Young Elsie. 1902-1996: My old Mum was... - Lung Conditions C...

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Young Elsie. 1902-1996

34 Replies

My old Mum was of her day

And had some funny things to say.

Which now because of how things be,

Would be regarded non-pc

She had some problems with her health,

And sadly lacked much earthy wealth.

But always battled on despite,

No NHS was then in sight.

She never would admit to pain.

Unlike old Mrs Whats-her-name

Who she described with little stealth

As much enjoying her bad health.

34 Replies
SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt

Good morning Mr.D and another lovely start to my Sunday,thanks to you. Great b/w photo....I just love them. Not sure if your rhyme was about your Mother but in any event,the picture reminds me of my mum when just a wee grasshopper!

Hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

That’s my Mum 😀 . I have photos of her much younger than that thanks to my Granddad who wasn’t short of a bob or two I believe. He died before I was born.

SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt in reply to

Now that's wonderful to have photos of your dear Mum,back in the days when she was a "slip of a lass". Good to look through them I should imagine. Very lucky that Grandad had the money for a camera in those days but you say he was quite well off. His camera must have been the talk of the street back in those days!

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

They are all professional studio prints. Granddad was born 1865 before hobby photography was possible.

SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt in reply to

Oh ok. I hadn't really thought just how far back, having your own camera was. ( brain not engaged properly yet!)....so professional photos must have cost a small fortune in 1865.

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

Not necessarily, the bulkiness of the equipment would have been the biggest drawback, once in stalled they would have done good business until hobby cameras came out. The Bownie camera which came in 1900 would have been the start.

SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt in reply to

Now......Mr.D,

you're letting your "Everest" high standards slip....usually you'd have done a reply in rhyme for me,lol !!

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

Gimme a break will'yer! 😧

SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt in reply to

Nope,no can do....I look forward to your rhymes so much,as do so many others,that I was trying to squeeze an extra one out of you!!!

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

You set me a task

And that’s the truth.

OK i’ll show you

My broken tooth. 🤓

SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt in reply to

Ok, I re-read my reply to you and felt terribly guilty for putting you under pressure. (After all,you'd already given us a great Mr.D. rhyme this morning.) Hope you will accept my apologies for my dreadful behaviour..... sort of child-like in the way of,give the girl one sweet and all she wants is another,lol !!

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

Don't be so daft! They just flow out. I'm sat at my desk writing my autobiography so it's a welcome break now and then.

SquirrelsHolt profile image
SquirrelsHolt in reply to

Oh I'm genuinely pleased😊😀😁. Autobiography eh ? How wonderfully interesting Mr.D !!! Man of many talents!!

in reply toSquirrelsHolt

With computers and software it's very easy to do these days. I would encourage everybody to have a go to keep their mind of those troublesome lungs.

Hacienda profile image
Hacienda

What a beautiful Picture of your Mum Don, and a Beautiful Rhyme too. She looks Lovely. Living a ripe old age too. XXXX

Ah Don! My Nan was born in the same year and died in 1997. Your Mum is wearing what my Nan told me she always yearned for - hair ribbons. Her Mother didn’t believe in wasting their little spare money on them.

She was the only one who cuddled me when I was so poorly as a child and although I was lucky enough to have her until I was 37 I still miss her every day.

As for the comment about somebody enjoyingtheir bad health - we all know one don’t we!

Have a lovely Sunday.

in reply to

Thanks Pom, my 'Nan' was a terrifying character born 1863 died 1958. She ruled the family from her 'sick-bed' for at least 15 years before she died, rarely saw a doctor. We used to sneak back and spy on her through the window when she was left in on her own and see her sprightly nosy-parking around the house. I think my Mum might have had her in mind when she made the comment about enjoying bad health.

in reply to

Oh how funny. It’s strange how many ‘Victorians’ took to their beds for years. Florence Nightingale spent 40 years in bed! Perhaps it was their escape from the drudgery of every day life once their children were old enough to do the work.

in reply to

Grandma had three daughters and a son. One of the three daughters ended up her spinster carer, treated badly I thought, but she loved her Mum to bits until she died. Auntie lived to be just six months short of her 100th birthday, though her final days in a nursing home were not good. After her mother died she did sterling work for the National Children's Home. A wonderful lady.

(The son became the 'blacksheep of the family - my favourite Uncle. 😉)

sassy59 profile image
sassy59

I love old photos Don and Elsie looked very sweet. Great poem as always. Xxxx

Katinka46 profile image
Katinka46

Great. I think we all know Mrs-What’s-her-name. K xx

in reply toKatinka46

I think it does us good, on occasions, to look back at how things used to be when we feel like moaning about the current situation. The medical facilities in those days were so limited but were always seen to be used to their very best effect. Whereas today we have wonderful facilities which are not applied as well to people who are perhaps less stalwart.

hypercat54 profile image
hypercat54

Wow wonderful Don.

I was watching YouTube the other day (as you do) and came across the oldest person to be first photographed. She was a lady called Hannah Stiller who was photographed in 1840 at the age of 100. So she was born in 1740. x

in reply tohypercat54

Blimey! I couldn't resist googling Hannah Stiller to see if there was a copy of that imagine. She' wearing remarkably well. 🤣

hypercat54 profile image
hypercat54 in reply to

And all without modern medicine! They must have been strong in those days :D x

Candyred profile image
Candyred

Aww Mr D I absolutely love that picture of yer wee Maw.. she looks so proud standing with her bike .. I’d love to read your autobiography.. sounds interesting.. I’m no writer however I wrote a piece on my journey with copd .. would you care to read it? .. huge hugs xx

in reply toCandyred

Yes please.

knitter profile image
knitter

Do I remember a photo of you looking very dapper stood next to a bicycle.....looks likes cycling runs in your family . Not hair ribbons though.

My grandmother was a fount of all wisdom, and had a saying for most occasions, some very non PC and some unrepeatable. Who ever said Victorian ladies were meek and mild?

in reply toknitter

The war was on (WW2 for smartarses) and most transport was for military purposes so bikes were widely used. Added to that my very first job was a messenger boy on a bike and my hobby racing bicyclist, hence my double knee joint replacements. I think it must have been the clothes that toughened up the Victorian ladies. My Mum wore corsets that looked like she was going into battle.

peege profile image
peege in reply to

I remember my lovely nan Alice Dean had corsets, they used to fascinate me as my mum had 'roll ons', funny garments with suspenders attached for the stockings.

Izb1 profile image
Izb1

What a great photo of your Mum, she looks lovely in her hair ribbons, good poem to go with it. Autobiography Don, another best seller, you must put me on the list before it grows too big x

Kittykat2 profile image
Kittykat2

Love the photo and the rhyme X

Lovely photo Majt

jmsutt73 profile image
jmsutt73

Love it... Your mother was a beautiful child...thanks for sharing. J

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