Sunny Hours

I’ve mentioned Mum’s autograph book before and how it’s full of drawings and words from friends & family. When I came across the Sunny Hours Poppies by Auntie Doris I told Pam & Tricia about it and that I would send them a copy. Anyway I forgot all about it and Tricia reminded me last week so I finally got round to scanning the poppies and sent them both a copy. I ‘joined’ the two pages together to make it easy to mount/frame.

Pam & Tricia have just got back from a months trip to Australia where they visited Auntie Tilly and family including cousin Judy who lives in the Blue Mountains.

Anyone know the date of the photo of Pam & Tricia or where it was taken?

Pam & Tricia

Landscape paintings on wood

I have had these four paintings for about thirty years. I first hung them on my bedroom wall at The Ginnel when I was about nineteen or twenty. I’ve taken them with me whenever I’ve moved house and have always had them on display but they have only just gone on the wall today having been boxed up for the last six years or so.

All I know about them is Mum brought them with her from India. Not sure if they came over with her in 1946 or after her visits with us lot? Anyone know anymore about them?

Grandma Ince's family

Cousin Tricia sent me some photos recently from India. Will post them here soon.

Tricia also sent an interesting photo showing Grandma Ince's family (Millicent Elizabeth Sayers). The text underneath must have been written by Doris. I’ll ask Tricia to confirm this.

And another wild one...

Anne & Max in The Dell, 1970's

... also would growl when eating, sleep most of the day and then go mad when taken out for a walk... occasionally known to bark at small children and has bitten all of the family except Mum... also has a fixation about not revealing her footwear... Sisters hey!

Mad Max was a serene dog......!!

wild animals!

Just found this photo of dad on the Barley field in 1956...with our dog Kim...he was about 1 when dad brought him home..I remember going in the field either by myself or with Keith...1 was only 5!...as soon as I grabbed the lead he would bomb off and I would be dragged along behind him..like a sledge...Dad kicked him occasionly and as a result when he was eating he would growl at dad...and his teeth were so big..dad got the message!...so we only had him for 6 months or so...Ive just identified Kim as a Rhodesian

Ridgeback also known as the Lion Hound!!..from South Africa and used to

hunt down Lions....you can see its ridge going down the top of its back.hair going in the opposite direction..

     The mad goat was Wilamena..from our cottage in Wales..think you both

met her?..she was wild but would go for walks with me without a lead with Lucy the cat and Mush following ..our big coalman was scared stiff of her after she head butted him once!!

Proud to have lived in the village...

...and if you must know it’s thirteen minutes past two!

Sarah and I moved house a few months ago. We’re new to the village but not to South Lakes.

Whenever we meet someone new, be it the Postmaster jogging on the Fell or a neighbour on the bus so overcome with excitement for meeting us that he tells everyone who gets on the bus who we are, we always get asked where in the village we live and where do we come from. I’m never sure what people want to know. I usually say we’re from Cark (over the hill). Should I say Sarah was born in Africa and me Port Sunlight? I could say we lived in Scotland before moving to Cumbria or that we ‘us’ are from Wakefield or should I just say we weren’t born here? I think that's what they really want to know. Sarah keeps telling me I get a bit defensive.

We walk a lot and I love maps. If we stop to study a map it isn’t long before I hear “Are you lost?” and as loud as I can shout I reply “NO WE LIVE HERE AND I LIKE LOOKING AT MAPS!", defensive I know. Guess I just want folk to know that yes, we’ve just moved into the village but no, we are not new to the area. Dad lived in Port Sunlight all his life (apart from his army days) and although Mum was born in India she lived in the village for the best part of 60 years. I wonder where she said she was from when asked?

Once we’ve got past where one entered this world and where we got married and “no we don’t have children”, I usually declare we live in Ash House... “You mean Mrs Bennet’s house?” I now just say we live in Mrs Bennet’s house!

Mum’s house (our old home) number 35, has a new tenant in it now. I think it’s a lady who lives there and I wonder (hope) if, when asked where she lives and she says 35 The Ginnel, the person enquiring says “You mean Mrs McCormack’s house!”

Anyway, from now on I think I’ll just answer “I’m from PORT SUNLIGHT” to whatever question I’m asked........ “Excuse me, do you know what the time is?” No, I’m from Port Sunlight............

(photo titles on the Port Sunlight page)

Thirteen minutes past two!

Nancy Night

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North, 

The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth; 

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove, 

The hills of the Highlands for ever I love. 

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here, 

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer; 

Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe, 

My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go. 

Farewell to the mountains, high-cover'd with snow, 

Farewell to the straths and green vallies below; 

Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods, 

Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods. 

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here, 

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer; 

Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe, 

My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Tomorrow is Burns Night. Sarah and I lived in Scotland for a year and in 2009 we had a great Burns Supper in Crail with haggis, tatties and neeps and live folk music from local folk who just got up to sing when the mood took them. Ever since then we have had our own Burns Supper back here in England. We’ll be having one tomorrow. We didn’t have one last year though... it passed us by. My Dear Mum passed away on 24th January last year so I had other things on my mind. But I’m thinking of Mum tonight as we will be tomorrow... as we celebrate Burns Night and raise a glass to Mum and to Dad.

Dad in a kilt, either at Thurstaston Common or somewhere in India?!

Four sisters - Doris, Tilly, Noreen and Nancy

Port Sunlight Roses

O my Luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie,
That's sweetly play'd in tune.

Robert Burns (1759-1796)


The rose photographs are from my visit last summer. The village is certainly missing a special rose these days! Maybe I should persuade David Austin Roses to name a rose after Mum.... ‘completely bonkers’ or ‘mad as a hatter’ or maybe just simply ‘Nancy’.

Nancy Mum McCormack

11th June 1922 - 24th January 2013

Petrol money

Mum & Dad, Harry & Nancy 1998?

I’m not sure when this photo of Mum & Dad was taken? They're standing outside The Ginnel.... maybe mid to late 1990s?

I feel that it was me standing behind the camera but it could have been Rob or Sue or one of their children. It’s unlikely to be Anne or family because I’m sure Mum & Dad have come outside to say goodbye to their visitors as they set off on a long journey back home... probably to Yorkshire. Rob & Sue are still in Yorkshire and I lived there from 1995 until 2008. Anne and her family have always lived nearby to Mum & Dad and probably visited them daily. Rob and family also visited them regularly. When Keith left the Wirral he never really came back..... maybe once or twice in 30 years? Me, having left the Wirral in 1986, I would visit a couple of times a year, but reflecting on it now it feels like I should have gone more often.

Whoever is standing behind the camera will be given the contents of Mum’s apron pocket once Dad has gone back inside the house! I don’t think I can remember seeing Mum without her apron.... I’m sure she used to sleep in it!