf was pulled between my lips and tied tightly round my head, Barbara and Mum getting one tied into their mouths as well, before the second man made Dad walk out, the first man sitting in the armchair and watching us as the television stayed on.

We had no idea who they were, or what was happening to Dad, as Top of the Pops, Tomorrow’s World, a whole lot of other programs came on. I could feel the scarf getting wet in my mouth, and I saw a dark stain between Mum and Barbara’s lips, as it got dark outside, and my eyes got very heavy…

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up Mum and Barbara were asleep as well. It was dark, and the television was off, but we were all still tied up, all still gagged.

Something had changed though – the man had gone, and as I listened I realised there was nobody else in the house. So I shuffled forward, managed to get onto my feet, and very carefully jumped to the kitchen, finding a pair of scissors and somehow managing to cut my wrists free. I then sat down and cut the rope round my ankles, before I went into the hallway and picked up the telephone receiver.

Only to see the wire had been cut – so I opened the door and looked out. I could see a light on in the house next door, so I ran round and banged on the door. When it was opened, the woman looked at me as I cried that my mum and sister were tied up in our house!

Her husband came out, and told me to wait there while he went round. A few minutes later, he came back and told me he had freed them, and I hugged them as they came in while he called the police. Dad was found at his work – they had hit him, but he was all right, and he said we had been very brave when he got home…

1971

Mum was a model for catalogues and knitting patterns – and she liked doing the job, so much that sometimes my big sister and me got roped in for the shoot. The day the woman called, that was what we were doing – because we were going to a show later, the people doing the shoot allowed us to go home in the outfits.

I was ten years old at the time, with my blonde hair in a pudding bowl cut, and they had dressed me in a red jumper, black shorts, knee length white socks and black shoes. Mandy is a year older than me, and that day was in a red wool cardigan, a grey pleated skirt, white tights and black Mary Jane shoes.

As for Mum, she was wearing a green fitted jacket and knee length skirt, with white flat shoes. She also had her rings, gold bracelets and earrings in, but the one thing we all wanted to do was get home so that we could go and see the show.

Mum had a Morris Minor, and it was a half hour drive home, but Mandy and I spent the time playing I-Spy, with our Big Chief I-Spy books to fill in. We parked outside our house, went in – and then we saw the two women in our front room, with papers scattered over it.

They were both wearing blue boiler suits and gloves, but when they turned and looked at us we saw they had scarves tied over the lower half of their faces. Mum looked at them, before one of them walked quickly over and grabbed both of us, putting her gloved hands over our mouths as she told Mum not to do anything stupid.

Mum slowly nodded as the second woman walked over, and told Mum to take her jewellery off, and put it in a leather bag she was holding. I looked at Mandy, too scared to do anything as she took her rings, bracelets and earrings off, and put them into the bag, the second woman nodding before she told her to lie face down on our long seat, and put her hands on her head.

“Whhhrrudhnnn,” I mumbled as I tasted the leather glove on my lips.

“Robbing you kid - now we gotta make sure you and your mummy can’t tell anyone about us for a while,” she said as the other woman took some brown rope from a bag, and pulled Mum’s hands behind her back, crossing her wrists and tying them tightly together. She then crossed and tied her ankles in the same way, before pulling them back and tying them to her wrists.

Mum looked at us and told us we had to be brave, but I was looking at how she was lying on the couch, wondering why I was so interested in how she looked. The woman then tore a strip of sticking plaster from a roll, and pressed it over Mum’s mouth, then looked at us.

The woman holding us told us not to talk, but to go and kneel in front of the couch where Mum was, and to put our hands behind our back. I nodded as Mandy and I walked forward, and did as she said, then I looked to the side as she began to tie Mandy’s wrists together. She had doubled the rope over, and pulled it round her wrists so they were held together, then wound it round a few more times before she separated the ends and tied them between her arms. Mandy was biting her lower lip, as the ropes rubbed on her wrists, and then she looked over and smiled at me.

I then felt the rope on my own wrists – it was rough, but as they were held together I had to admit I was finding it exciting – something about this whole situation was good, and I had no idea what it was. I felt the rope tightening, and then I felt my ankles been held together as well with more rope.

Looking over, I saw Mandy having her ankles tied together as well, before we were made to sit back to back on the floor. As one of the women tied us together with the biggest length of rope I had seen, the other one pressed a strip of sticking plaster over my mouth, and I heard Mandy grunt behind me as she had plaster put over her mouth as well. It tugged on the skin on my face, and as I wriggled round I felt the rope rubbing on me – as I held Mandy’s hand in mine.

I looked at Mum, who had rolled onto her side and was watching us as she wriggled round as well – and that was the sight I could not take my eyes off as she tried to speak to us, but could not. It was a strange feeling – not just in my head, but also in my body as I felt something stirring inside me, a feeling I had never had before as I twisted round.

I didn’t even notice the two women had left as there as I felt a throbbing start, and was beginning to get scared – but it was only a little while before a policeman came in. He had seen the open door as he passed, and come in to see if everything was all right.

We were freed, and Mum told us to change as she went upstairs with us, but those feelings I had experienced were still in my head – and I think now, that’s where my interest started…

1981

The thing I remember most about that night is just how calm Mum and Dad were when the whole thing started – especially as I had two friends round to stay the night, and they had to be kept calm as well.

The three of us were going to a theatre trip to London the next morning, and so I had asked Zoe and Patricia to come and stay the night beforehand. We lived in a big house on the outskirts of town – Dad is a very important person in his company – and given we were all eleven years old, Mum agreed to make it a proper party for the three of us, with popcorn and Betamax tapes.

We have a big TV room, with a huge 21” screen television, and I remember getting the snacks and drinks ready before they arrived that night. I was wearing a white t-shirt with orange short sleeves, a long gypsy skirt in the same shade of orange that had two grey bands with little white spots, and my brown Frye boots. Then I had long black hair, which was combed back.

Zoe was the first to arrive, taking off her duffle coat to reveal a light blue and white checked poncho over a long sleeved white top, her jeans tucked into her long black leather boots. As she tucked into some Hula Hoops, the doorbell rang again, and Patricia was shown in. While Zoe had blonde hair, Patricia had curly dark brown hair, and she was wearing a long sleeved crimson velvet dress with a white blouse underneath, and grey cowboy-style boots.

Mum asked if we needed anything else, but I shook my head as I opened some bottles of Coke, and we looked at the tapes I had. Eventually, we decided we would watch Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, and I pressed the button to open the top up, putting the black box in and then pressing it down again as Zoe turned the television on.

And that was it – we were settled in for a film, and some fun – and then there was the doorbell ringing again, and I heard Mum, then Dad, their voices raised in anger.

We looked at each other, wondering what was going on, but before I could go and find out, the door to the TV room was thrown open and Mum was pushed in by a big man – a scary big man, who had a gun in his hand and called out that he had found the kids.

Two more men came in, with Dad, and I saw he had his hands behind his back. He looked at Mum, and then said we all needed to remain calm – the men were going to do something to us to stop us moving round, but we were not to try and stop them.

I nodded as we held each other, before one of the two men with Dad held up three coils of brown rope. Dropping two on the floor, he made a lasso with the third one, and asked which one was “their kid.” I held my hand up, and then he dropped the lasso over me, pulling it tight so that my arms were held against my sides. He wound it round twice, then told me to put my hands together in prayer in front of me. I did that, and watched as he pulled the rope tightly round them, and then tied my legs together over my skirt, before he took what was left and tied my ankles tightly together. As a result, my wrists were tied down to my lap and to my legs, and I could only wriggle round, watching as he picked up another rope, made another lasso, and started to tie Patricia up in the same way.

Zoe was crying, so Mum knelt next to her and stroked her head, saying she knew she was scared, but it was all going to be all right. I wasn’t so sure – especially when she was pulled away and Zoe ended up the same way as me and Patricia, unable to move our hands and only able to wriggle round. There was one other thing – a squeaky noise, which I realised was made when my boots, or Zoe’s boots, rubbed together. Patricia didn’t get the same sort of noise when she twisted round, but it was a funny thing to hear.

We had to watch then as one of the men tied Mum’s wrists together behind her back, and then two of them dragged my parents out of the room, the third one closing the door and watching over us. We looked at each other, and decided there was only one thing we could do – keep watching the film.

When it finished, he turned the television on – before one of his ‘friends’ came back in, and tossed him a roll of silver tape. He smiled at us, tore a strip off – and then pressed it firmly over my mouth, two more following before he did the same to the other two.

Now we couldn’t even talk to each other – but that wasn’t the worst thing that happened. That was when they picked Zoe and Patricia up and carried them both out of the room, while I screamed at them. Well, I say scream, it sounded like something else, as the tape meant my mouth was closed tight shut.

One of them then came down and picked me up, carrying me up the stairs. As I passed my room, I saw Zoe and Patricia on the floor, tied together back to back – but I was taken into Mum and Dad’s room. Mum was sitting on the bed, up by the headboard, and I saw they had tied her ankles and legs together as well. I was sat next to her, and my ankles tied to her legs, before the two men left us. She had the silver tape over her mouth as well, as she kissed my forehead, and then rubbed against me as she tried to talk to me.

I wondered where Dad was, and I could see Mum was looking round – so I said “Whrssdhddd?”

“Thtthkhmmm,” she mumbled back, and I realised there were only two men in the house – the third must have taken Dad somewhere. We heard the front door open and close – and then Mum started to rub the side of her mouth on the headboard. I wondered what she was trying to do – and then realised as the tape slowly came away from her mouth. When it finally came off, she whispered if I was all right, and I nodded as she started to scream for help.

Luckily, a man was passing and ran in – he called the police from a phone box down the road, because they had pulled the phone from our wall, and then came back to release us all…

1977

It was a very strange time to be a teenager – Glam rock had just run the course, and Punk was just round the corner, so sitting in my room with Lynn and listening to Genesis was something of the norm for passing the evening.

I was thirteen, and Lynn twelve – it was a Saturday, so we had been to the Adventist meeting that day, and were relaxing at home. I remember I was wearing a black mini-dress, with a little white collar and cuffs on the short sleeves, and long black socks with brown shoes. Lynn was also wearing a shirt dress, but hers was a white sleeveless one with buttons up the front, and she had a long sleeved blue blouse underneath it, as well as long white socks and black shoes.

It must have been about six, and Dad had gone to an evening meeting, so we were expecting Mum to call us down for supper. But when it got to six thirty, and she had not called up, we decided to go downstairs and see what had happened. Sometimes, she fell asleep, and when that happened we would cook supper and then wake her up. When we looked in the living room, however, it was clear she had not fallen asleep.

She was lying on her side on the couch, her head resting on the wooden arm, and as she looked at us she shook her head and tried to say something. She wasn’t making any sense however – because someone had covered her mouth with silver tape. They had also wound silver tape round her ankles, legs, waist and arms, and her hands were behind her back.

Mum was wearing a tartan coat dress, with a black belt round her waist – at least, I presumed it was still round her waist, as there was a band of silver round that now. I could also see the heels of her brown shoes, as he kept trying to tell us something.

Before we could do anything, however, a hand was pressed over my mouth, and as I looked over I saw a leather gloved hand over Lynn’s mouth as well. Mum looked at both of us and shook her head, but a male voice said something about it saved him going upstairs, and told us both to keep quiet, and put our hands behind our back.

Well, I realised now someone had tied Mum up, and used the tape to keep her quiet – and he was going to do the same to us, as I heard a ripping sound and felt something tug on the bare skin of my wrists as they were forced together. I told Lynn to keep calm, and she nodded as I watched whoever it was tape her wrists together with the tape coming off a large roll.

He had large hands, and he seemed to be wearing a blue boiler suit, but I didn’t look any more as he started to wrap the tape round my sister’s arms and body, making two silver bands as she stared straight ahead.

That was when I started to silently pray, as I felt the tape forcing my own arms into my sides, and then we forced to sit back to back on the floor. I saw him now – big, very big, bearded, and a wild look in his eyes as he wound more tape round our waists to hold us together, and then taped my ankles together, my calves together, and my thighs together.

Mum was still trying to talk to us, I think to keep us calm, so I found Lynn’s hand and gave her fingers a squeeze as I listened to the sound of the tape been torn from the roll. He then knelt in front of me, and brushed my hair away from my face – before he tore a strip of tape off and pressed it over my mouth.

Then another strip. And another. Only then did he nod, and I heard him taping over Lynn’s mouth as well.

He then left the three of us in the room, Mum twisting round as the tape he had used to bind her up crinkled. We were both too scared to move, as we heard him in the kitchen – and then silence.

Dad found us when he returned two hours later – Mum told us when we were free he was an escaped prisoner who had surprised her in the kitchen, then used some tape to secure her and keep her quiet. She had hoped he would go before we came down – but sadly, that did not happen…

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