Personally Speaking
Personally Speaking
One topic discussed at the last editorial meeting for Outlook was the lack of material from the general congregation – we are always glad to receive contributions from you as it is your magazine. We also remarked how little we seemed to know about some of the “familiar” faces we see regularly in our Church and thought perhaps a series of articles entitled ‘Personally Speaking…’ might serve to answer both omissions! Just a potted history or a baby bio (now it sounds like a gardening piece!) of an individual or partners, to tell about people or events that helped shape their lives. Being hoist by my own petard, as the saying goes, I’ve been volunteered, so personally speaking…
No-one could ever call me a nomad as I have spent nearly all my life in Camborne. Born in Plymouth, I was ‘evacuated’to my mother’s relations in Manor Road at the onset of war. Strangely enough, at the same time Don was similarly sent from Birmingham to lodge with his grandmother who was a housekeeper to a farmer in the Wirral. He would regale me with stories of how the farmer’s brother would take him fishing and hunting (subsequently known as poaching! But that’s another story!). However his early days were influenced by his father’s sister who was a life member of the Church Army.
I went to College Street School and then to Truro High. In retrospect I acknowledged the sacrifice my parents must have made as they were ‘bombed out’ in Plymouth and in their mid 40′s had to start life again with literally nothing. It is a tribute to their grit, determination and hard work that my sister and I never felt deprived only loved.
Unfortunately, when my mother fell ill, Joan, my sister, who was 12 years older than me, had to leave work to look after her and I left school to work at I.C.I. This all sounds very Dickensian but my memories of those days apart from my mother’s illness, are very happy ones.
Years later through shared work premises, I met Donald and we were married in 1964. Sadly my mother died just months before our daughter Sharon was born, then later along came Adam our son. I stayed at home for the next period of years looking after the children and my dad. Later as a favour to a friend, I worked temporarily in a dry-cleaners – 22 years on, I retired from there!
Meanwhile back at the farm! Donald stayed with his grandmother until he was 15 then returned to Birmingham and an apprenticeship with Wolseley Motors. He did his national service between 1951-54, nine months of which he served as a medic in Korea. On his return he resumed his job at Longbridge, moving to live in Cornwall after his father’s death. He worked for Teagles Farm Machinery (where we met) and then in the Engineering Departments of both Pendarves and South Crofty Mines for 22 years.
Our committed attendance to St. Martins came when we brought the children to Sunday school. Later I joined the Church Wivas and got confirmed in 1983. We are both in various groups within the church and Don is a deputy warden. Personally I have never thought of myself as a leader more a follower – a Martha rather than a Mary – but more importantly, as a member of a bigger family. Sometimes I would envy (sorry, cardinal sin) Christians who experienced an epiphany, a personal encounter with God, but I feel I’ve grown into my faith helped by the guidance and fellowship of my friends.
Looking back I think the love and strangely the death of my parents had a great effect on my Christian life. I was very bitter when my mother died after such a long illness – I felt she and my father had no quality time together in their retirement, but later I learned from him that that was a wonderful period in their life together. So ‘to everything there is a season, a time to every purpose under heaven’ and I acknowledge daily my blessings and give thanks to the Lord for them.
Ed: Really brave, Barbara – well done! Why not have a go yourself? We would really like to know what makes people tick and has made them what they are: a form of testimony, if you like. What is important to you and why? We can help with a chat – this is not intended as intrusion but an opportunity to share experience that we can all draw from.