Ailz's Childhood

[poliphilo]

All she wants for Christmas is her two front teeth

 

With her grand-dad Rogers
 

Marching in a Whit Walk. (She's the one in the background in the little white hat)

Comments

[chochiyo-sama.livejournal.com]

One wonders what the boy who is pointing his finger is thinking or saying--he looks perturbed. Lol.

Aliz is a darling child. I love the photo of her with her grandfather. He has a very interesting face. He looks like he has stories to tell.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's an interesting image, isn't it? I've wondered about the little boy too.

I don't know much about Grand-dad Rogers- except that he was a protestant Irishman who moved to England- and brought up his daughter- Ailz's mother- single-handed after his wife died.

[craftyailz.livejournal.com]

Grandad Rogers was English - from Manchester. He was working in N. Ireland - with his father or brother, I think - and met my grandma (whom I never knew as she died when my mum was about 12). My grandma had a fall from her bike and damaged her back, they came over to England on the day that war broke out and settled with grandad's parents in Moss Side, Manchester (they were posh and living in a big house, it was a nice area then). Grandma spent the next 2 years in hospital. She came out briefly and they bought 28 Neden Street, Openshaw, but then she had to go back into hospital (this was 1942 and she died there).

When my mum and dad had been married a while and had run a shop but gave it up, they bought the house in Neden Street off my grandad and he went to live with some friends Auntie Nellie and Uncle Jud - he had worked with one or both of them. Uncle Jud was a boozer and I think Auntie Nellie needed the money that a lodger would bring. He stayed with them for the rest of his life - even when we moved to a bigger house that would have had room for him - Neden Street, was a 2 up 2 down with outside toilet and a tin bath. Though my parents bought a railway carriage or bus shell and had it attached to extend the kitchen.

We moved after I had TB as the doctors thought that living in what by then was an inner city slum was bad for my health.

Except for the hair color...

[jubal51394.livejournal.com]

You have not changed one bit! I'd recognize you anywhere. ;)

??????

[jubal51394.livejournal.com]

What's a Whit Walk?

Re: ??????

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

On Whitsunday church members put on their finery and parade through the streets, accompanied by banners and marching bands. This is something that only happens in the north of England, not the south- and it's a tradition that's almost certainly dying out.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

Is that a Whit Walk as in Whitsunday?
I'm not at all familiar with the custom.
Ailz and her granddad is a lovely picture.
The first one looks like the school photos we had taken every year.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

That's right. It's a northern English custom. As a southerner I found it hard to take very seriously. It's an excuse for church people to dress up and march round their territority with banners flying and brass bands blaring away.

I'm not sure if that first picture is a school photo or not, but it certainly could be.

[oakmouse]

She's got such a charming face! My inner little kid, looking at picture #1, immediately said "Oh, she'd be a GOOD friend!"

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes. I couldn't agree more! :)