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5 December 2009 at
15:43
Have just
had a delightful pre-Christmas visit from Cousin Daisy (the Senior Cousin and
head of the family when Uncle Laurie hands in his chips).
Lots of
laughter and talk of the old times and ancestors.
***
The
day after I was born Cousin Daisy celebrated her 22nd birthday.
She
is the oldest of our generation of maternal cousins, I am the youngest.
Fifteen
weeks after I was born she was married.
Mum
didn’t go.
In those days of fuel and
financial shortages travelling with a babe-in-arms from Netheravon to Newcastle
wasn’t really practical.
Especially in
January.
We
have a wonderful letter from her mother to ours describing the wedding ceremony
and celebrations. There are some cutting
remarks about an in-law, comments on the political situation and “of course the
only picture where I look any good is the one where I’m wringing out her veil.”
Being
the youngest I never got to play as a child with any of my cousins (or siblings,
the nearest is seven years older than me). Daisy
and the rest were people whose names I knew and who appeared from time to time
when, or with, visiting aunts and uncles.
But
that has changed.
I
came up to Newcastle University and settled here; half a mile from where Mum
and her siblings, Auntie Edna’s babies and my oldest siblings were born.
Cousin
Daisy and Auntie Edna were the first of the extended family to meet Phil, when
we bumped into them at a garden centre.
They were so favourably impressed she phoned to say how much she thought
of him.
Auntie
Edna, celebrated her 80th birthday in June 1992 and Phil was well
enough to drive me and Mum and Dad to the party at Cousin Daphne’s house. He took his banjo and there was a general
sing-along of Geordie and Northumbrian songs.
I have a happy memory of Mum and Auntie Ed singing “The Waters of Tyne”,
with Mum particularly relishing the line “or skull him across that rough river
to me.”
As
we were going home Auntie Ed wondered aloud when we’d all be in each other’s company
again. “Probably a funeral” she said
optimistically and, sadly, prophetically.
Cousin
Daisy worked in a clerical position at the Freeman Hospital.
One
day that September, during what was Phil’s final stay, she popped up in her
lunch hour to see us.
He
was in distress and quite restless.
She
put a cooling hand on his forehead, stood very still and I’ve no doubt she was
praying
He
became much calmer, and I am forever grateful for the peace she brought in that
moment.
Five
years ago, when I said I had no intention of celebrating my sixtieth birthday,
Bigsister threatened me with “Well Middlesister and I are coming up and if you don’t organise
something we will.”
I
insisted on having our traditional birthday tea at home with the boys, but
contacted Cousin Daisy and suggested we have a joint birthday afternoon tea at
the Grand Hotel in Tynemouth for various cousins, spouses and offspring, on her
birthday.
Which
is where the photo illustrating this post was taken.
Uncle
Laurie handed in his chips in the August of our annus horribilis 2012
I’m
glad to say Cousin Daisy and her husband are still with us, and are grand and
great grandparents.
