RESIDENTS at Cleveland Manor gathered to celebrate war veteran Eddie Robinson and the publication of his autobiography, a story of hardship, resilience and the family he never expected to find.
At 87, Mr Robinson has released A Lifetime of Dreams – From an Orphan to a Vibrant Family Life, tracing a journey from a traumatic childhood to army service, music, travel and a remarkable reunion with relatives he never knew existed.
For many in the room, it was the first time they had heard the full story of a man born in 1939 into desperate circumstances, with his mother unable to afford support.
His early years were marked by hunger, abuse and constant movement through foster homes and the Dr Barnardo’s system.
“I had no family,” Mr Robinson told the audience.
“I didn’t even think I was interested in a family.
“I was myself.”
He joined the army at 15, finding purpose through military life and music after learning to play the tuba.
His service took him through the Middle East and Europe, including patrols in Cyprus and concerts in London, where he once performed in luminous socks.
Mr Robinson recalled both the humour and loneliness of those years.
A mischievous dog that caused a false alarm while he was on patrol, and a Christmas Eve when a stranger cleaning a London building invited him home after learning he had nowhere to go.
But the defining turn in his life came decades later when his daughter entered his name into the Ancestry website.
“A leaf popped up and suddenly I had a family, a very big family,” he said.
Within weeks, Mr Robinson had travelled to England to meet a sister he never knew existed.
He later found himself in a wedding hall surrounded by almost 90 relatives.
The discoveries prompted him to begin recording his memories, initially as notes scribbled beside his bed.
Writing his book helped him revisit parts of his life he had spent years trying to block out.
“If you can get just one new brain cell, it improves the quality of your life.”
Mr Robinson hopes his autobiography will encourage others to preserve their own stories.
“You don’t have to be famous to have a story worth telling,” he said.
