On this day in 1937, two young students’ eyes met across a crowded cafeteria at Manchester University as my Mum noted in her diary. She was doing a special qualification in the teaching of deaf children and Dad was, that year, President of the Student Union and her diary records their meeting almost every day for months. They married on September 2nd 1939 and their four children had 12 children between them who have gone on to have another four, That’s twenty humans on this planet as a result of that chance meeting – love at first sight! The diary is, of course, a family treasure.
Category Archives: History
On This Day……
Sunflower, Hallelujah and Trees
The Suitcase Singers, one of the choirs I sing with, have been loving learning this beautiful Peter Amidon arrangement of Hallelujah,. We can’t wait to learn the next verse! Do have a listen.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1754910295195936
After a lovely, animated breakfast out with friends, I took these photos on the way home. The trees are just beginning to turn.
Buttons, Knitting and Some Advice
I found both the patience and the time this afternoon to sew up another of the little jackets I am knitting for babies in Ukraine. I have three more knitted and all in pieces but so dislike sewing up that they’ve been waiting a while. Happily the truck going to Ukraine isn’t going for a while. I am using the mother-of-pearl buttons that were my Grandfather’s sample ones when he was a button salesman in the 1920s so they are 100 years old! It gives me enormous pleasure to handle them, to sew them on and to make every little jacket extra special. 
Note to self from Sallie G – she’s right!
Kindness Calendar, Coincidences and Sweetcorn
From Action for Happiness: “In a world that feels divided, kindness is a quiet but powerful act of hope. Whether you’re supporting a friend, helping a stranger, or simply listening with care, your actions matter. Every kind choice makes a difference.”
We went today to have the staples removed from my lovely Mr S’s new knee and had really interesting conversations with the two nurses who looked after him. They asked where we lived and when we said where, the older one said she’d been to St Euny Church just near us, to see a wonderful production in the churchyard in 2017. That was our Until the Day Break! She said she absolutely loved it and that now she views graveyards in a very different light and likes to think of the real stories behind each gravestone. If the production is new to you Dear Reader, check it out on the red links here.
The second coincidence was that when we were asked where we used to teach and said Doncaster, the younger Nurse said her father had been to Uni there at the old School for the Deaf as he is profoundly deaf. My Mum trained at that school in the 1930s but even more coincidental was the fact that when a youngster, her dad was taught at the special unit for deaf children at Roskear School in Camborne and it was my Mum who set up the unit and who would have taught him! Ellie, the nurse is going to ask him if he remembers Mrs Wiseman. One of her old pupils commented on my blog when I wrote about my Mum and her work here.
Our Sweetcorn is coming along well, flowers on almost every 5′ high plant and some tassels indicating a cob getting ready.
Agapanthus and Protest Boards
We saw these beautiful Agapanthus flowers as we left the hospital on Saturday.
A friend and I popped down to Porthtowan after working at Community Roots this morning and were very impressed by the fifteen wonderful protest boards which tell such a story. I took a few photos to show you detail and have the first photo from a friend of the whole length of them along the path to the beach. I’ll post them all in sequence at some point when my lovely Mr S and I can go down to the beach together.
Thanks John.
Murdoch Day in Redruth and A Cream Tea
Join me for Murdoch Day, a celebration honouring the legacy of William Murdoch, the pioneer behind the use of coal gas in lighting. This year, we are ‘Celebrating 200 Years of the Railway’ as our Murdoch Day Festival theme. This theme acknowledges Redruth’s rich industrial history and celebrates William Murdoch’s contribution to a bicentenary of innovation. I love seeing the parade and all the children’s art and creations., 
Our young Town Crier in his Story Coat, leadin the parade
Young entrepreneurs selling Cornish Cream Teas
We shared a Cornish Cream Tea, jam first!
A Story, A Beach and Two Homes
Once upon a time, a very long time when I was maybe eleven years old, I cycled from Truro to Perranporth, about 10 miles. Sadly, I hadn’t realised how hot it was, had forgotten to take water with me so stopped at a farmhouse on the way to ask, very nicely as I was a well brought up child, if I could please have a drink of water. “No, clear off! ” was the response and I have never forgotten that moment. Today it’s a smart looking place that looks rather like a hotel.
We lived in and around Perranporth for several years and today was a bit of a memory-jogger. I loved the beach and still do.
One summer, when I was seven, we lived in the ground floor flat of a lovely big house, one of the terrace at the top to the left of the picture.
Another summer, we spent in a caravan and a tent on the Liskey Hill campsite and I loved every moment.
A Poem for Today
Here’s a poem in commemoration of D-Day, which took place eighty years ago today. The poet, Brian Bilston, whom we saw in performance in May, has very kindly given me permission to post it here for you all. I found it very moving indeed.
Thanks, Brian.
International Women’s Day
The following are from my post for International Women’s Day 2021 with notes from today.
I have today as on each March 8th taken a little posy to our friend next door for her wedding anniversary and in memory of her lovely husband.
Toady, the Guardian has devoted their letters page to all women correspondents. This was my letter in 2021.
And, as ever, a call out to all the women in my life, to my daughters and LiveWires, to my friends both in person and my blogging pals and to those who help to make my life better – love to you all.
St Piran’s Day and The StoryCoat
Yesterday, we were told – “Tomorrow ,Redruth’s young Town Crier, Max Morrison, will wear his new Storycoat for the first time, as part of the town celebrations for St Piran’s Day.
Ten artists have so far contributed to the coat – hand-dyeing the fabric with natural dyes fixed with tin and copper, handcrafting traditional woven buttons, embroidering story patches, collecting peoples’ images for the digitally printed lining and constructing the coat itself. More hands will work on it in the future, adding stories as the years go by.
You can see elements of the artwork here, but if you want to see Max and the new coat in all its glory, you’ll need to come to the Miner’s statue by the clock tower in Redruth for 10.00am.”
So, of course, today we went to see Max in the big reveal of the new Storycoat.
Max in the old Town Crier coat
Sloughing off the old coat
Town crier in action wearing his wonderful new coat. He’s a natural!
Showing off the beautiful lining
Detail on the back, our new ButterMarket embroidered by Sara Clasper, craftivist, of Make A Mends
Each patch illustrates something of Redruth’s history and Max will be telling the stories at the various events when it will be on show. They are all remarkably beautiful. My patch will soon be finished and will be on the coat for its next outing for Murdoch Day, June 15th.
