@spilleroftea
What did you think of Sue and Noel having so many children when you were friends with her? Did you realize that it was a bad thing, abusive even? Or were you sucked into the Sue vortex and not really thinking about it? No judgement here, I've been sucked into groups where I've lost all sense of logic and didn't start thinking clearly until I was out of the group. It becomes almost like a cult.
Good question.
We were on a group for larger than average families.
At first I had seen 16KAC and was a bit like OMG and WOW, at that time we were not really friends.
As got to know her and the family I didnt see Sue as Sue mum of 16/17/18 I just saw someone who I thought was an ok person.
Then over the years you start to see things differently, like when she would moan about Noel being tight or always at the pub. The time when she was going to leave him, at this point I actually felt quite sorry for her and saw her as trapped. But we were friends.
When Alfie happened I felt so upset for them and didnt blame them for just one more, when she showed me the test i was genuinely so Happy for her.
After Hallie I thought she should stop, for me Alfie was a wake up call and her body saying its enough.
I am sure the mums net incident was when she was preg with Phoebe and we all spent time tracking down who had done it,. Then lied and denied it on her behalf. literally days later she announced it in the sun and I was like WTF.
I then thought maybe Archie would be the last being a boy after Alfie and it wasnt.
Another wake up call was when she told me she was 14and Noel was 16, this was when it was said on the programme 13 and 17 and people called noel a weirdo, again I supported and defended her. I soon found the truth and for meI couldnt trust her but still was friends. Each pregnancy started to be whooo who cares? lol
And in the last year I didnt even take much notice.
Sue became very funny with me when I had a baby BOY which looking back was weird and unfollowed me on insta but was still friends on facebook, at this point I knew she had changed.
Now overall I never really judged, they always seamed well cared for and she was a friend. I always thought that a family that big was never for me, but meh.
I knew the magic pie shop was a lie, she said herself about benefits but I know how big families get so figured it was just to stop the judging.
There were times when things happened and I would see the truth. The past year I really saw it and would ignore her. When she announced being preg and it was a drunken mistake, I dont think I even said congrats.
It was hard because no one in our circle spoke out but once we did so did everyone else.
Yep for a long while I was a bit of a minion, but more to Sue my friend and not to the Radford Family, yep I saw things and put them to the back of my head.
But the truth crept up on me for a couple of years before the fall out and the last year I really saw it but didnt dare to speak out incase of getting lynched.
Sorry this is long!!