Old times, for me and them...

So, its 2005 i'm 16 years old and I've just finished my last year at The Hammond School of Dance, down Mannings Lane, in Hoole...I'm happy to be finishing, to end that chapter of my life, I suppose you could say its an end of an era. I cant help the sad feeling, as I leave all my friends, my favorite teachers and the safe little white house with the pretty gardens and the small classrooms. "I wont miss the Dancing, I'm making the right decision." I tell myself over and over. As I head into the unknown I wonder what the next chapter of my life holds...

6 years on I've had so many opportunities, and found so many things that have held my attention for a long time, this surprised me as I have a pretty poor attention span.

At the Military Museum I've had my own little project for about 5 months which involved transcribing a tape from 1990 it was recorded at the Grosvenor Museum in Chester.

The Forgotten Front.

Bearing in mind I was 2 years old when the discussion between 10 people who where at different stages of their life during World War II, I found it really surreal/weird listening and typing up their exciting and terrifying experiences of wartime. I quickly became quite attached to the 10 brave people I had the privilege to listen to for the past 5 months.

3 months in, I found myself on page 19 and conversation turned onto the American Soldiers, the South Camp and the North Camp, when 3 familiar words escaped the mouth of a man called Len Morgan (who is know as Mr Handbridge as he knows everything there is to know about Handbridge) it turned out that The Hammond School, the place I had spent 5 years of my life, was the North Camp, and was home to the American Soldiers (they lived in wooden huts not the Mansion type house). It was so strange to hear him talk about my high school, and the part it played in WWII.

The Hammond School was the North Camp.

A part of me wishes that I had known about it while I was at school there so I could of researched it a bit while I was at school there, but I suppose when your younger you don't really appreciate or think about what happened in the years before you.

I find coincidences strange and sometimes unbelievable, I like to think I was meant to do this transcription, maybe the link between me and The Hammond School made me appreciate and relate to what the 10 people had to say,

I think in this circumstance the word fate could be used instead of coincidence!

I don't know what is was that made the archivist ask me to do this transcription...

But I'm sure glad she did!

xox

Let the Sunshine out...

The sun has been shinning, and I've had a day off (a much needed day off!).

I've made good use of my spare time by fueling my creative urges, and I plucked up the courage to use my new Freehand Embroidery foot, I bought it a while back but I've been a bit scared of using it, but I did it today and this was my effort...

I like its playfulness.

I like making things without the pressure of anything having to be perfect (I think "perfect" is over rated).

I'm excited to carry on playing with my new toy, I think I might carry on sewing flowers...

I also was given a magazine at work the other weekend and it had a lot of paper free with it!

I was every excited to start making things out of it!

This paper chick was one of the examples I made from the magazine!

I like the buttoned eyes!

Its also a little box, you can lift the flap at the top (where the bit of ribbon is)

I might make some for my family at Easter and put little chocolate eggs inside.

One of my friend wanted some daffodils for a few of her friends,

it made spring come a little earlier for me, which was nice!

I love poetry so I added a line from a poem by William Wordsworth called Daffodil:

"Daffodils" (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

I added the very last line (in purple). I think it was quite fitting!

xox

Crochet a Rainbow...

Here are my 10 granny squares for Crochet a Rainbow:

more WW1 postcards, from my lovely Nan!

These lovely postcards are becoming my most favourite things...

"Souvenie De Belgique"

"A Joyful X-mas"

"Christmas"

"Victory"

"Amines Sinceres"

28.12.18.

"Best Love"

23.10.16

"Good Luck"

"To Phyllis, With Daddy's best wish for a Happy Birthday and may you have many more to follow this one and daddy hopes that he may be with you all again before your next Birthday comes around."

"Bonne Annee"

28.12.18

"Ubique"

29.9.18

"To My Dear Children."

"With all good wishes for a happy and prosperous new year to you all and Mother, and Daddy hopes he will soon be home with you all for good."

Spring Memories!

I'm felling all inspired by the spring coming... I suppose thats the good thing about working in a Garden Centre.

I seem to get all excited for the seasons really early!

Buttercups are always nice for me to see, it brings back so many childhood memories, the whole of my family always went out for walks in spring/summer, and my nan would say "Amy, go and pick that buttercup..." and as i always obey my nan I ran along to pick the buttercup up, the she went around me and my brother's putting it under our chin's and asked us if we liked butter, I was always shocked when she got to my brother Ben, it never glowed under his chin...and he didnt like butter, it always made me go all goosepimply.

So I've been making lots and lots of flowers.

and I just love this crocheted buttercup.

The really dark green in the center and the really bright yellow contrast each other so well, It makes me feel like walking in the Meadow by my Nans house again!

hurry up spring!

xxx

With my love,

Sometimes while i'm working at the Military Museum I find some of the most beautiful artifacts I have probably ever seen,

when I see artifacts like this I always feel sad when they have to go back in the box they came from. So I always try and take a picture of it, mainly so I can show people, I feel like i'm bringing it to life again when I tell this story...

"I am thinking of you"

"With my love"

During the war when soldier's got injured, whilst they were in the hospital recovering they would hand make these "Postcards" (as they called them) to their loved ones...

I remember my reaction when I was told that story, I was so shocked, I couldnt believe somebody (nevermind a male) could make something like this. They are just so neat and perfect, I was probably surprised because I could never make something as stunning at these postcards.

xxx

Forget-Me-Not

Over the past three thursdays at the Military Museum we've had a new Volunteer on placement,

I only got to work with her on her first thursday, but we got on really well...

so I made her a keyring with a little Forget-me-not hanging from it,

here is a picture...

I've made quite a few since, because it seemed to be a big hit, and they are so easy and quick to make.

I think they green yarn is also really pretty!

xxx