My
mum was a great reciter of poems. On Sunday
mornings while she was preparing lunch I never tired of hearing “The Owl and
the Pussycat” and it’s still one of my favourite poems. Auntie Hettie remembers going to bed as a
child in the house I described as my Grandparents’ house and Mother (who was
eight years older than her) sitting at her bedside and reciting "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes. Journeys in the car
were often enlivened by “Abou ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)” by Leigh
Hunt.
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| Don't you just love those socks! |
I
received my love of words from my Mother.
She was quite a clever woman. She
went to Grammar School when she was only ten, having passed the Scholarship
exam as it was then called, a whole year early.
She loved her time at Grammar School but once that was over she had to
go out to work (no money for the further education of girls) and she became a
clerk in the Civil Service. In those
days women had to resign from the Civil Service on marriage but a year later
she was back at work as women were needed to release men to join the
forces. She finally gave up paid
employment in 1943 when expecting my sister.
The
rest of her life was spent being a homemaker and I think that at times she may
have found that frustrating. She wanted
to train as a teacher but decided against it as my father had a very demanding
job and needed her whole hearted support.
But
she inspired me. I think she would have
made a pretty fair teacher and I want to finish with a poem she taught me to
help me remember our Kings and Queens. I’ve
found five different versions of it on the web!
Willy Willy Harry Stee,
Harry Dick John Harry three;
One two three Neds Richard two,
Harry's Four Five Six then who?
Edward's four five, Dick the bad,
Harries (twain) Ned six (the lad);
Mary Bessie James you ken,
Then Charlie Charlie James again
Will and Mary Anna Gloria
Georges four Will four Victoria
Edward seven next and then
Came George the fifth in nineteen ten
Ned the eigth soon abdicated
Then George six was coronated
After which Elizabeth
And thats all folks until her death
I had forgotten I knew that poem until I read it, my Dad taught me that as a little girl. Certainly brought back a few nice memories.
ReplyDeleteYour mother was very cute! And don't you just love those clothes of the 40's? Even the socks! I grew up with a book -- a collection -- entitled "The Bumper Book" edited by Watty Piper and illustrated by Eulalie. It was first published in 1946. "The Owl and the Pussycat" was one of the poems in the book and I loved it. Also included was Christopher Robin Was Saying His Prayers by Milne (of course) which was my favorite. My mother had to read it to me so many times that I memorized it and can recite it still. "Abou ben Adhem was a real problem for me because we were supposed to memorize it for school and I couldn't get past the first line!
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