Throwback Thursday: Saying Hello and Goodbye .

Maggie is in charge of Throwback Thursday this week. She was in Florida visiting family and I flew home today. She said: “I am already dreading saying goodby to my family. These thoughts are what inspired the topic this week.”

Which is : Saying Hello and Goodbye.

Did you live close by or far away from close family or grandparents?

I never knew my father’s parents they were born in Dublin as were my father and his brothers and sisters ….. They did move to England and settled in Manchester.
My Mum’s parents were from Oxford and I think I met them once.
I was the youngest of nine children and my parents did not marry young.

How often did you see or visit extended family?
We used to visit my Dad’s brother who lived a bus ride away in Chiswick quite often. ….the rest of Dad’s family lived in Manchester so we usually visited there once or twice a year.
We didn’t visit my mum’s elder brother much he was not very nice to her….appears in the end he lived very near to us but never got in touch by with mum…there by hangs a tail for another day. We visited Uncle Reg (Mums next brother) and Aunty Gladys who lived in Oxford a couple of times a year and they visited us too. My cousin Anne who was about 15/16 years older than me had a daughter who I always thought was my cousin ( until I got older) we were very close and still are and Summer holidays were mostly spent together, two weeks in Oxford and two weeks in London.

Was the coming together cheerful and celebrated in some way?
It was always wonderful to visit or be visited there were always big family get togethers, with food, drink , singing and dancing!

Which relative did you enjoy seeing the most? Why?
All of them really!

Were there relatives you dreaded visiting? If so, why?
No none at all .

If you were the visitor, was the trip short and easy or was it a journey?
It was always a journey, we were in London, so it was a coach ride to Oxford or a train journey to Manchester, even uncle Tony who lived in Chiswick which meant a bus or tube and a walk.

Were your visits short or extended? If extended visits, where did you sleep? Bed, sofa bed, couch, floor?
Oxford and Manchester were extended visits, too far for a day trip?
In Oxford I shared a bed with Lindy the rest of the family would sleep where ever they could, double up in beds, floors, sofas…same when they visited us and also when we visited Manchester or when they visited us it was sleep where you could!

When it came time to leave, was it difficult to say goodbye?
Yes indeed it was for everyone.

How often do you visit extended family now?
We have over the years had lots of get-togethers but now adays there are less and less alive and the pandemic has made sure we have not mixed as much as we had in the past…. Weddings, and Funerals, Big Birthdays and other occasions we still meet up but these days they are more close family dos. Though hubby and I are meeting up with my cousin Lindy and her hubby next week 💜

If you could see a relative who is no longer alive, who would it be? Why?
Mum, Dad, my sister Mary who I miss dearly and my eldest brother Timothy who I never met. 💜 As I said I miss them so .

© willowdot21. Mum and Dad.

© willowdot21 Mary and Me.