The Modern Merlin
Vera Sanderson pays tribute to a marvellous Yorkshireman.
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Vera Sanderson pays tribute to a marvellous Yorkshireman.
…One Sunday morning I remember particularly well and as usual, I was sitting with my parents in church. The vicar was just getting into the flow of his sermon when a rustling sound disturbed the quietness. The verger was walking down the aisle and he proceeded to the pulpit, up the half-dozen steps to whisper something in the vicar’s ear. There was a lengthy pause, followed by an announcement from the Reverend Corrin. “It is with regret that I have to tell you that, from 11 0’clock today Great Britain is at war with Germany”. ..
Shirley Lingwood has richly detailed memories of her hard-working and talented parents and of her own early years.
Esme has a plan for retired life, and it does not include her husband Bill...
Rose Perry tells a tale of a scheming wife.
Ida Smith's story concerns a mysterious and troubled school teacher.
In this splendidly detailed article Monica Duckering tells of life on a remote Australian cattle station.
Patrick Hopton re-tells the tale of a Brief Encounter. Patrick’s version provides much more fun than the original story, which. so they tell me, ended up on the big screen.
Betty Kay suggests that it is best to just accept happiness when it is there, and to learn to live without it when it is not.
A chair can mean a lot to a family, as Rose Perry's story reveals.
Francis Barton tells of her distress as a child on an historic day.
Janet Richards' story highlights the need to care.
Chris Dean of Vancouver takes issue with Ken Harris of Australia on the origin of banjos.
…It was a large camp, which already held well over ten thousand, all women and children, before we arrived to add to the overcrowding. About five houses had had to be emptied to receive us newcomers, and we were met with a measure of resentment by those already there. Soon we were allocated our ration of personal space in the vacated houses. Between eighty and a hundred to each house…
Thea Sloane recalls the dreadful months she spent as a prisoner of the Japanese during World War Two.
Sandy Saunders tells of a frustrated hound.
...At night you could hear aeroplanes flying towards England and back to Germany. The Germans used to stop the trams and ask for people's identity cards. They were looking for people born in my year and the following year to take to Germany for hard labour. My younger brother was going to be taken away but got a stomach ulcer and did not pass the medical...
Françoise Taylor recalls wartime days.
Rose Perry recalls the drawer in which her grandmother kept “treasures’’.
…“My floor next,” Marek said trying to ease the tension. We were too close for comfort as the saying goes. As he said the words, the struggling lift shuddered to a stop. We were two feet short of floor two.’’…
Derek McQueen’s spooky story involves a situation we all dread.
To read more of Derek’s tales please type his name in the search box on this page.
...How do you tell a good banjo from a bad? Pick it up. Look along the neck. Is it straight? It should be. Next feel the weight. The heavier the better, because that means it has steel reinforcement to stop the pull of the strings bending the neck. If the neck is bent you'll never play chords up the neck...
Ken Harris presents a short history of the banjo.
...I've had a lifetime with horses and am still enjoying it. I have had several accidents along the way, one very serious one on the road when the horse was hit by a car and was so badly injured it was put down on the spot and I was in hospital with a fractured skull and other injuries. Even this has never deterred me, but I am very wary in traffic.
Please, all you drivers, do take care when you meet horses on the road. Please slow down and give them a wide berth. We need much more off-the-road riding, more bridleways...
Eileen Lester introduces us to her four-legged friends.
Hazel Dracup recalls happy youth hostelling days.
...According to my very favourite historian, Russell Ward, "Australia suffered from the depression rather earlier and more severely than most countries". Russell says, "For a time nearly 30% of breadwinners were unemployed. Long queues of men would be seen seeking one job and thousands tramped bush roads with a swag and billy."
Mildura in the harvest season, with hundreds of acres of sultanas to be picked, dried and packed, became a Mecca to these people. There were few cars that made the 600 km trip from Melbourne on those rough dusty roads so mostly the journey was made on shanks's pony or by "riding the rattler", which meant jumping into an empty freight carriage and hoping not to be caught by a railway security guard...
Ken Carr tells of hobos - most of them good family men who had become victims of an economic crash.
Sylvia Wiseman's poem captures the excitement of a carnival.
Ida Smith tells the story of Hester, the daughter of poor parents, who goes off to work in Johannesburg, only to return with – ahem – a bloated stomach.
It was a speed contest between horse and bike following a theft at the garden centre, as Sandy Saunders' sprightly poem reveals.
…You took my hand, palm uppermost,
And gently brushed it with your lips and tears…
Vera Sanderson’s wonderful poem captures the essence of true love.
Thea Sloane recalls the time she spent in a Japanese internment camp during the second world war.
There are things you need to know when you go to buy a computer, as E M MacPhail’s story reveals.
John Ricketts is a pallbearer at the funeral of an old soldier who fought in the Boar war.
...During one particular journey home at the end of term, when I was 14, I purchased a paperback from the book kiosk at Kings Cross Station. (It was normal for me to do this in order to relieve the monotony of the three-and-a-half hour journey home). The book was the first in the 'Whiteoak' family stories by Mazo de la Roche - the 'Jalna' series.
I started to read it on the train and finished reading it within a day or two of arriving home. Very interesting I thought - a very good read, then looked to see what the next title in the series was, purchased it on my next trip to town, and had read that before returning to school the following week...
Hazel Dracup recalls how she became an avid reader. To enjoy more of Hazel's articles please type her name in the search box on this page.
..."You know he done her in, and there's no more to be said about it." Mary was adamant, and was not going to be sidetracked. "And, anyway she deserved everything she got."...
But who did murder Jade? Elwyn Frankel's tale takes a surprising turn as the mystery is unravelled.
Is Kotie really the sort of friend that a young girl should have?
Ida Smith tells a subtle tale about learning to survive in a hostile world.
Nobody ever believed me when I told them that sausages were types of eggs. It was so obvious, why had they all to be so thick. I know very well that sausages were eggs, pork sausages were pig’s eggs and beef sausages were cow’s eggs.
David Craven confirms that young boys do not always know what they think they know.
To read more articles by David please type his name in the search box on this page.
Ken Higson tells of days when you could have lots of fun for two pence.
…In a daze I picked up and thumbed through a loose bundle. Five hundred used twenty pound notes. A rapid calculation . . . ten grand in this one bundle! And there were hundreds of them!…
Patrick Hopton tells the tasty tale of a man down on his luck, a Mercedes SL and four and a half million quid.
I you live in a certain part of the city it’s good to have a friend called Sheba, as Zelda Margo’s story reveals.
Prolonged power cuts in Johannesburg prompted Lee Cohen to write this poem.
Hazel Dracup recalls the day when she handed a jar of lemon curd to Princess Margaret.
...“First of all”, he said, “I’m telling you now that you’re not to mention anything about what I’m going to tell you to anybody outside this house.” Then he added that endearingly Irish and quite contradictory saying, “No matter what you say, say nothing.”...
Alan McConnell tells of mysterious goings-on in rural Ireland.
Alan vividly recreates the delights and mysteries of an idyllic boyhood. Settle down and enjoy a long, luxurious read.
Vera Sanderson, in sprightly rhyme, tells of a Yorkshire couple who are cautious with their brass.
Continue reading "A Yorkshire Wife’s Wedding or Fifty Thrifty Years" »
Monica Duckering's poem tells of awakening to new ideas.
John Ricketts tells of a lonely gold prospector.
Jim Moore's poem tells of a travelling man - and a cup of tea to warm the soul.
Derek McQueen definitely was not smiling when things started to go wrong during his second commission as a wedding photographer.
Janet Richards tells of the day when the Angel of Abundance came to call.
Beware who you engage in casual conversation at a conference, particularly so if they are not delegates. Derek McQueen tells a menacing tale.
To read more of Derek's stories please type his name in the search box on this page.
Vera Sanderson mourns the passing of the roast beef of old England.
John Ricketts tells of an early example of keyhole surgery.
Kind actions can echo down the years, says Merle Parkin.
Barbara Patterson tells of a lady who conquered her fear of flying.
...Dad would go in his tanker which was painted in blue with the ICI logo on it. Tanker 148 was my dad’s. He would go to Cheshire in the morning, go into the Huddersfield ICI to empty the load, and then go back again in the afternoon for another load.
Every now and again in the summer holidays I would have the opportunity to go with him on the afternoon run...
Hazel Dracup tells of afternoons out with her Dad.
John Ricketts, who was the headmaster of a school in Africa for a number of years, tells of lions in the classroom.
Marjorie Upson paints a word portrait of her father, James Harker, who was taken prisoner during the First World War.
Brenda Hellawell discovers that her accent identifies her as being from a specific town.
A nice watercolour of Bakewell Bridge is better than 'owt in yon Tate Modern.
Derek McQueen tells the tale of a Barnsley couple who take the bus to London to see modern art.
Back in November we ran a story by George Brierly who told how he came to be arrested by Americans while taking part in Operation Dragoon during World War Two.
Frank Thomas of Tiverton also took part in that airborne and seaborne assault on Nazi occupied Europe.
Today we are re-running George's story, and also Frank's memories of those epic events.
Barbara Tregonning's atmospheric poem shines a light on an Australian landmark.
John Ricketts recalls his first African game viewing trip.
On a grey day, the queue is waiting, waiting… Vera Sanderson tells of a queue one would not wish to join.
Barbara Patterson tells of those little monsters - sons and grandsons.
Have you ever wondered what she was thinking while her portrait was being painted? Mary Bourne goes inside the head of a very famous lady.
Vera Sanderson expresses her abhorrence of hunting.
Zelda Margo tells a sad South African tale.
...Why did we not intervene? In that quiet, peaceful square where we had been so at ease there was now a feeling of a strange inadequacy, of things not being right with the world. lt was as though a cloud had descended to destroy what had previously seemed a perfect day?...
Betty Kay recalls an astonishing incident witnessed in a beautiful tree-lined square in a Spanish town.
…“Oh, hallo , Mr. Ricketts. Good News! A boy born yesterday at a few minutes to twelve. Yes your wife is fine though I’m not pleased with her at all. When I gave her the baby she burst out laughing. When I asked why, she said he was the funniest baby she’d ever seen; that he was all nose.”…
John Ricketts tells of a mad Christmas-time dash along bumpy African roads.
...Christmas times were always happy times. We didn't have much, but the family get-togethers were magical for me. The local brass band and choir would come round the village to welcome in Christmas, and people would take out cake, mince pies and a warm drink for them. Sometimes when it was snowing it seemed to me like an old fashioned Christmas card with the adults and children in their colourful winter clothing carrying lanterns and singing carols and the snow falling all around them...
Brenda Hayler tells of a two-hour bus journey which carries her back to her early life.
John Bayley tells as story for December 26 - St Stephen's Day.
...Beneath a cloudless star-filled sky several hundred worshippers, each with a lighted taper in one hand and a hymn sheet in the other, faced a candle-lit altar, and moments later to the words of 'O Come all ye Faithful' St. George's Cathedral Choir led in the Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem and his retinue.
As the last notes of the first carol died away, the Great Bell of Bethlehem sent its message booming across the world: Jesus Christ is born....
Tom Swallow tells of being in Bethlehem on Christmas Day, 1939.
Pat Rollnik presents a poem for this special day.
...When we found a compartment it was already occupied by two elderly gentlemen, but once again in those days you never gave it a second thought. As we settled down to speculate about where we were going and what we were going to buy, we became aware that the two men were rehearsing some sort of script. We became curious and listened to them reading.
They realised that they were being watched so explained who they were. We were fascinated. They were Tom Forrest and Ned Larkin from 'The Archers'. Although we were both far too hip then to listen to the program, we had both been brought up on it and knew exactly who the characters were. Although The Archers was normally recorded in Birmingham, Tom and Ned were off to record an episode at the Smithfield Christmas Fat Stock Show...
Wendy Bower tells of meeting two famous radio characters on a shopping trip to London.
Pat Rollnick sums up this special time in a poem.
No eletricity...no dinner...rain coming through the bedroom roof....
John Ricketts tells of a soggy and dismal Christmas Day in Africa.
Mima Fisher tells of the war fought by Australian farmers against the common enemy - rabbits.
Nancie Dyson recalls the stern days of wartime rationing.
...We sang Fill Thou my Life or The King of Love my Shepherd is with There is a Green Hill at Easter and harvest hymns at the appropriate time and of course carols at Christmas.
November 11th was kept every year with 2 minutes silence which seemed like an eternity, and nearly always somebody fainted which added a bit of drama to things...
Peggy MacKay recalls her school days.
Lonely Jenny finds the hope of happiness in her local supermarket.
Barbara Adams tells a heart-warming Christmas story.
John Ricketts' dad was not one to sing him lullabies. Instead he gave voice to classic music hall songs.
...Now I have two young grandchildren. I can look back on my experiences with my grandparents and am able to take the positive things I learnt and pass them onto my grandchildren and hopefully enrich their lives in the same way that mine did for me...
Hazel Dracup remembers her grand parents with deep affection
….My teacher was Miss Walker. We wrote on slates with slate pencils, which made squeaky noises when we used them. I remember dried beans for learning how to count, add and subtract.
When leaving school on Fridays Miss Walker rewarded those who had been very good, or had done exceptional work, with boiled sweets (fishes and pear drops). I never qualified in either category. No surprises there!…
Nancie Dyson recalls her primary school days.
Gerald Newman became an astonishingly different person after being struck by a Sheffield tram. But was it a change for the better?
Derek McQueen tells a tale about a man who knew too much.
...Going for walks up Liley Lane and across the various fields with Grandad as he told me stories of the area, including Shuttle Eye Colliery where he had worked for over 50 years. We collected ladybirds and brought them home in matchboxes...
Hazel Dracup tells of her affection for a Yorkshire mining village.
John Ricketts considers some of the numbers which have ruled his life.
There were Cowboys and Knights, Andy Pandy and Looby Loo...
Irene Grundy tells of a fancy dress party.
…I play with a new type of Arithmetic that I call THRITHMETIC. It is (I think) quite useless but can give you a lot of fun if you are mathematically inclined. It is based on the number 3. It has its own vocabulary which I will explain….
David Craven has some fun with numbers.
George Brierly tells how he came to be arrested by Americans while taking part in Operation Dragoon during World War Two.
Vera Sanderson presents a cautionary poem. I do hope you are not smoking a cigarette while reading it!
…Suddenly, there in the water near where I and two other me were not just one but three crocodiles. Three crocs each fifteen feet long. I can see you have visions of us each wrestling with one of them. Actually there were three crocodiles each fifteen inches long. We each grabbed one and took them ashore and put them into large bowl. After that we were much more careful as little crocs meant that there must be big ones somewhere about. However none was ever found…
John Ricketts recalls an astonishing family holiday on the shores of Lake Nyasa.