Piccys to share

I have been sorting through Rene`s photos, many of course meant nothing to me but there were some there that brought back a few memories, and some which I really wanted to share with you. The first two show just what a talented lady she was and how she combined her artistic and creative flairs, (and also how her fanciful ideas didn`t alway match reality). Seeing these photos reminded me that she had hoped to make a living from designing, knitting (herself) and selling these...

Aren`t they fantastic? But needless to say, there was no way she could sell them at a price that realistically represented the time (and talent) taken to produce them, so after this first sample batch, her idea fell by the wayside - I`ve no idea what became of the samples, more`s the pity.

Moving on, and away from knitting I found these next two.....

Me aged about 5

Living on a farm, each year either we, or one of our two neighbours would end up with a lamb who was either orphaned, or rejected by it`s mother - commercially, hand rearing a lamb was not a viable proposition so our neighbours were happy to pass on the burden and a concientious sheep mad child makes a reasonably good substitute mother, so not a year went by without me taking on the role, and getting up early for the morning feed, and dashing home from school to tend to my little charge. I`m sure Mum must had done the midday and late night feed too, but I felt so responsible and proud when my little lamb grew up, that I don`t remember that bit. Strangely enough though I cared for them I never grew so attached that I it came as a shock when they went to market in the autumn. Perhaps I always knew they were mine for a while to prepare for the big wide world - a bit like a parent really.

Christmas in the `70s with Rene back right and me front left

- don`t you just love my dress!

Being an only child, Mum used to let me have not only a birthday party, but a Christmas party too! We weren`t well off, so the parties weren`t grand, but they were always very popular and in the run up to the invites going out, the girls at school were always nice to me! I think the reason they were keen to come was the fact that they were very traditional, jelly and icecream type, and the brilliant party games were organised and run by Rene, while Mum did the food. Living on the farm, we played the games in our bungalow, while food was organised in Nan`s farm house and at the given time we all traipsed across the farmyard to eat, then back to ours for a final game of pass the parcel to settle down before home time. Living quite a way out, Mum acted as taxi, and we piled into the back of the van and sung songs at the top of our voices gradually quietening down as each child was dropped off until only Mum and I remained to sing our way back home.