Happy May Day!

Not dancing round the Maypole as I gave that up when I left Junior School - both of them!!!
Anyhow it isn't very good weather for dancing on the village green - ugh!
The weather has matched my mood of late as I have been proper poorly - betcha didn't even miss me  lol 
Went to the Drs today, only 'cos I promised DH I'd go - nothing happening there and another wasted journey ....... caught me for my annual bloods so I have to do those now .....
I am still busy researching the old family tree, it gets so fascinating - looks like a have found a great great back in 1781 - Sally!  When I find a way into the Irish records I will be up all hours but what the heck! I'm retired!
I watched a programme last night where the owner of a self build house said she would probably build another when she retired - got news for you darlin' ...... it don't work like that!!    Especially if our local labour Councillor gets in - he wants to find jobs for the elderly .......... hasn't he heard   WE'VE WORKED FOR THE PAST 50 YEARS!!!!!

DUH!!


Further thoughts........     Not all my memories are of my childhood, some of are recent years and I think these should also be incorporated into here.  Not everyone is aware, even now, of happenings in my adult life and, although I want this blog to keep family stories in the family, there are happenings that are more recent but not involving my current family who may not be confirmable with them. 

But it is part of me and as always, what you see is what you get!!

I think it will be random memories now as I continue to research the family so here is random:

Take my cousin Irene, who now lives in Telford – she moved down from Newcastle some years ago with her husband who was looking for work.  I didn’t really have much to do with her although I was aware that she had moved and then her mother Agnes also moved to Telford.  Suddenly I had some of my father’s family living nearby and so I went to visit Agnes as I felt a responsibility to her. 

We had a lovely afternoon of talking, Irene came round and then when one of her sons came round he started talking to me as he thought I was Irene!!! Yes! The family likeness is there, we are very much alike to look at, even now.  His face was a picture when he realised what was happening and how we all laughed about it, I felt it brought us all that much closer after the years had estranged us.  I don’t think I had seen Agnes since she visited us when we lived in Robin Hood Lane

– now there is a story!!

That lovely sunny day – wasn't it always! - I was doing my washing and went up the garden to hang it out, those of you who were old enough at the time will remember that I had a line that stretched from the Patio right up to the Rose beds. 

So there I am pegging out the washing when I am aware that someone has come through my back gate.  This woman is walking round to my back door and I have no idea who she is or what she wants.  Well!  I am down that garden path crying out “OI!    What do you want?” 

She turns slowly, looks at me and then beckons to someone still standing in the entry.  
 Uh! Uh!  Who’s coming in now? 

A man and a woman come onto the patio by which time I have also arrived there. 

This woman says, with a loud Geordie voice “is that you Christine?”  weeeell!  Someone who knows me but who can it be??!?! 

She starts to laugh as does the other woman who says in a Geordie accent “do you not recognise us?” 

Well I look again and then see that it is Agnes and so this must be Irene with Joe!!!!! “Agnes!”  I say and there are hugs all round.  They come into the house, with me apologising all the time for the mess (I had a twin tub machine then so it had to be hauled out into the kitchen itself, and I usually piled my washing in heaps of the same colours around it).  We stepped across this and went into the back room, we had tea and catch ups and laughter and it was wonderful. 

If you know how it is with the girls and me, then you know how it was with us then. 

I think it was about the time that Agnes was thinking of moving down to Telford and had come to stay for a few days with Irene and Joe.  They had decided to go out for a ride in Joe’s car and as they were quite close decided to call in on the off chance I was there.  What a lovely memory it is. 

I have written a letter to her as Marie thinks her mother may have visited relatives on Dad's paternal side of the family in Ireland.   How exciting!!