Thursday 16 June 2011

Lady of Letters

Yesterday, I promised to show you more of my Nan's letter. Somewhere in the loft there are more of them, but this letter, one of only 3 I could lay my hands on, was perfect for the pieces I am working on because it connects my love of Skye and  the imagery of cottages with my Nan's love of countryside and cottages.
She says " I loved the country but of course we never went only when as kids a gang of us would go to Ford Cemetry and that was all country to us kids and we would get dead tired before we got anywhere near home and of course we would fall out with the country."
Later, she adds, "I would have loved to be in that cottage...I love looking at pictures of cottages. You must take after me I seem to love all the places you visit and tell me about....Keep on seeing everything, love"

My Nan was a very strong-minded, feisty Liverpudlian with a love of strawberry tarts and a good cup of tea. She loved her family fiercely, adored children and could often be heard chuckling at babies on nappy adverts!

My Nan wrote to me every week after I left home to go to Poly, until she died in the early 1990s. She sent me cartoons from the Liverpool Echo- "Scouse Mouse" and "Garfield"- which she cut out without fail (I think sometimes before my Uncle had finished reading it!). She was a stickler for spelling and wrote in her own inimitable style, often ending with "Must finish now, love, my ribs are on the stove", which left me with an odd image!:)

I wish my own children could have met her. I am really enjoying creating these new art quilts as a little tribute to her.

Work in progress....

6 comments:

  1. What a lovely post, your nan was a remarkable woman. It is wonderful that you were so close, and that you still have her letters to remember her by. And I found this one touching too, as my granddad is buried in Ford Cemetery :) Erika Price Jewelry

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  2. I have a Liverpudlian Granny too, and she also writes hilarious letters!

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  3. Wow Erika, what a coincidence!
    Thanks for your lovely comments, folks
    Scouse Grannies Rock!!

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  4. How special to have all her hand-written letters as a keepsake, and I love that you're using them in your new work.

    You Nan's character really comes across in your post - "Must finish now, love, my ribs are on the stove" - made me laugh!

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  5. Hi and thank you for visiting our blog. Our human is a craft-a-holic so she's delighted to have a blog to follow for herself without us butting in, Dexter & Louis xx Hello Alfie by the way!

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  6. Lovely to "meet" you (human and doggies alike!)

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