Another creative session with no outright winner as they were all good stories but two of them did gain two votes each. Ann's story of the liberated wife when her husband went away and Brian's personal story of his early childhood in a hostel. Both stories will be added to the blog.
Rosemary wished for blond hair and to be a fuller a figure when young. Joan Read knew a lot about slimming diets. Sheila left food on a kitchen table instead of at the picnic. John on how indifferent we are when young to other events that do not affect us. Pat spoke of the comforting effect of imbibing sherry when doubtful of the menu when cooking. Joan told of Margaret burning the custard and I wrote of meeting a desperate neighbour.
Next Month 20th June "Drift with"
Ann's story
I Wished That
When Gordon told Jean that he had to attend the conference in Birmingham and would be away for a week, she made all the right noises and said she was sure he would find it very interesting, while all the time was planning how she would spend the break herself. It wasn't that she didn't care deeply for Gordon, but he was a stickler for routine and always expected his meal on the table at a set time each evening and had a set routine every morning. Sometimes she felt like throwing a spanner in the works and dishing up everything in the wrong order, but the trouble that would provoke just didn't bear thinking about. Her mind was in a whirl as she thought of all the things she would like to cram into the week. She would be able to eat when she felt like it and in the evenings she and their daughter Megan would be able to have their meals on a tray while watching the TV or a DVD if they wanted to. As soon as Megan heard about her dad's trip, she said she would take an afternoon off work and meet Jean for a shopping trip and meal out.
The business trip duly arrived and Gordon had planned it to allow himself to arrive in plenty of time for his evening meal with everything having been checked and double-checked into his car. He told them to behave themselves as they waved him off. Coming back into the house they felt like two naughty schoolgirls and when Megan produced a bottle of wine, they giggled as they settled down to an evening of their favourite films.
The following morning set the pattern as Jean had a leisurely breakfast and read the paper. She had decided she would try to sort through some of the old photographs and put them in to albums. It was a job she never seemed to have the time to do and now she could spread them out all over the table and not have to worry about clearing it away for the evening. It was a trip down memory lane that was for sure and the day passed so quickly. She had kept herself well refreshed with cups of coffee during the day and had stopped on one occasion for a sandwich, but before she knew it Megan was home again. They had a laugh over some of the photos as they recalled little incidents relating to them and ended up with a meal thrown together from odds and ends. The next day it was the turn of a cupboard to be sorted. As she turned out the long forgotten items, she thought every home probably has a cupboard or drawer like this where items with no specific home get put with the idea of being sorted at a later date. Of course that date never seems to arrive and as the items emerged she couldn't think why she had kept most of them. Being keen on recycling, a big bag was bundled up for the charity shop and an equally big bag was bundled up for the dustbin. As she tied the last bag up she felt a sense of achievement, although there was that niggling feeling that it wouldn't be long before someone asked for an item and the awful realisation would hit her that it was one of the things either destined for the charity shop or the dustbin. It always happened - still it gave her a good feeling to think that was another job off the list.
The day arrived that she had arranged to meet Megan. They had both overslept and there was a frantic rush as Megan grabbed things to rush for the bus. She called out to Jean where to meet her as she dashed out of the house. Jean had a cup of coffee as she settled to read the paper and then had a long, leisurely bath, before getting ready to drive into town. She suddenly thought, "Where did Megan say, was it The Old Mill or Mill Street? I wished that I had taken more notice." She decided to phone and check, but as she dialled the number a phone rang in the lounge. There sitting on the coffee table was Megan's phone. Choosing to try the Old Mill complex first, she parked the car and waited at the entrance. Time went by and Megan failed to appear, so she decided to make her way to Mill Street. Just as she was leaving Megan rushed up. "Thank goodness you're here. I tried Mill Street first and as you weren't there guessed it must have been The Old Mill. I couldn't remember what we decided this morning. I wished that I hadn't been in such a rush and had taken more notice. I tried to phone you only to find I'd left my phone at home and grabbed the remote control instead! Still now we've found one another let's go and have a good girlie afternoon and evening". Jean smiled to herself as she thought, "She really is turning out to be her mother's daughter".
From Brian
I WISH THAT
There are one or two things that I wish that, but the first wish that I had known my father, NO, mother was married to him.
His name was Arthur Frederick Lacey Osborne, he was born in 1900, his father was a butler, mother was a housemaid, and they were married the day before he was born in a village called Blockley in the Cotswolds. He had two brothers and three sisters; I never met any of them, or my grand parents.
Let me explain.
My father left home in Blockley at the age of 18, went to London to find a job, there he signed on a ship as a Galley boy on a ship that sailed to New York. This was his first trip to sea; this was to last most of his life.
In 1926 he met my mother, who at that time was working at the Sussex Hotel, which was on the high street in Southampton. A year later they were married, ten months after the great event my eldest brother was born, my father at that time was away on the Edinburgh Castle on the way to South Africa, as 1st cook.
From August 1928 to June 1930 he worked ashore at the South Western Hotel, Southampton as head cook.
Then on the 6th June 1930 he went back to sea on ATLANTIS as a sauce cook, cruising the Mediterranean for two months,
My second brother was born 1931 again father was away cruising the Mediterranean still a sauce cook.
I was born 1934 this time my father was aboard the ARLANZA, which sailed between Southampton and Brazil and the River Plate, around trip of about six weeks.
In the days before the Second World War, no English cook ever made it to the head chef, on the ocean liners. French or Italian chosen, also you had to pass a medical each time you signed on.
He signed off his last trip in November 1937 as a Larder cook. They found that he had TB, so he could no longer work.
The seaman’s union found a place for him at the Hollybrook Hospital, were he stayed, until he died in 1941.
December 1937, at the age of three, I was placed at Nazareth House in Southampton that was run by nuns, my mother could see no other way to keep three boys, and no income coming in.
Later one of my Aunts told me a little about my father, he was about 5ft 8ins tall, brown eyes and hair, always clean shaven, he was a very dapper (that was the word she used) dresser, soft spoken. Every one called him Ossie.
As I have said, I was only three when it was said that I last saw him. Part of my life seemed as if something was missing. If he had lived, I wonder how different my life would have been, would he have taught me to ride a bike, play football, or cricket, fly a kite, go fishing, and all those sorts of things that fathers share with their sons??
I WISH THAT HE HAD…..
