Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Voices from the past
Nostalgia day!
Christmas is such a time for nostalgia - once the childlike magic has gone from our lives.
Today there have been voices from the past.
There have been no maudlin' sad thoughts, though. They will probably come come when I look back on Christmasses past and the many voices I can no longer hear.
This morning the phone rang and I heard the voice of somebody I hardly know, sadly.
My Aunt Valerie was on the phone.
Many families have their secrets and in a way, Valerie was one in ours.
Valerie is my mother's younger sister. She was born early in 1932 to a mother (my grandmother Jessie) already terminally ill with cancer.
The baby was passed on to an aunt to be cared for and raised.
The adoption was unofficial, just a convenient arrangement. Above all it was to be secret.
It was never truly secret, but everybody seemed to think it so and nobody opened their mouths in case it would be to another who didn't know the truth.
As a child, I knew of my Aunt Valerie. I didn't meet her until 1996.
The young me was just enthralled by a mysterious, almost romantic story, of a baby being given away in tragic circumstances.
Valerie was raised in a happy stable family - something her elder sisters and brother were not. I am sure everybody meant well, but a step mother was brought into the family who was not blessed with maternal skills.
I had sent a Christmas card and letter to Valerie. I explained about the letters that I had read earlier this year - written by my parents to each other before their marriage and after I was born.
Maybe this struck a chord with Valerie and she realised how little she knew about her true sister.
We plan to meet and talk.
This afternoon we have spent a happy time with Den and Ru - not family, but almost as close. They have lived in the same house for almost all their married life; it is the house next door to the one where Bill's parents lived for almost all their married life.
The 1950s and 1960s were good times for the young families - full of friendship and support.
Of course we have caught up with recent news - but there has been a lot of "Do you remember this person and that person?"
This couple, now in their 80s, are vibrant and contented with their lot.
This evening I watched Top of the Pops. This was a a special; an hour and a half of records that have been number one at Christmas.
Most of the obvious Christmas records were there - thank goodness, they got "I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday" over and done with first!
I wonder why I despise that one and yet enjoy Shaking Stephens "Merry Christmas Everyone"
But many good pop songs have also been number one at Christmas time.
My favourite performance was not actually ever a number one....was it even a record?
Amy Winehouse and Paul Weller sang a bluesy number together on the Jules Holland Hootenanny in 2006. It was fantastic!
I remember that night very well - I missed that performance though.
It was that night that I became fully aware just how serious my bladder problems were - the pain was so intense.
I remember I came downstairs feeling wretched and sat enthralled at Amy Winehouse singing Back to Black.
Poor Amy Winehouse - a tragic genius.
Christmas is such a time for nostalgia - once the childlike magic has gone from our lives.
Today there have been voices from the past.
There have been no maudlin' sad thoughts, though. They will probably come come when I look back on Christmasses past and the many voices I can no longer hear.
This morning the phone rang and I heard the voice of somebody I hardly know, sadly.
My Aunt Valerie was on the phone.
Many families have their secrets and in a way, Valerie was one in ours.
Valerie is my mother's younger sister. She was born early in 1932 to a mother (my grandmother Jessie) already terminally ill with cancer.
The baby was passed on to an aunt to be cared for and raised.
The adoption was unofficial, just a convenient arrangement. Above all it was to be secret.
It was never truly secret, but everybody seemed to think it so and nobody opened their mouths in case it would be to another who didn't know the truth.
As a child, I knew of my Aunt Valerie. I didn't meet her until 1996.
The young me was just enthralled by a mysterious, almost romantic story, of a baby being given away in tragic circumstances.
Valerie was raised in a happy stable family - something her elder sisters and brother were not. I am sure everybody meant well, but a step mother was brought into the family who was not blessed with maternal skills.
I had sent a Christmas card and letter to Valerie. I explained about the letters that I had read earlier this year - written by my parents to each other before their marriage and after I was born.
Maybe this struck a chord with Valerie and she realised how little she knew about her true sister.
We plan to meet and talk.
This afternoon we have spent a happy time with Den and Ru - not family, but almost as close. They have lived in the same house for almost all their married life; it is the house next door to the one where Bill's parents lived for almost all their married life.
The 1950s and 1960s were good times for the young families - full of friendship and support.
Of course we have caught up with recent news - but there has been a lot of "Do you remember this person and that person?"
This couple, now in their 80s, are vibrant and contented with their lot.
This evening I watched Top of the Pops. This was a a special; an hour and a half of records that have been number one at Christmas.
Most of the obvious Christmas records were there - thank goodness, they got "I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday" over and done with first!
I wonder why I despise that one and yet enjoy Shaking Stephens "Merry Christmas Everyone"
But many good pop songs have also been number one at Christmas time.
My favourite performance was not actually ever a number one....was it even a record?
Amy Winehouse and Paul Weller sang a bluesy number together on the Jules Holland Hootenanny in 2006. It was fantastic!
I remember that night very well - I missed that performance though.
It was that night that I became fully aware just how serious my bladder problems were - the pain was so intense.
I remember I came downstairs feeling wretched and sat enthralled at Amy Winehouse singing Back to Black.
Poor Amy Winehouse - a tragic genius.
