Perhaps I had ambitions to be an MP - or an undertaker!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

FRIDAY 28TH AUGUST

When I came across these puppy photos I just had to put them on the blog.




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This week's quote:-

One lifetime isn't enough.
Just when you start to learn -
it's time to go. (Luis Marden)

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Here are two postcard views of the Spider Bridge, Kirkintilloch. We always knew it as “The Spider’s Bridge.”




It was built in 1888 to provide a suitable route from the village of Waterside to Lenzie Railway Station. The local newspaper of that time described it as a “giddy, shaky, spider-looking inclined plane over the valley of the Bothlyn.”

During its long life, it was a popular walk, especially on Sunday afternoons, when many folk visited the adjacent cemetery.

Sadly no one seemed to be interested in preserving the bridge, it fell in to disrepair and eventually had to be demolished in 1987.

I was among many who were disappointed at another piece of local history disappearing.

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Another poem from my schooldays was “La Belle Dame sans Merci” by John Keats (1795-1821). The reader is Sean Barrett, but you can follow the words below.



O, what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.

O, what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel's granary is full,
And the harvest's done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever dew;
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

“I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful, a faery's child,
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

“I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She look'd at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan.

“I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long;
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery's song.

“She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna dew,
And sure in language strange she said -
I love thee true.

“She took me to her elfin grot,
And there she wept and sigh'd full sore,
And there I shut her wild wild eyes
With kisses four.

“And there she lulled me asleep
And there I dream'd! Ah! Woe betide!
The latest dream I ever dream'd
On the cold hill side.

“I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried - La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!

“I saw their starv'd lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gaped wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill's side.

“And this is why I sojourn here
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge has wither'd from the lake,
And no birds sing.”

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Can you remember the last time a doctor looked down your throat and asked you to say Ah? Or held your wrist to feel your pulse? Or listened to your chest through his stethoscope?

When he had finished the examination, he would write out a prescription which you would present to the chemist. Invariably you would get a bottle of mixture with a horrible taste, specially concocted just for you!

Of course there was usually a corner of a shelf in your kitchen containing a selection of medicine bottles. Apart from those which had been prescribed in previous years, there would be essentials like Syrup of Figs, Emulsion, Malt and the children’s favourite - Castor Oil!!!

I mentioned recently that there was no National Health Service in my young day, and, since the doctor had to be paid for, many mothers held off as long as possible before seeking medical advice. Jean tells me that her doctor charged half-a-crown for a house visit. There were occasions, she says, when her mother would give him his money, but he would quietly leave it on top of the coal bunker as he left.

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Here's a song recorded by Jessie Matthews in 1937. Born in 1907, she made her debut in a London theatre when she was 12 years old. Her career on stage, screen, television and radio spanned 60 years and in 1970 she was awarded the OBE. In 1979 her one-woman show in Los Angeles won her a United States Drama Logue Award. She died in 1981.



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I was pleased to learn that John's Quiet Corner had been recommended to stumbleupon.com by someone in Philadelphia who wrote "This old man blogger has some really amazing images and poetry selected - and he updates frequently."

http://john-quietcorner.blogspot.com

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Friday, August 21, 2009

FRIDAY 21ST AUGUST

FROM MY ALBUM


Jean’s grandparents Jane MacKenzie and John Logan in 1894. The little boy is Jean's father George.

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I THINK I WOULD be 8 and Rita 5 when we began piano lessons. Probably we weren’t particularly keen on the idea (I wanted a banjo) but all decisions affecting us children were made by our parents, and that was that!

Our teacher was Aunt Frances, the youngest of our mother’s siblings, and she had 12 letters after her name! Wow!!

The fact that she was a relation made no difference in her attitude towards us. We were her pupils and we were treated like all the others.

I remember the routine well. Our mother would take us to see Grandma Hardie who lived next door to Frances, and, when my lesson was due, I would go to Frances’ house, go into the hall, where I would change into carpet slippers, and then quietly slip into the big front room to wait till the previous pupil had finished.

I’m sure that in the early days we went along well prepared, for Mother used to sit with us while we did our compulsory half-hour practice every day. Later on however I sometimes went for my lesson, wishing that I had been a bit more industrious during the week.

Minuet in G by Beethoven was one of my earlier pieces, and this is a very pleasant orchestral version.



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Old age is like everything else. To make a success of it, you’ve got to start young (Theodore Roosevelt)

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At school there were certain poems that really caught my imagination, and “Abou Ben Adhem” by Leigh Hunt (1784-1859) was one. Here it is :-

Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight of his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An angel writing in a book of gold.

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the presence in the room he said,
“What writest thou?” The vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord,
Answered “The names of those who love the Lord.”

“And is mine one?” said Abou. “Nay, not so,”
Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerly still; and said “I pray thee then,
Write me as one that loves his fellow-men.”

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names who love of God had blessed,
And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.

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SEVENTY YEARS AGO

On 23rd August 1939 the world was shocked to learn that a non-aggression pact had been signed between Germany and Russia.

Two days later Britain and Poland signed an agreement which stated that, in the event of either of them being attacked, the other would come to its aid.

With those two events the possibility of war became almost unavoidable.

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This is an 1886 photograph of some of the inhabitants of St Kilda outside their cottages.



St Kilda is a number of little islands 40 miles from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland.

There had been a small population there for hundreds of years, but since the middle of the 19th century there were never more than 100 people living there. The story of the evacuation of the inhabitants in 1930 is well-known, but I was too young then to know anything about it.

Today St Kilda is owned by the National Trust and became a World Heritage Site in 1986. The island attracts a good number of bird-watchers for it has become famous as a breeding ground for seabirds, and other visitors are volunteers who are helping to restore some of the ruined houses. There’s also a small military base on the island.

This is an interesting slide show of St Kilda, showing how it was then, and as it is today. I find that I like more time to look at the pictures, and so the PAUSE button comes in handy.



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Friday, August 14, 2009

FRIDAY 14TH AUGUST

I WAS SURPRISED to realise that today’s Eighty Plus is No 60.

When I posted No 1 on 3rd July last year, I was really uncertain what my purpose was. The whole project turned out to be an experiment which has given me a lot of pleasure.

Recently I came to the conclusion that my main interests seem to lie in everything connected with the 1930s and 40s. From now on the contents of the blog will be a bit different, but I’m hoping that it will prove just as interesting.

(A reminder - my blog John’s Quiet Corner always includes a painting and a poem)

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My parents 1922/3. They married in 1924.

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You’ll notice that my father has a cigarette in his hand. That wouldn’t go down well with his future in-laws!

I don’t remember him smoking cigarettes, but he certainly enjoyed his pipe. Sometime after he retired, he gave up the habit and replaced it with - polo
mints!!

My friend Adam smoked cigarettes, but he couldn’t enjoy them unless he sucked an Imperial sweet at the same time.

Of course very few folk thought that the habit was bad for their health. Indeed, some adverts claimed that particular brands were good for you. I seem to remember that Craven “A” used to recommend that you should smoke their cigarettes “for your throat’s sake.”



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The 1930s were the years when the unemployed in the UK numbered more than 2 million. It was in 1929 that the Wall Street Crash occurred and very soon its effect was being felt all over the world.

Our family were fortunate during this period, for my father was in continual employment, and he and my mother were always careful with money.

But for others the situation could be pretty grim. Remember, in those days there was no family allowance, no national health service, no rent rebates, few concessions of any kind for the unemployed.

I read recently about a widow at that time. She had lost her husband in the First World War, had been left with three boys to bring up, and was relying on what was called National Assistance to support her. As a widow, she was entitled to 5/- per week plus 2/6d for each child - a total of 63p.

Apparently some kind person gave her a Christmas parcel containing a small chicken and things like sugar and tea. She had just opened it when a National Assistance inspector called. He asked about the food and, when she explained, he proceeded to calculate what the cost would have been. And that amount was deducted from her money!!!

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This slide show was devised by two American students as an exercise for their history class.



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During my time at primary school two important national events took place, and on both occasions we were given a day’s holiday - the Silver Jubilee of the reign of George V and Queen Mary in 1935, and the Coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1937. I think it was on Coronation Day our school was taken to a local cinema for a special film show. I’m sure it was then that we were all given a commemorative mug decorated with the heads of the new Monarchs.

Of course the year between those two events had seen the abdication of the uncrowned Edward VIII, and everyone had been shocked when they learned that he had wanted to marry a divorced American woman Wallis Simpson. There was a lot of bad feeling against her, because in those days divorce was something that most folk disapproved of. I remember that children in the street used to run around shouting -

Who’s that walking down the street?
Mrs Simpson with big feet!

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Here a are a few of the rhymes children recited during their street games.

Yokie pokie,
Yankie fun,
How do you like
Your tatties done?

First in brandy,
Then in rum,
That's how I like
My tatties done.

One two three a-leerie
I spy Wallace Beery
Sittin’ on his bumbaleerie,
Eatin’ toffee apples.

[Wallace Beery was an American film star]

Ma maw’s a millionaire,
Blue eyes and curly hair,
Sittin’ among the eskimos
Playin’ a game o’ dominoes,
Ma maw’s a millionaire.

Eentie-teentie halliegolum,
Pitchin’ totties up the lum,
Santa Claus got wan on his bum,
Eentie-teentie halliegolum.

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There are quite a number of Charlie Kunz recordings on YouTube. Charlie Kunz (1896-1958) of course was tremendously popular, and was the idol of all young folk who were learning the piano. He was an American who came to England in 1922, and stayed on. During the war a rumour was widespread that during his broadcasts his music was in some coded way sending messages to the Germans. This was completely untrue, but the anti-German feeling in Britain was strong, and that was something the poor man had to face.

Here he plays “One day when we were young.” I love this record!!!

The words, which are shown below, were written by Oscar Hammerstein II and set to one of Johann Strauss’ melodies. It was featured in the film “The Great Waltz.”



One day when we were young,
That wonderful morning in May,
You told me you loved me
When we were young one day.

Sweet songs of spring were sung,
And music was never so gay,
You told me you loved me
When we were young one day.

You told me you loved me
And held me close to your heart,
We laughed then, we cried then,
Then came the time to part.

When songs of spring are sung,
Remember that morning in May,
Remember you loved me
When we were young one day.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

FRIDAY 7TH AUGUST

Try to keep your soul young and quivering right up to old age, and to imagine right up to the brink of death that life is only beginning.
I think that is the only way to keep adding to one's talent, and one's inner happiness. (George Sand)



[Thanks to FreeFoto.com for the use of this photograph]

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Two haiku -

after all those years
finding my father’s razor -
the ice-cold bathroom

taken unawares -
a shop window reflection,
it’s my father’s face

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FROM MY ALBUM


Rita and I with our parents - 1928

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Happy the man and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own;
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.

Be fair or foul or rain or shine
The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not Heaven itself upon the past has power,
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour. (John Dryden 1631-1700)

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“The Girl with the Pearl Earring” by Jan Vermeer (1632-1675)

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I REMEMBER Sunday September 3rd 1939, the day war was declared. We were getting ready to leave for church when the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was making the announcement on the wireless, and so it was not until later that we heard the news. I think my parents tried to conceal how worried they were, but for me and my friends, it was all very exciting and I began to take a real interest in news bulletins.

I REMEMBER that some years earlier a number boys of my own age were discussing patriotism and someone posed the question, “Would you die for your country?” I’ve got to report that I was the only one who said, “No.”

I REMEMBER that during the first months of the war plans were being made nationally to evacuate children to Canada if things got very bad. Some of my friends, with their parents’ permission of course, put forward their names. The scheme never materialised in our area, though there were cases of local children who went to Canada to stay with relatives.

I REMEMBER that the minister in our church (he had been awarded the Military Cross in the First World War) gave very upbeat sermons about fighting the Germans. My mother used to refer to his sermons as “war commentaries.” This was a reference to a series of inspiring wireless talks with the title “War Commentary.”

I REMEMBER that there were organisations available for boys of secondary school age - the Army Cadets and the Air Training Corps. My friend Andrew and I had joined the Cadets, had been issued with uniforms and were quite enjoying the drill, when our minister, who was Captain of the ATC, claimed that his organisation was much more suited to “boys of our class” and got us transferred!!!

I REMEMBER that we all had to carry our gas masks to school and occasionally we had to have a practice putting them on and off. Air raid precautions had included brick shelters built in the playground, and we regularly practised marching out of school to the shelters.

I REMEMBER that a good number of parents were Air Raid Wardens and a large number of volunteers were needed during the hours of darkness to “fire watch,” and to alert the authorities. Sometimes men who were unfit for the armed services were conscripted into the fire service and police force, and there were other who joined those services part-time.

I REMEMBER that when the war ended there were huge street parties all over the country. But not where we lived! I don’t recall any great celebration really - I think people hung flags from their windows and I believe there was a bonfire in a local park. Although many local people had lost their lives during the conflict, our town had got off lightly when compared to the big cities, and perhaps we preferred to celebrate quietly in the company of our own friends and family.

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This song brings back memories. The singer is either Kitty Masters or Phyllis Robbins, with Henry Hall’s Orchestra.



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Link to JOHN'S QUIET CORNER - http://john-quietcorner.blogspot.com

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