Sunday 31 January 2016

Family Folklore

Hello, thank you for calling in.  I hope you are all keeping safe, warm and dry enough - especially those of you affected by the extraordinary storms we are having on both sides of the Atlantic.  I am well aware that although the endless rain is getting me down, I have a great deal to be thankful for.
 
First of all, THANK YOU for your very kind comments on my last post, my own tribute to Alan Rickman - and Rosie, I am very jealous!    Even The Mathematician rang me to let me know that she understood why I had written it, although for her he will always be Severus Snape. 
 
This was supposed to be my January family history post but I'm afraid other things got in the way so as an alternative, I offer you a piece of what my cousin calls "family folklore" which I heard for the first time today.  We have been to Cardiff Bay to surprise my father by joining him for his birthday lunch and as fifteen of us sat around a table, relaxed and chatting, my mother told us this story.  She was born in London during the Second World War and grew up there.  Occasional visits to the theatre in the West End were part of that growing up (tickets were much cheaper then) and her parents liked to take their daughters to the Savoy Theatre to see the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company perform the works of Gilbert and Sullivan.  One evening, when she was about fourteen years old, they went to see The Gondoliers and the interval went on for rather longer than was usual.  Sitting at the back of the stalls, Ma and her sister became aware that a buzz of excitement was spreading through the theatre: a special guest was in the house.  They waited and eventually, a door opened at the front of the auditorium, beside the stage, and in walked...Winston Churchill AND Field Marshal Montgomery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Now then, gentle reader, remember that this was only about eleven years after the end of the war and these men were national heroes.  The audience rose to its feet and applauded them before reluctantly settling down for the second half of the performance. 
 
Fancy that, my mother seeing Winston Churchill and Monty in the flesh!  And fancy her not having told us this story before!!  Winston Churchill, Hello!!!  I am almost giddy with excitement at learning that my Ma was in the same room as our great twentieth century leader.  (Mind you, Aunty Pat going to school with Marc Bolan is pretty good...)  I just had to share the story with you lovely lot.
 
  See you soon.
 
Love, Mrs Tiggywinkle x

Edit: my mother rang me after she read this.  Apparently, I got the date wrong - this incident didn't happen in 1956, as I had thought, but in the winter of 1958/9, almost fourteen years after the end of the war.  All other details have the maternal seal of approval. 
 

14 comments:

  1. Such an exciting bit of family folklore! You'll have to make sure your mother isn't holding back on any other interesting stories like this.
    One time when I worked in Toronto, Prince Charles came to Canada for a visit. One of the very young lawyers in our firm went out to watch the procession as Prince Charles walked along Queen Street. When the lawyer came back to the office his face was beaming and he kept saying "I shook his hand!! I shook his hand!!" It was really funny to see his excitement, but so special for him too ;)
    Wendy

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    1. Actually Wendy, she WAS holding back on other stories, as you will read in today's post! And I think that I would be on a cloud for a long time if I had shaken the hand of Prince Charles (as my father has!). x

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  2. Oh your lucky Mom, I just finished the 2nd volume of biography of Winston Churchill. He's a hero of mine.

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    1. I think many British people regard him as the greatest figure of the last century, Janet, and I am pleased to know that his stature is equally well-regarded across the Atlantic. x

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  3. Ooh fancy that! Just shows how important it is to write things down before they get forgotten. x

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    1. Absolutely right, Karen, and reading this post has prompted Ma to reveal other stories, so watch out for them. x

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  4. Isn't it great when you have family get together and little gems like that emerge. What a wonderful story and I can picture her excitement now. Have a good week and happy February. Barbara X

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    1. Oh yes Barbara, and Happy February to you, too. x

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  5. How wonderful for your mum and her family to see their wartime heroes and to share that performance with them. It's a great family story as is the Marc Bolan one:)

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    1. Thanks Rosie. I think there's more to come. x

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  6. Wow, that must have been quite an evening! We can only imagine. How wonderful that the story has been passed on as part of your families history. xx

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    1. I think so too, Amy. Her sister's children had never heard it either, but now they have read it here. I am so pleased. x

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  7. Winston Churchill was still a powerfully symbolic public figure years after the war was over. I can remember the people in our town standing and waiting in the park by the rail track just to get a glimpse of the train carrying his coffin as it passed by. It's good that your family can get together and share your own family history stories.

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    1. I am really pleased that I have been able to share the story here, Lynda, for my children, who weren't able to be with us on Sunday, and for my cousins. In fact, there is a WC coffin story coming up in today's post! x

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