| We met in
Feb 2000 and in July 2000 Kelly moved to the UK from the US with her daughter
Mandy who is autistic with extreme learning difficulties and hyperacusis.
That's us to the right (from left to right - Mandy, Nigel & Kelly). Kelly
and I married in Jan 2001. We then endured a tough time as immigration (in their greater wisdom LOL) decided that Kelly and I were not in a legally subsisting marriage (despite us providing all the relevant documents). This resulted in Kelly and Mandy being refused indefinite leave of stay, which we appealed against. As a result, Kelly and Mandy were without their passports and any form of identity for 3 1/2 years until we won the appeal with a 2 minute appearance in court in January 2005. The immigration case was immediately thrown out by the judge upon my wife entering the court. Both Kelly and Mandy then had to wait a further five months before their passports were stamped with their new visas. We had both collected a lot of memorabilia over the years but had to sell most of it off to make ends meet during this time. As you can imgaine, none of this did my wife any good as she suffers from bipolar disorder. It was during this time that our ttm autograph collecting really took off, although lack of finances limited the purchase of stamps, so at times few requests were sent. Basically, we collect autographs together as a hobby we can enjoy from home due to having limited opportunities for getting out and about. It is a bit of fun in our lives that gives us some wonderful memories to look back on. Both Kelly and I love watching films, and have some favourite TV shows dating back to the 1960s ( and beyond). Our collecting matches our tastes, and only extends beyond that by accident on rare occasions. We do not believe in collecting autographs to bulk a collection, but to collect autographs that have meaning and special memories for us. More importantly they will help fund Mandy's care and future when one or both of us are gone. |
 Useful Links The National Autistic Society Bipolar Aware BBC Health Bipolar page Hyperacusis Trott & Gentry Legal Services |