Speaker 1
discoveries at 25 Cromwell Street reached John Gough, a senior officer of the Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service. The address was significant to John and his wife, June. Almost 21 years earlier, in April 1973, June Gough returned home to find a note from her 19-year-old daughter, Linda. You read, Dear Mum and Dad, please don't worry about me. I have got a flat, and I will come and see you sometime. Linda was a cheerful, happy and friendly young woman. She accepted advice, but as she grew older, she started to rebel in a typical teenager way. While John and June cared for Linda deeply, they also respected her desire for independence. Although her letter didn't indicate where she had gone or what she planned on doing, her parents discovered that she'd found work as a seamstress. This eased their concerns. They were certain Linda would eventually return home of her own volition, as she wouldn't have the funds to support living independently for long. But days turned to weeks, with no word from Linda. Her 20th birthday came and went without any contact. John and June Gough grew anxious. By the third week of silence, June went looking for her daughter. She visited the seamstress where Linda worked and learned that Linda was residing at a house a short distance away. She was working as a live-in nanny for the family at 25 Cromwell Street. When June laid eyes on the bleak and quiet three-story residence, a chill ran through her body. She knocked on the front door and was greeted by the homeowners, Fred and Rose West. June recognised Rose. She had stopped by the Gough house a few weeks earlier to take Linda out for a drink. But when June asked about Linda, the West said they didn't know her. As they chatted on the doorstep, June Gough looked down and noticed that Rose was wearing her daughter's slippers. Her blouse also looked like one of Linda's. June peered past Fred and Rose and into their rear garden. Several items of clothing belonging to Linda were hanging on the couple's washing line. June pointed this out. Rose admitted that Linda had stayed with them briefly, but had since moved on, leaving some of her clothing behind. According to the West, Linda had mentioned going to a seaside resort called Western Super Mayor. John and June Gough were upset and confused that their daughter had left Gloucester without saying goodbye. They went to Western Super Mayor but found no trace of Linda there. They followed up with various welfare organisations and discussed the situation with a neighbour who was a police officer. The general consensus was that Linda was an adult seeking life experiences.
