Ex just dumped us, had to go to the Church for enough to buy the kids a meal that night- so fetched out the paints students threw away at the end of the day into the bins-- however, it gave my paintings a mass of interesting colours and textures, as I painted every spare minute so as not to think in our new home Sheffield! Brought up east european community, as enemy aliens brought to work, former refugee camps as I was born '45, we did not get benefits so did not even imagine the possibility of asking for help! Step father, different nationality, told me at marriage, I give you to him, don't come back asking for anything.