Getting out of my comfort zone

gilligansyle

Thanks mac, am sat in my Nan's rocking chair at the moment.

The problem is Mum spent most of her childhood in hospital, so doesn't have many 'family' type memories. She got TB and was sent to a sanatorium in Wales and then war broke out. By the time she came home, she was 10, most of her older brothers and sisters were already either working or married, including this sister so she built relationships with the sisters who were younger than her and her eldest sister, who took her under her wing.

Karmacat

You guys have a lot of cousins! I'm on the lapsed RC/Proddie side - everyone thought that my 12 cousins were very numerous - I'm an amateur tho, compared to over 50!

It sounds like its all going to be huge ... a very wise choice not to do anything tonight, even tho you're away during the week, you'll need your energy ....

macgirl, where are yours in Liverpool? I don't have anyone left in Liverpool itself - most of them have emigrated to Formby, but my brother's gone completely Lancashire :eek:

Just read your previous post - evacuees had a hard time of it in so many ways .... one of my uncles was 6 when the war broke out, and he never really lived at home again. After the war ended, he applied to go on one of those "lets populate the Empire with white children" things - although he had both parents, and he was only 12. They eventually let him go - and thats why I have Zimbabwean cousins

macgirl

Aww, that's so sad

macgirl

KC, they are mainly in Woolton / Childwall.

gilligansyle

macgirl wrote: »

Aww, that's so sad

If you mean the TB etc. yes, but it was sort of typical of the times.

If you mean me sat in my rocking chair, I'd better steer clear of hypno's thread!

Karmacat

It was ... my mum was taken to live with her aunt, who was a trained midwife - my nan and grandad couldn't really feed their kids properly, just not enough money.

gilligansyle

woolton/childwall is my end of town!

gilligansyle

macgirl wrote: »

KC, they are mainly in Woolton / Childwall.

Karmacat wrote: »

Just read your previous post - evacuees had a hard time of it in so many ways .... one of my uncles was 6 when the war broke out, and he never really lived at home again. After the war ended, he applied to go on one of those "lets populate the Empire with white children" things - although he had both parents, and he was only 12. They eventually let him go - and thats why I have Zimbabwean cousins

There was a woman a few years ago who wrote a book called 'Empty Cradles' about the children who were sent out to Australia, most without their parents knowledge or permission. I read it on a train once and sobbed my heart out.

macgirl

gilligansyle wrote: »

If you mean the TB etc. yes, but it was sort of typical of the times.

If you mean me sat in my rocking chair, I'd better steer clear of hypno's thread!

:rotfl: Not you Silly! the sadness of TB and spending her formative years away from her family.
Enjoy the rocker

I didn't know you were a Scouser KC!
Both my parents are Irish, but most of their families moved here in the 60's to find work and are spread all over the Country now. Due to the size of the family, we're not that close, but it's great to see everyone when we do meet up. So I'm really looking forward to the party

Karmacat

It was dreadful, mostly ... in Rhodesia, as it was then, things were quite different - only 300 were sent out in total, whereas thousands went to Australia. In Rhodesia, the children quickly got used to having servants, and being in charge of things - my uncle was in charge of erecting farm buildings at the age of 16 - in Australia, the children were themselves the navvies - almost slave like conditions there, from what I've read....