Veteran's Day 2008

While taking a break from my many tasks I watched our local news and was shocked to hear that a War Memorial had been stolen. A Bronze Plaque listing the names of Plymouth’s fallen heroes had been stolen from the city’s Naval War Memorial on The Hoe. Desecration of any memorial is unforgivable at any time but Plymouth was celebrating Veteran’s Day this weekend. An annual Veteran’s Day was launched by the Ministry of Defence on 27 June 2006. As well as a means of raising public awareness of Veterans issues it is also a celebration of the contribution made by all those who have served in the Armed Forces. Many of our veterans of all ages have been taking part in events all over the country since May and will continue to do so. I am very proud of our veterans and very much aware of the many sacrifices made by the Armed Forces. Sadly the only awareness the memorial thieves have is the scrap value....

Reading this made me think of my own family’s involvement in active service and although no longer alive I would like to acknowledge two of them at this time....

My maternal uncle Frank William Peter Ballaam (Uncle Bill) who served in WW11 and was a veteran until his death in 2002 aged 80....

Bill’s brother Ronald Stanley Ballaam (Uncle Ronnie) who also served in WW11. Sadly he did not become a veteran as he was listed as Missing Presumed Dead in 1940 aged 20....

My uncles made a difference to this world by the contribution they made as members of the Armed Forces. The names of the people on the stolen plaque made the ultimate sacrifice and the thieves should remember that.

Until next time...lol....

Hello From the Hovel

Hello again from the Hovel. After being gloriously sunny yesterday it’s back to being overcast and very humid today!!!! Thankfully I took time out from de-cluttering yesterday to go to Penzance and travelled there by train. As I approach Penzance the view of St. Michael’s Mount never fails to amaze me and yesterday was no exception. With the sun shining and a slight breeze the Mount looked magical within its surroundings..... Below is a vintage postcard of the Mount that I have in my own personal collection, this picture does not do it justice. I do have a lovely one of the Mount with the sun shining but it would mean looking through my many photographs and we know what happened last time!!!!!.....

Here is another vintage postcard that I have in my collection, this time an aerial view of St. Michael’s Mount....

However a walk to the mount would have to wait for another day as an appointment was looming, so off the train and away I went... Later I did my usual visits to the charity shops. Ok I know I’m de-cluttering but what harm is there in just looking!!!!! Alright, so you’ve caught me out, I didn’t go home empty handed. Let’s just say I didn’t buy any files...hehe....but I got some great material from my usual shop in Green Market, now that I do need, honest....

Once back home I did the usual to unwind from a busy day shopping.....relax with a mug of cappuccino of course...bliss... but before embarking again on my quest of defeating the Files I decided to relax by checking some of my favourite sites......and came across this great blog The Stitching Room, what an interesting blog to visit. Apart from some beautiful crafts this lady takes some amazing photographs. On her travels she also takes her friend and assistant Mel!!!! He seems to have a great time and gets up to all kinds of tricks....so I thought that I should have an assistant to help me with my de-cluttering!!.....mind you Harry is not that happy about staying indoors helping me. He wants to know why Mel get’s to see all those fun places......do check out this blog and say hi to Mel from Harry...lol...

Harry doesn’t seem too unhappy and thanks to his help I was able to go to Slimming World tonight...not only am I losing clutter but I’ve also lost some weight, 2lb to be exact...not a lot but going the right way, just like my clutter.....Until next time...lol...

Summer Celebrations

The month of June is known for its warm sunny days, balmy nights and of course weddings. It’s hard to summon up this image with the rain we have had these past few days. Yet I do remember the June of my childhood when days were spent playing in the never ending sunshine and the heat continued into the night. Days of picnics, butterflies, splashing in the sea and running barefoot....Bliss....Walking along the harbour last week with the sun shining I was reminded of those long ago summers...but I’m yet to see a butterfly, moth or ladybird. Not even the dreaded May bugs have been seen (that I am happy about, they are not nice...)....but the sun didn’t last and despite being warm summer is not the same without sunshine. Hard to believe that in three days time on June 24 we will be celebrating Midsummer Day, which was the longest day of the year in the Julian calendar. The longest day and shortest night is now June 21, which began with the Summer Solstice at 23.59 last night. Although some still celebrate Midsummer Day on June 24, many view the Summer Solstice as one of the most important events of the year. The name Summer Solstice is derived from the Latin words sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still).......

The period around the Summer Solstice and Midsummer Day will be celebrated in different ways around the world. Many of these celebrations are linked to local tradition and history. Here in some parts of the UK, especially in Cornwall, some of the old traditions have been revived. One ancient tradition was the lighting of bonfires on hilltops, which was of great importance around the Summer Solstice. The use of fire was believed to strengthen the sun, drive out evil and bring prosperity and fertility to man, crops and livestock. In the time of the Celts balefires would be lit all over the land from sunset on Midsummer Eve until sunset Midsummer Day. It was around these fires that celebrations would take place. In some parts of Cornwall these bonfire celebrations can be seen on some hilltops on Midsummer Eve. One site is St. Just in Penwith - Carn Brea. I only know of one Carn Brea (Cornish: Karnbre), which is one of my favourite places and in my mind an ideal site!!!.......

Thinking of Carn Brea prompted me to visit my box of photographs and this time I managed to find what I was looking for!!! Below is a picture I took of Cran Brea Castle in January 2003.......

Being a weekday in January Carn Brea was deserted, just the way I like it. The photograph below is part of the walkway up to the castle. Having left hubby in the car I proceeded to walk up towards the castle. Stopping on the way to listen to the quite of this peaceful place and take in the atmosphere. As I approached the castle I heard someone playing Greensleeves!!!! This old English ballad had an haunting sound and having seen no other person about I wonder if I had for a moment slipped back into another century! Would a horse with rider suddenly rush out of the gorse (I do have a vivid imagination...). Remembering that I was in the 21st century I slowly moved towards the castle and found the source of the music. It was a young man sat on a rock playing a small pipe, not in Lincoln Green but wearing jeans and jumper. So much for my knight in shining armour...but magical all the same...

With my feet firmly back in the right century I carried on walking around this mysterious place and discovered a fantastic view all around me. The photograph below shows just one of them, where you can see the redundant chimneys of tin mining...

I have been back to Carn Brea since but have never heard Greensleeves playing again....The castle itself was originally built as a chapel in 1379 before being rebuilt in the 18th century by the Basset family as a hunting lodge. It's later function was a restaurant, where I had the opportunity to go for a meal with a friend who was on holiday.....but for me that first visit was the most memorable......

The date for this posting should read Saturday June 21 and another Cornish midsummer celebration is Golowan, which takes place at Penzance. Beginning today, there will be different events throughout the week ending with Mazey Day on June 28........but that’s for next time...lol.......

You can listen to Greensleeves here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRrzpHpwkm0&feature=related

My Clutter Must Go

My name is Chrissy and I’m a Clutter Bug...there I’ve said it but this time I mean to do something about it. Anyone who knows me will smile at this statement because as long as they have known me I am always ‘doing something about it’......but this time I do MEAN it.....Why now you may ask.....

Well, if you look at my previous post there is one photograph of my dad and there should have been two.....could I find the second one, no. I had previously sorted out my photos and put them in chronological order so when I needed one I could go straight to the year, easy...you would think so. The last photograph taken of my dad was in 1981. So off I go to photographs for 1981 only to discover that they were no photos of my dad? Where were there?....Now what you didn’t know, those of you who read about the tribute to my dad, was that the author of that very same tribute, me, was for two hours searching through every possible place for where these photos might be.....folders, boxes, drawers, everywhere...no photos. By this time my house resembled the aftermath of a police search.!!!!! Though disappointed I went ahead and posted ‘Remembering My Dad’, switched off the computer & proceeded to make myself a coffee.......Where upon I saw the mess I had made earlier in my ever increasing frantic search....and all for one photograph! I saw about me the various files I had searched through that contained all manner of papers, odd photos and such like. It was at that moment that I decided that I’d had enough.... Yes, it’s necessary as a family historian to keep records. Yes, as a craftsperson it’s useful to have patterns, materials, etc. Yes, as a person with many interests I like to file articles, etc, for reference. Where before I felt the necessity for an organized filing system I realized at that moment that I could not possibly need all those files .....You could say it was a defining moment for me and I began to look at my Hovel with fresh eyes. ...I was living with clutter and clutter was living with me.

To show you that I am not exaggerating about the number of files I have, I decided to take a photograph or two. Not all of the files are seen here, there is only so much room on a kitchen table...Why all on the table?...To make sure I do the job because if I don’t we can’t eat our meals at the table, and that just won’t do....

The rows of files here cover the whole table and I counted approx. 87 files and 41 box files.....and that’s not including the files my hubby & son have....that is a tad too much don’t you think!!!

This is just the tip of the ice berg, I’m not even going to think about what else there is because for most of my life I have been a ‘collector’ of ‘clutter’...many of you I’m sure will relate to this. How many of you have drawers jammed full with items that have not seen the light of day for years. What about wardrobes, yes we girls are good at keeping clothes that we may ‘wear again one day’....me & my body know that isn’t going to happen...hehe....Oh yes, and the boxes of memorabilia filled with cards, cinema tickets, etc, now what’s that all about!... And the attic, we won’t even go there...So when does a collection become a burden, treasure become trash and your home become a store room. For me it’s now. There are many treasured items that I will keep, no doubt about that, but as we get older I do believe we get less sentimental about things....as my mum said ‘If you haven’t used something for a year you don’t need it’....how true....

So there you have it. I am giving myself a challenge that as from today I will begin to de-clutter my life... and I’m not the only one......fellow clutter bugs on the Primitive and Rustic II online forum I belong to have been discussing this subject for a week or two. Just talking about it wasn’t getting us anywhere so we decided to go public.....and it’s thanks to Kady for being the one to start the DE-CLUTTERING 101 thread on the Primitive and Rustic II online forum. ....if there are any more clutter bugs out there that want to join this liberating journey then jump aboard .......and hopefully I will soon find that photo...until next time..lol..

Remembering My Dad On Father's Day

Today is Father’s Day, a day specifically celebrated each year in which to publically honour our fathers. The third Sunday of June is the day in which to do so in many countries including the UK and each year cards and posters arrive in shops weeks before reminding us of this day. Today many will see it as another commercial gimmick, a duty or an excuse to go out for a meal. Some will see it as a day to reflect on what our fathers really mean to us, while others believe that a father should be honoured every day. I personally believe the latter....But where did this all begin.....It appears that the people of Fairmont, West Virginia in 1908 were the first to celebrate Father's Day. After an explosion killing 361 men it is believed that a Grace Golden Clayton suggested to her local Pastor that these men should be commemorated....Followed by Sonora Smart Dodd of USA who was inspired by Mother's Day during a sermon in 1909. To show how thankful she was to her widowed father she worked to have the first Father's Day on June 19 1910, June being the month of his birth.......

My dad's name was Christopher Doyle, seen here in this photograph taken in 1952. Born on December 5 1924 in Daingean, Co. Offally, Ireland to Christopher and Bridget Doyle nee Paisley. As the youngest of 12 children he openly admitted that he was spoilt by both his parents and older siblings...

Young Christy, as he was called by his family, led a happy carefree childhood. Named after his father, my dad had many tales to tell about the mischief he played with his siblings, the chores each day on the family’s smallholding and the many visits he made to his father while he worked as a shoemaker. Life changed for Christy when at the age of ten his beloved father died aged 71. Life became hard for my grandmother and despite my dad obtaining a scholarship to attend the local grammar school she had no alternative but to send him out to work at the age of fourteen.....I cannot imagine how frustrated my dad must have felt. All I remember is that he was brilliant at maths, excellent at drawing up plans and a mind of information. I also know that out of love and respect for his mother he would not have questioned her decision......
However at the age of 17 an inner need to do better in life prompted my dad to leave the shores of Ireland for England. Before he left my grandmother gave my dad a tin containing a small padded picture of Jesus, rosary beads and a silk handkerchief, all previously blessed by the parish priest. This tin remained with my dad until his death on August 22 1981 of cancer. The tin I’m proud to say is now with me but sadly the picture and rosary beads were removed from the tin by a family member......

The tin is now smooth with age, the handkerchief marked with rust where a faint scent of incense lingers still from that blessing all those years ago. It is not just a simple family memento but a record of my dad's life and his mothers before him. This tin saw my dad through his travels to a new life of hardship, sadness, love, reward, laughter, tears, frustration, satisfaction and a life with my mother and his three daughters. My father’s only regret was that he never went back home to Ireland when his mother was still alive.....My father did make that journey back in 1981 and was reunited with some of his sisters. I was finally able to meet my aunts and uncles who gladly told me all about my dad when he was growing up in Ireland. I now finally knew where his traditional family values originated from. My dad may have made many mistakes in his life but what he never forgot was that love, respect and hard work was the foundation of family life. My dad's motto was 'Even though you may come last in a race as long as you've tried your best you've won'.....Thank You Dad for being who you were.....LOL.....

'Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.'~ Anonymous

'One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.'~ 17th century English proverb

Penpol Road Today

After showing the vintage picture of Penpol Road I realized that I did not have one of how it looked today, so I decided yesterday that as the sun was shining I would take one. Armed with my trusted camera off I went, all of 3 minutes down the road....Finding the correct position to stand so I could get a similar image I was ready, only problem was I was standing in the road itself...not good in this day and age!!!. Then my middle-aged brain clicked!...stand on the path, take a photograph of the entire road and technology being what it is crop to size later...brilliant....I bet the Edwardian photographer didn’t have this problem, all he would have to worry about was dodging the cattle dung!!!....Well having cropped and chopped and reduced I came up with what you see here. I did try the ‘Old Photo’ look but thought no, the sun doesn’t shine that often so why not show Penpol Road on a good day....

Ok the sign has replaced the charming children, the cars the cattle dung (that's a good thing!), garden walls have been painted, house walls taken back to stone & plastic windows replace sash (that's not a good thing!) but the essence of 98 years ago is still there. And what do you think of that beautiful tree? Mind you I didn't think it was so beautiful in March this year, ask my friends at A Passion for Primitives....'March winds will blow and we will have snow'......we didn't have snow but we sure had wind, well gales actually with lots of rain... I'm not saying the tree was moving as such but dancing a jig should give you some idea and yes my house is directly oposite it...'TIMBER'...hehe
If you want to see what I mean about the rough weather we had in March check out this link....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cornwall/content/image_galleries/storms_march2008_gallery.shtml?1

There are some dramatic images of the sea at it's best in a storm.....Cute one though on page 68 of a swan gliding down a street...That's all for now....lol...

My Old House

Hello & thanks for stopping by. It was gloriously sunny in Cornwall yesterday on my first day as a blogger. I’d been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a while now and finally decided that now was a good time as any to join the land of blog (sounds like a good title for a book!).....First though I would like to say thanks to Polly of Counting Your Blessings for providing the beautiful banner you see on my blog & for giving instructions on how to download it....Thank you Polly for helping a technology challenged first time blogger....lol...

The name Primitive Cornish Hovel came from my love of anything prim, the beautiful county I live in & the fact that my house at present resembles a hovel. Being a very old house under renovation lends itself well to that name. It would be easier to rebuild it but it’s a solid old girl crying out to be restored to her former glory, so as a lover of anything old & vintage hubby & I are doing just that, slowly but surely. We are fortunate in having all the original documents including some beautiful parchment deeds with seals. Having read the history of my house I now know of all the people who have ever lived here (and some still do!!!). What I do not know is when it was built but I do have a will dated 1830 which shows a bequest of ‘The Land and Dwelling Thereon’. The house was once surrounded by green fields & stood detached on an area called Meadow Row. But along with progress comes change & due to the busy iron foundry owned by the local Harvey family this quite little Hamlet soon developed into the small town of Hayle (Heyl) that is seen today. Although my house didn’t change the area around it did. The fields gave way to houses to accommodate the foundry workers and Meadow Row became Penpol Road, which can be seen in the picture below as it was in about 1910. Very little has changed to the area since those days. The shop seen on the left is now a house & cattle no longer walk down the road but the houses still stand....where’s mine you may ask, well it's just around the corner in the background opposite the tree. I’m yet to find a picture of my house as it was then. I do know that it was once a police house for about 50 years & at one time owned by a vicar...so I better behave myself...

Don’t you just love those pinafores, makes me want to get out my sewing machine & start making one.....for a doll of course, my days of wearing one are over......a little extra snippet about Hayle. It was also a thriving port as well as a busy industrial centre. One of the greatest ships built at Hayle was the Cornubia . Built in 1858 for the Hayle Steam Packet Company she served as a packet ship and ferry. During the American Civil War the Cornubia was purchased by agents for the Confederacy , taken to the USA, renamed Lady Davis and became a famous blockade runner (information curtsy of eyehistory.mysite)......Well that’s all for now from the Hovel..lol...