Post by Bara on Jul 2, 2013 11:33:56 GMT -5
Ooh, my mum could tell a story! Here it is. Not as well as she would have told it.
As my mother used to tell it ...
SHE was posted to the north of Scotland. HE was posted in the south of England. All the wrong way round. They’d met at Cranage. She received the telegram : “posted overseas STOP get leave STOP get married STOP”
So she did get leave, get married.
She arrived on Maggie’s doorstep in Bathgate. No sign of Pat. They struggled with the language barrier, but Maggie made her welcome and settled her into the back bedroom. Betty was planning to get married in uniform, but the next day they took her to Edinburgh. Maggie and Margo and Nellie had collected up their coupons and they swept her up and bought her a beautiful wedding dress...
Nora came, and that meant a lot to Betty.
There was still no sign of Pat. That worried Betty.
It was at St Mary’s (of course). Betty had already been walked up the aisle by Pop.
Pat arrived, with his best man (let’s call him Tommy). He thought he was at the wrong wedding – he was expecting a bride in uniform.
They spent their wedding night at Avon Road. Mammy brought them tea the next morning. She fumbled her way in with her eyes closed. Dad asked : “what are you doing, Mammy?”
It’s my favourite line ever! Poor newlyweds.
“I cannae see ma laddie in bed wi’ a lassie.”
So they had five days and then they had to go back to camp. Unfortunately, Tommy had taken Dad’s uniform – and Tommy was much shorter than Dad. So dad looked ridiculous in Tommy’s kit. As mum said ‘We can’t even do tragic without ridiculous!’ So much for brief encounter.
He was sent to Morocco. But he couldn’t tell her that.
He was gone for three years. She said to me : “When I met him on Edinburgh station,” she said I didn’t know if I’d recognise him. “What if I don’t fancy him anymore?” she said.
Ah well. Alan was born not a year later. So all was well with the world. Especially for me, who came along five years later.
Family stuff.
As my mother used to tell it ...
SHE was posted to the north of Scotland. HE was posted in the south of England. All the wrong way round. They’d met at Cranage. She received the telegram : “posted overseas STOP get leave STOP get married STOP”
So she did get leave, get married.
She arrived on Maggie’s doorstep in Bathgate. No sign of Pat. They struggled with the language barrier, but Maggie made her welcome and settled her into the back bedroom. Betty was planning to get married in uniform, but the next day they took her to Edinburgh. Maggie and Margo and Nellie had collected up their coupons and they swept her up and bought her a beautiful wedding dress...
Nora came, and that meant a lot to Betty.
There was still no sign of Pat. That worried Betty.
It was at St Mary’s (of course). Betty had already been walked up the aisle by Pop.
Pat arrived, with his best man (let’s call him Tommy). He thought he was at the wrong wedding – he was expecting a bride in uniform.
They spent their wedding night at Avon Road. Mammy brought them tea the next morning. She fumbled her way in with her eyes closed. Dad asked : “what are you doing, Mammy?”
It’s my favourite line ever! Poor newlyweds.
“I cannae see ma laddie in bed wi’ a lassie.”
So they had five days and then they had to go back to camp. Unfortunately, Tommy had taken Dad’s uniform – and Tommy was much shorter than Dad. So dad looked ridiculous in Tommy’s kit. As mum said ‘We can’t even do tragic without ridiculous!’ So much for brief encounter.
He was sent to Morocco. But he couldn’t tell her that.
He was gone for three years. She said to me : “When I met him on Edinburgh station,” she said I didn’t know if I’d recognise him. “What if I don’t fancy him anymore?” she said.
Ah well. Alan was born not a year later. So all was well with the world. Especially for me, who came along five years later.
Family stuff.
