HISTORY OF WORK - ELAINE GROSSART

HISTORY OF WORK - ELAINE GROSSART
WHILST IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH HAMISH GROSSART

I have always worked since I completed full time education.

Challenger UK – I took on this position in order that I could pay my way and pay the rent on the Sawmill Cottage. I felt it was important to be independent. This is the way I have been brought up.

I worked full-time with a recruitment agency (Macploy- Queen Street) whilst living with Hamish. He was not happy with this arrangement and asked me to stop working as I was needed to help with the children. I decided to go part-time but this proved difficult because Hamish could not pick up the girls at 3.00 or 3.30 on the days he had access to them and it was convenient for me to do so. I gave in and gradually the girls came to Easter Belmont two days in the week, sometimes three if Fiona had another commitment (and every second weekend) I never went out in the evening on my own. Hamish and did have a social life and my evenings out were spent with him. We were asked various supper and dinner parties. I accompanied him to many shoots and we became quite socialable as a couple but I still was not encouraged to have a life of my own within out relationship or indeed within my marriage.

Hamish suggested that he would find a way of paying me so that I would not have to work so I became an employee of Petronius. He put various expenses through on my behalf and even put my petrol through as an expenses, or so I was led to believe.

I sold my Vitara jeep and he bought me an Audi Sport which he purchased at the same time as a purchased a car for Fiona (heavily discounted).

I was offered various jobs throughout the 18 months I was living at Easter Belmont but Hamish continued with the same line –‘I need you to help at home’ ‘the girls need you because their mother is barking’.

During the time at Easter Belmont I helped him with all his secretarial work, organisation, travel etc.I looked after the girls, washed, ironed all the childrens’ clothes, Hamish’s clothes and maintained the flat. I cooked all meals – bought the food. We entertained a little but I was not encouraged in any way to see any of my friends from my previous life nor my own friends from work, or family and extended family apart from my mother, father and brother (see note HG’s’Controlling Behaviour’)