Heather Lea wasn’t there when it happened; she was 19 and newly married. But her sister June was only 13 and had been looking forward to the family’s annual fortnight on the Isle of Man. Reg, Heather’s husband, drove June and her parents to the ferry terminal in his car. Heather remembers her mother turning to wave goodbye.
The Cheetham family lived in a council house on the edge of Kirkby, Liverpool. Heather shared a bedroom with June and her older sister, Mavis. Their father, Richard, a typesetter in the printing business, was an ex-sergeant in the RAF who insisted shoes were polished on a Sunday night. Her mother, Elizabeth, was timid, with a mischievous side.
When Heather was small they went on day trips to Southport or Rhyl. But in 1964 they saved up to go to the Isle of Man. After that, they went back every year; they always stayed with Mr and Mrs Christian, who ran a…
