I was pleased, I can tell you, when the memorabilia were actually taken away and installed in the museum at West Ham. They were so precious to so many people and I had felt totally responsible for them. It was important that they stayed with the nation and West Ham have done a good job.
Now there is that big statue of him at Upton Park as well. It sounds ridiculous but whenever I go there, I sense his presence and it makes me cry. Not because I am still in love with him - that all finished long ago - but because I was married to this wonderful man for so long, and his children and I are so proud of his achievements. And I feel choked with sorrow as well. It is just so sad that he didn’t live to enjoy his grandchildren.
Who knows about life? It could have been me dead and Bobby skipping about. Knowing that makes me determined to live every day as fully as I can. You never know what’s waiting for you round the corner.
I feel as if my life has been charmed. I had a wonderful childhood, surrounded with love and blessed with a mother who cared enough to instill good values in me. I met and married a marvellous man. Over the twenty-five years I spent loving him and supporting him he gave me so much love, caring and fun in return. Thanks to him, I had a fantastic lifestyle and was able to meet some of the most fascinating people of my generation.
We had two children we both loved to distraction. They have inherited Bobby’s tremendous strength of character and we have remained a close-knit family. I have three super grandchildren. Poppy is beautiful, elegant and loving. At thirteen, she has turned into a real stunner with thick, long blonde hair, beautiful thick-lashed blue eyes and dimples. And I love it that she has inherited Bobby’s regal bearing.
Freddie, Roberta’s first-born, came into this world on 28 April 1996 - he’s a native New Yorker. The first time I saw him, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I bent over his crib and kissed him and said, ‘Oh - you’re back!’ I meant it. He was the image of Bobby.
His full name is Frederick Robert, of course, just as his grandfather was Robert Frederick. And like his grandfather he didn’t like to sleep too much at first, especially at night. I was living in New York then, so I moved in with Matt and Roberta for two weeks to look after him. I was so happy when he and I bonded immediately. The best discovery was that I was the only one who could make him sleep. I would rock him and stomp up and down the room singing ‘The Blaydon Races’. He loved it - or at least went to sleep to escape the racket. Now he has grown into a gorgeous, talented boy. Not only does he have Bobby’s blond hair but, it would appear, his sporting ability - he is already rated a really promising tennis player.
And then there is Ava Elizabeth, Roberta and Matt’s second. She was born, like Freddie, at Lennox Hill Hospital in New York. And the date? 30 July 1999 - the thirty-third anniversary of England’s World Cup victory.
Once again I moved in with Roberta to help out and allow her to get some rest. Ava was a beautiful, sweet-natured delight from the start. She, too, has the Moore dimples, and curly hair like Shirley Temple’s. She’s a big, big personality, full of life and confidence - it’s that X-factor which Bobby had. She lights up a room with her presence and her stunning smile. And me, ‘Mimi’, what do I think? I’m just madly in love with her!
But then again, I’m madly in love with them all. It’s one of my great sorrows that Bobby isn’t here to take part in their lives, but they love to listen to stories about him, not just of his fame and celebrity, but about Bobby the man and father. They always talk about Granddad Bobby. They will never forget him.
The end of my marriage was devastating. I never want to endure that sort of pain again. Even so, Bobby was right.
When we were splitting up, he told me that I was strong and that I would cope without him. At the time, I found that hard to believe but it turned out I did have an inner strength of which I hadn’t been aware. I have discovered a very different person from the one I thought I was. I hope and believe I’ve grown as an individual through what happened to me.
I have made new friends on both sides of the Atlantic and worked hard to keep old friends, too. I value them all so much. They have helped me through the tough times and laughed with me at the many comic events that have come my way.
What has helped me all along the way is being able to laugh in adversity. That sense of humour is one of the things that attracted Bobby. As for my love of life, it hasn’t diminished - it has grown. If I have learnt anything, it’s that you have to ‘grasp the moment’. Carpe diem. Some of the Latin at Ilford High did sink in after all!
I have made some decisions that seemed strange at the time and have taken many gambles. Fortunately, they seem to have paid off. I have gone into property development, both in London and in the States, and experienced the satisfaction of being successful at my chosen career.
The Argentine tango is one of my passions. I have got to know so many people through that wonderful dance. And having got so much enjoyment out of writing this book, I am trying my hand at a novel. My life is packed with friends and projects and activities and I have reached a stage where I feel contented and fulfilled.
Even so, I suspect I have many an adventure ahead - and I hope I have a lot of living left to do. Because part of me will always be that young girl in the boat-necked dress, stepping over the threshold of the Ilford Palais, full of anticipation and curiosity and with all the excitements and trials and joys of life before her. And like that young girl, I still believe that as long as you’ve got friends and money in your purse, you’ll survive.
I am so grateful to Bobby. He has left fantastic memories that I treasure, and as I get older I realize how important they are. Thank you, Bobby. You will always have a special place in my heart.