more phrases!

Firstly though, thanks for the recordings Paul - I don't remember the give me 5 minutes more while wrestling with Mum anecdote - although it seems to sum up well his constant rebuffs from Mum in the cuddling department - they were very ill-matched in that way, weren't they...

Also - what a CUTEY!! (I was) as you say Paul - and that romper is adorable - where did it all go wrong...?! Adam's pose is rather grandfatherly and no idea who my boyfriend in the middle is - maybe Russell from next door? (horrid name, Russell)

SO, today I'd like to add Paul's "now you're talking" which we may already have logged, but deserves to be enjoyed again I think.  How did it come up...?  I described the Colditz youth hostel in the old German guards' quarters where we are staying next week and Paul responded with ...."now you're talking".

ANother one that popped into my head the other day was (and sorry again if repeating) when we were putting off the moment of getting up in the morning and so Dad would threaten - "If you don't get out bed now, I will pull you out feet first!"  He did it too,  I seem to remember and it wasn't nice crashing to the floor in your jimmies!

Keeeeeeeeeeeeep posting!

Two songs

I don't often download Perry Como or barber shop tracks but these two are a worthy - and rare audio - addition to this blog. The first, of course, includes the refrain Dad used to sing in response to Mum trying to wrestle from his amorous clutches and the other was what he sung (often to our irritation) when we were looking tired.

Hear the songs in full probably for the first time:
 

listen to ‘Give me 5 Minutes More’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Little Man you've had a Busy Day’ on Audioboo

Tip: If you can't get the second tune to play after the first then refresh the webpage and it should work.

Pic of the day: Here's one of Beck looking particularly cute. But who's the fella in the middle? The brother we never knew off ... ?

 

New online family tree

Here is the link to a great new family tree produced by Chris Kirkwood, a distant relative in Australia (our grandfathers were brothers), with whom I was put in contact by Uncle James. Now you find out precisely where that middle name we're all so fond of came from and see a pic of our great grandfather and great grandmother. Youthful pic of Aunt Peggy on there too. A fascinating browse, in my view. As you will see I've supplied Chris with some archive and contemporary pics. There are a few errors but providing updates becomes a bit of a time bandit ...

 

To access the tree click sign in as me. User name: pkkirkwood. Password: Suttonbank01. Move your cursor to the top left and 'Family Trees' then 'Kirkwood family tree' will appear below. You can zoom in and out and scroll around to see people you're interested in. Clicking on the little green arrows at the bottom of each person takes you to their siblings. To centre the tree on someone just click on them then 'View his/her family tree'. Have a play.

 

Pic of the day: What a bunch of squirts! Particularly those two in the front - and doesn't Uncle Andrew look tall? The back of pic reveals only that it was taken in Scotland c. late 1930s, I guess.

 

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Peeing in the garden

The title says it all really.  I remember he would go for a pee at the end of the garden rather than walking the 30 yards up to the house.  Used to drive Mum to distraction.  Both Aidan and I readily relieve ourselves in the back-garden here as well (Kris also reprising Mum's role effectively) , though with neighbours further away, we don't have the same publicity...

Two international Dadisms

As nominated by Beck, "Hon-he-hon-he-hon!" is an expression delivered in a nasal, cod French accent that can be used to react to pretty much anything vaguely Gallic.

When I was waiting for a card transaction to go through at an Italian restaurant on Sunday I filled the gap by asking the waitress: "So which part of Italy are you from?" in a sort of Dad-ish manner.

Pic of the day: Not such an easy rider ...

Twerp

Not an original Dadism but, as Beck and I recalled in London last week, a term of abuse he favoured and which, sadly, seems to have gone out of fashion.

Pic of the day: Dad wrestles with a changing tent at Embleton Bay in Northumberland in 1981.

 

A fictious "girlfriend"

When Dad was going to see or talk to a female he vaguely knew or often didn't know at all but just quite fancied he would refer to her as "my girlfriend". I say this whenever we go to the chippy in Boroughbridge where one of the regular servers (though not there last night, sadly) is this tarty, over-made up bird.

Pic of the day: Here's one from a walk in the Cheviot Hills of Northumberland c 1980. It's the finest headwear we've seen Mum sporting since that the legendary lampshade in the b/w shot from the sixties.