After the sudden death of Pete's wife Dorothy at the age of 31, Pete was left to bring up his two daughters, Vivien, aged Four, and Deborah, aged only 14 months, on his own..

A GLIMMER OF HOPE

At this time, Pete was still writing and illustrating for horticulture journals, and he had his first book. 'Pass Me A Codeine'  published

PETE'S CAMPAIGN FOR ONE-PARENT FAMILIES

Pete discovered that, whereas women who lost their husbands were entitled to a Widow's Pension  to help them out, men who had lost their wives were entitled to nothing...

So, after moving back to Stevenage with his two daughters, he decided to enlist the help of local MP Mrs Shirley Williams, to bring about a 'One Parent Family Allowance' for all parents, regardless of sex, to get financial help.

These cuttings (above and below) explain how Pete's campiagn progressed...

 Mrs Shirley Williams MP

 click on bottom right hand corner of documents to enlarge.THE LETTERS FROM MRS WILLIAMS AND THE COMMITTEEHere, in order, are some of the many letters from Mrs Williams to Pete, regarding his efforts to get a fair deal for lone fathers, and all one-parent families.You will note how Mrs Williams praises Pete for wanting to bring up his two little girls himself, and how she recognises Pete's ability to express himself through the written world. * * * * * * *In one letter, you will note that Mrs Williams tells Pete that she will consider his idea at a later date, when she has the time.Some of these letters show the notes that Pete made in the margins of the letters, in order to keep up his campaign for a One-Parent Family Allowance.The idea proposed by Pete was to have 'Baby Changing rooms' as well as male and female toilets, in all UK towns, so that any parent, regardless of gender, can take young children to the toilet and to change their nappies.Stevenage was the first town to have this facility in The Town Centre.* * * * * * *

 

The final letter is from G C F SLADDEN, Secretary for The Committee on One-Parent Families, brought about through the combined efforts of Mrs Williams and Pete Perry...

 

To read details of letters, click on R/H corner of each letter, then use the magnifier on your computer (bottom R/H corner of screen).CLICK HERE FOR CONTINUATION OF ARCHIVES...