The book of Me... Written by You... Prompt 12

 The Year you were born:

What happened....
Historical - internation, national & local
Family events...
Films
Music
Books
Television

I was born December 1955..
A couple of songs that were the top of the hit chart in the UK were  " Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley and the Comets, and also "Christmas Alphabet" by Dickie Valentine..

Some movies that came out that year, are : Disney's movie, Lady and the Tramp, The 7 Year Itch with Marilyn Monroe, and Oklahoma with Shirley Jones, to name just a few.

In September of 1955, James Dean ( Actor ) died in a car crash in Cholame, California..

At the beginning of 1955, Sir Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister in Britain, but left office in April 1955... when I was born ( in December ) the Prime Minister was Sir Anthony Eden.

Popular TV shows in Britain in 1955 were.... Dixon of Dock Green... it premiered in July
The Benny Hill Show premiered in January...and a children's show ( that I remember ) The Woodentops...

A couple of historical events that happened in my birth month in 1955 were... Cardiff was proclaimed the capital city of Wales December  20th
Barbra Streisand's 1st recording "You'll Never Know" at age 13.. December 29th

but I have to say that the biggest event that happened in the life of my family was
I WAS BORN... I was the first grandchild on my Mother's side

I'm the one on the right hand side with a ribbon in my hair...

I have enjoyed looking up this information pertaining to my birth year... fun to see what was happening at that time ...

My brother Andrew...

I am the oldest of 7 children.... but the only one I grew up with, is my brother Andrew.
As he got got older, he was Andy to everyone, but not to me... to me, he was always Andrew.

Growing up with Andrew is one I wouldn't change.   I remember when he would be out and my parents were also out... I would put his electric blanket on for him, so the bed would be warm when he got home. Scotland can be cold and damp, so a nice warm bed is a treat :)

I remember a stage he went through... he would wear a long black coat, and I cant remember if it was a red flower, or a red hankie he had on it.... I think it had something to do with the movie Godfather... he and his friends all wore that same style.

I left home at 18 years old, and didn't really see much of Andrew after that.   He joined The Argyll's
, I have a picture somewhere, I'll have to see if I can find it, and add it at a later date.
My dad told me that he had been posted in a couple of places... one of them in Northern Ireland with all the trouble they had going on there with the IRA...I think one of the last places he had been in was Germany.  Andrew was one that never told on anyone, even if it got himself in trouble.... in my dad's words... there had been some trouble with a " Freulein ".. I'm sure that I didn't spell that right.. but a " woman " there... it involved one of Andrew's friends... Andrew took the blame.... Don't get me wrong... he could be a wee beggar when he wanted to be, my dad told me that they discharged him... told him that they have enough wars going on, they don't need him starting one more.. hehe
I loved ( love ) my brother...
He eventually met and married Katrina... they had a family ( 4 children ) Donnamarie, Louise, Andrew and Emma..

This is my dad , Andrew and Katrina.....
I always knew Andrew loved me.. but of course, he didn't express it too often.  Anyway, one day in August 1993, he called me out of the blue, just to tell me he loved me... just a few days later, my brother and his children were in a house fire, where he and his 5 year old daughter Emma were killed.
My Sister in Law let me pick out the casket for my brother... the whole experience was extremely difficult...  I have pictures I want to add here, but will do it later..
My dad had passed away 5 years earlier... I suddenly felt like an orphan... alone...  I knew that wasn't true, but sometimes we cant help the feelings we have.
I still miss him... I love him, but I think he knows that..

The Book of Me.... Written by You... Prompt 11

This week’s prompt (week 11) is Military

• Did you join the military?
Were you encouraged or discouraged?
...
• Did a family member?
• o Regular or for a particular incident

• Did you or your family serve overseas in the line of Service either during a war or a posting

• Any thoughts, photographs, memories relevant

This first picture is my Uncle Willie in uniform

This is my Dad's brother.. William Scott Newman...
He was born 24 May, 1917, and was the fourth child ( second son ) to my grandparents David Newman and Agnes McGowan..
I don't know what regiment he was in... but I LOVE this picture of him, and I am so proud of him.
Another of my Dad's brother's is my Uncle George...

George Menzies Newman was the 7th child and the 4th son, born 5th March, 1922..
Here he is in his uniform... I also don't know much about his service, but am also very proud of him x

This next picture is of my Grandfathers 2 brother's ( My Mother's Uncles ) George and Fred McCulloch.  I don't know the dates for Fred, but George was born George on 7 March, 1915

Fred is on the left hand side and George the right.
They were fighter pilots...
George won the DCM medal on his wife Ina's birthday, and was so proud of it..which he should be.
It was put in the paper, and he sent me copies of them..

I feel so proud of him... He and his wife had no children, so he had no-one to pass these treasures on to... I remember him writing and saying that he was going to donate his medals to a museum... which one, I have no idea, but I'm in the process of trying to find out, as I would love a picture of them..

I really wish I had paid better attention at the time..

 

My Gr Grandfather on my Mother's side was Patrick O'Brien, he was born in 1870, and died in 1954... here is his discharge paper, and other ones

 

When he enlisted, he was already married with a family..

 

There is also a medal for him....

 

I would love to find out more information on my family, and really hope one day to be able to.

I am so very proud of them... very, very proud  x

 

 

 

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields! ...

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

 

The Coal Man...

I remember when I lived with my Grandparents in Greenock, they had a coal fire.. my Gran would get up early every morning to prepare it and light it, so it was nice and toasty by the time we got up.
When my Father re-married and we moved to Kelburn Terrace in Port Glasgow, there was also a coal fire there.  My step mum always prepared and lit the the fire.
The coal was delivered, and since we lived at the top floor of the tenement building, the coalman had to carry the bag of coal all the way up...

I miss the simpler times, although, sometimes hard... they really were the good ol' days

The Book of Me.... Written by You... Prompt 10

This week’s (Week 10) prompt is Unexplained Memories

Do you have an unexplained memory or memories?
Items
Places...
People

Things and times you can remember, but you are not sure where they fit into your past

Okay.. I have been feeling a wee bit frustrated with this one, because I didn't know where to go with it,... and so while I was reading someone else's response, something came to mind... maybe not exactly what its supposed to be, but never the less, this is what I came up with.

I think I mentioned before that my parents were divorced... I lived with my Father..I never saw or heard from my Mother again ( I have photo's of where she came to Greenock to see me ) but I think it was shortly after my Father took the 3 of us children and moved back to Greenock.  Anyway, I don't remember my mum too much after that, till I found her ( after I was married ) which is a story for another time.

For as long as I remember, I had memories of my mum.. I remember bright red lips ( red lipstick would have been the fashion then ).. I remember a couple of songs.. one is" Hang down your head Tom Dooley" .. another was" Put your sweet lips, a little closer to the phone "... in my head, I was sure they belonged to the time my parents were together, but I had no way to know for sure.  The biggest memory that always came up, and the memory that still makes my heart cry... I remembered my Dad laying on the floor, begging someone ( who in my heart I knew was my mum ) he was begging her to stay... he was crying, he was beating his fists in the floor, and he was begging... I remember her stepping right over him and walking out the door... I also remember I ran behind the kitchen door crying and crying.. I also remember someone wearing a leather jacket, running after her, he said he would bring her back... I remember he got on a motorbike and drove off, but she never came back...  I could never ask my Dad if this memory was true, if it really happened, because I didn't want to upset him.   As I said already, I found my mother, and in doing so, I found that side of the family.  I told an Uncle my memories, especially that one, and he verified that it was true...you see, he was the one in the leather jacket who went after her.. I finally had my answer, as hurtful as it feels.
 

There has been long term consequences because of her actions... which is also for another time...
Anyway, this is my attempt at this week's prompt....