Precious Memories
Memories are precious things. Before Christmas I started reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang – an account of life in China as experienced by 3 generations of women – the author’s grandmother, her mother and her own story. In the foreword the author describes how it was her mother who inspired the writing of the book during her first visit abroad in 1988 to England where Jung Chang now lives. Chang’s mother had never spoken of her childhood or family before but suddenly felt an urge to share all the stories her mother’s life and her own upbringing through the turbulence of 20th century China. It was as if floodgates were being released. The result is a totally fascinating and absorbing read.
And memories have become especially relevant to me over this Christmas & New Year period as I’ve attended 2 funerals in one week. On Christmas Eve my piano teacher, Mrs Steele, died after a 4-year battle with cancer, she was 62, and then on New Year’s Eve my Granny died of pneumonia at the grand old age of 98.
My piano teacher was a wonderful woman. I started having piano lessons with her when I was 9 years old and continued up until I finished my A-levels. We were very much on the same wavelength – she had a fantastic sense of humour and I don’t think we ever had a piano lesson that didn’t involve a good bit of tittering and tee-heeing at some stage or another!
Mrs Steele was also a kindred spirit. I don’t think I realised just how much this was true until I actually finished my piano lessons with her. Whenever I came to visit her and her husband I realised just how much we shared together in terms of our faith and I appreciated more just how godly a woman she was. I think she was the kind of person whom you would know automatically of her Christian faith – her personality was just full of Jesus – and she took so much interest in people and their lives.
In terms of piano lessons Mrs Steele was an excellent teacher. We came to an ‘arrangement’ when I was about 13 years old or so having completed Initial, Grade 1 and 2 exams – that I wouldn’t do any more piano exams (because I got too nervous and stressed out) but instead I would continue to work hard and play pieces out of love for the music. It worked a treat! I relished the challenge and put my heart and soul into it. For 5 years we worked that way until I did my Grade 7 and came out with a Distinction! She brought out the best in my piano playing – I wouldn’t have got that far with any other teacher.
Mrs Steele will be missed but I know that right now she’s with her Heavenly Dad and couldn’t be in a better place.
As for my Granny, well, she was a unique one, with an adventurous spirit not known amongst many her age. On her 90th birthday the family arranged for her to get a ride in a helicopter – something she’d always wanted to do! She always wound me up about my love of speed and when she saw me off at her door she would always wink and tell me not to go too hard on the accelerator but knew rightly I would because I was an Erwin!
Granny was full of wit and actually a prolific poet – she would write poems for all sorts of occasions – some serious, many funny, some for people on their birthday or other special occasion. There was one time she even wrote a poem for the coalman about ordering coal, then she read it down the phone to him on his answering machine! At her funeral my sister Alex read out a couple of her poems. I think it was a very fitting tribute to her and reflected much of her character and sense of humour.
I’m going to quote one of her poems here, but let me fill in the background: back in 1996 my aunt and my Granny started a tradition of having a wee Christmas/New Year party with her 4 female grandchildren – myself, my 2 sisters and one of my cousins. We decided to surprise my aunt and granny by dressing up just for a laugh. Well it was a great night’s craic! We played silly games with my sister Alex cheating left, right and centre at Uno, and generally we talked a lot of rubbish, with Granny right in the middle of it and loving it all! This is what our Granny wrote a poem after the occasion…
New Year 1996 The Start of the “Wild Parties”
On 2nd January No. 12 was invaded
With wild men numbers one, two, three, four
I thoughts they were hooligans when they came thro’ the door
Or maybe some animals from Bellevue Zoo
I tell you they scared me, as I had to run to the loo
They out through the back door waving their arms
And I says to myself they must be from Greenmount Farms
Ten I saw a very good-looking guy whom I recognised as James Bond
And boy did I wish I was a beautiful blonde
Then we settled down and played some games
There wasn’t a man amongst us, just dressed up dames
We had plenty of laughs and a lot of fun
Then Ruby made tea and gave us plenty of buns
We played games with cards but they disappeared like a rocket
We found out someone was storing them in their trouser pockets!!
We had a great bit of singing we didn’t care a fig
And Old Granny greybeard tried to dance a jig
The only thing we didn’t do fine
Was ending the old year out with Auld Lang Syne
So here’s to 1996 which is this year
And we’ll meet again and why not here
So good luck, and good health for the rest of the year
Happy 1996.
Memories are precious things. Before Christmas I started reading Wild Swans by Jung Chang – an account of life in China as experienced by 3 generations of women – the author’s grandmother, her mother and her own story. In the foreword the author describes how it was her mother who inspired the writing of the book during her first visit abroad in 1988 to England where Jung Chang now lives. Chang’s mother had never spoken of her childhood or family before but suddenly felt an urge to share all the stories her mother’s life and her own upbringing through the turbulence of 20th century China. It was as if floodgates were being released. The result is a totally fascinating and absorbing read.
And memories have become especially relevant to me over this Christmas & New Year period as I’ve attended 2 funerals in one week. On Christmas Eve my piano teacher, Mrs Steele, died after a 4-year battle with cancer, she was 62, and then on New Year’s Eve my Granny died of pneumonia at the grand old age of 98.
My piano teacher was a wonderful woman. I started having piano lessons with her when I was 9 years old and continued up until I finished my A-levels. We were very much on the same wavelength – she had a fantastic sense of humour and I don’t think we ever had a piano lesson that didn’t involve a good bit of tittering and tee-heeing at some stage or another!
Mrs Steele was also a kindred spirit. I don’t think I realised just how much this was true until I actually finished my piano lessons with her. Whenever I came to visit her and her husband I realised just how much we shared together in terms of our faith and I appreciated more just how godly a woman she was. I think she was the kind of person whom you would know automatically of her Christian faith – her personality was just full of Jesus – and she took so much interest in people and their lives.
In terms of piano lessons Mrs Steele was an excellent teacher. We came to an ‘arrangement’ when I was about 13 years old or so having completed Initial, Grade 1 and 2 exams – that I wouldn’t do any more piano exams (because I got too nervous and stressed out) but instead I would continue to work hard and play pieces out of love for the music. It worked a treat! I relished the challenge and put my heart and soul into it. For 5 years we worked that way until I did my Grade 7 and came out with a Distinction! She brought out the best in my piano playing – I wouldn’t have got that far with any other teacher.
Mrs Steele will be missed but I know that right now she’s with her Heavenly Dad and couldn’t be in a better place.
As for my Granny, well, she was a unique one, with an adventurous spirit not known amongst many her age. On her 90th birthday the family arranged for her to get a ride in a helicopter – something she’d always wanted to do! She always wound me up about my love of speed and when she saw me off at her door she would always wink and tell me not to go too hard on the accelerator but knew rightly I would because I was an Erwin!
Granny was full of wit and actually a prolific poet – she would write poems for all sorts of occasions – some serious, many funny, some for people on their birthday or other special occasion. There was one time she even wrote a poem for the coalman about ordering coal, then she read it down the phone to him on his answering machine! At her funeral my sister Alex read out a couple of her poems. I think it was a very fitting tribute to her and reflected much of her character and sense of humour.
I’m going to quote one of her poems here, but let me fill in the background: back in 1996 my aunt and my Granny started a tradition of having a wee Christmas/New Year party with her 4 female grandchildren – myself, my 2 sisters and one of my cousins. We decided to surprise my aunt and granny by dressing up just for a laugh. Well it was a great night’s craic! We played silly games with my sister Alex cheating left, right and centre at Uno, and generally we talked a lot of rubbish, with Granny right in the middle of it and loving it all! This is what our Granny wrote a poem after the occasion…
New Year 1996 The Start of the “Wild Parties”
On 2nd January No. 12 was invaded
With wild men numbers one, two, three, four
I thoughts they were hooligans when they came thro’ the door
Or maybe some animals from Bellevue Zoo
I tell you they scared me, as I had to run to the loo
They out through the back door waving their arms
And I says to myself they must be from Greenmount Farms
Ten I saw a very good-looking guy whom I recognised as James Bond
And boy did I wish I was a beautiful blonde
Then we settled down and played some games
There wasn’t a man amongst us, just dressed up dames
We had plenty of laughs and a lot of fun
Then Ruby made tea and gave us plenty of buns
We played games with cards but they disappeared like a rocket
We found out someone was storing them in their trouser pockets!!
We had a great bit of singing we didn’t care a fig
And Old Granny greybeard tried to dance a jig
The only thing we didn’t do fine
Was ending the old year out with Auld Lang Syne
So here’s to 1996 which is this year
And we’ll meet again and why not here
So good luck, and good health for the rest of the year
Happy 1996.
Jean Erwin 1907-2005
I hate that my Granny had to go this way, but I’m glad she is not suffering any longer, and she too can finally be at peace in the arms of God. It’s all a bit strange now, it’s like the end of an era. I never knew my other grandparents – they all died before I was born. And Granny’s husband, Bobby, died just the year before I was born – he was receiving a presentation at a Ploughing Society dinner (yes such societies do exist and there are even ploughing matches at international level!), and as he stood up to make a speech he took a heart attack and fell down dead – quite a shock for everyone. I would have liked to have known him and my Mum’s parents. They’re part of who I am too. And I’m proud of them, I’m proud of being part of their family tree. What I know of them is fuelled by other people’s memories, but I’m glad I have my own of my Granny.
1 comment:
so, you play the piano eh? will have to hear that some day! that was a great blog, memories are great aren't they?
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