▁and ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁was ▁under ▁psych iat ric ▁care . ▁On ▁ 8 ▁November ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁a ▁week ▁after ▁dis charg ing ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁Ash urst ▁clin ic ▁in ▁Oxford , ▁Jos iffe ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁to ▁see ▁Thor pe . ▁He ▁was ▁p enn il ess , ▁hom eless ▁and , ▁worse , ▁had ▁left ▁Vater ' s ▁employ ment ▁without ▁the ▁National ▁In sur ance ▁card ▁which , ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁was ▁essential ▁for ▁obtain ing ▁regular ▁work ▁and ▁access ▁to ▁social ▁and ▁un emp loyment ▁benefits . ▁Thor pe ▁promised ▁he ▁would ▁help . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Jos iffe ' s ▁account , ▁a ▁hom osex ual ▁l ia ison ▁with ▁Thor pe ▁began ▁that ▁same ▁evening , ▁at ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁( U rs ula ▁Thor pe , ▁n ée ▁N orton - Gr iff ith s , ▁( 1 9 0 3 - 1 9 9 2 )) ▁home ▁in ▁O xt ed , ▁and ▁continued ▁for ▁several ▁years . ▁Thor pe , ▁while ▁acknowled ging ▁that ▁a ▁friendship ▁developed , ▁denied ▁any ▁sexual ▁dimension ▁in ▁the ▁relationship . ▁He ▁organ ised ▁accommod ation ▁for ▁Jos iffe ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁a ▁longer - term ▁stay ▁with ▁a ▁family ▁in ▁Bar n st ap le , ▁within ▁the ▁North ▁Dev on ▁constitu ency . ▁He ▁paid ▁for ▁advert is ements ▁in ▁Country ▁Life ▁magazine , ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁find ▁work ▁with