This afternoon Bob and I popped round to see Beth, who is 90 today. She is a lovely lady, and her family are all involved in the life of our church. Beth is 36 years older than me, and I did not meet her till we moved here in 1995 - but we discovered we have quite a lot in common
We both grew up in Christian families
Our fathers were both Baptist ministers
But they were both pastors in Hartlepool in NE England when we were children
Beth and I both went to Elwick Road Junior Girls School
...but what is really amazing is that we had the same teacher! When Miss Nora Holdforth left College, she went to work at ERJGS - and Beth was in her first class [in the 1920s] . When we moved to Hartlepool [in the 1960s], I was in her last class before she retired!
Isn't that a remarkable coincidence?
Miss Holdforth made a tremendous impression on me. I can still remember Friday afternoons practising handwriting - we had to do copperplate, with curly butchers' hooks, and write out alliterative proverbs [Manners Maketh Man, All that Glisters Is Not Gold] and I remember her patience as we knitted dishcloths [badly!] and getting stars on our times-tables chart [all the way to 14 and 16, for the pounds and ounces. none of this metric 'stop at 10' modern stuff!]Beth has two daughters - both working in education, as are her two grandchildren in our church.
Miss Holdforth was a real inspiration to Beth and myself. I am glad Beth has had a lovely 90th birthday - she is an inspiration too!
How wonderful that you and Beth had the same teacher--as well as all the other things you have in common!
ReplyDeleteI think "Curly Butchers' Hooks" could be the name of a heavy metal band, don't you?
frances
Hi Angela ~
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing all of the things you two had in common, especially going to the same school with the same teacher!
Sweet blessings to you,
Sharon
What a wonderful coincidence!What a lovely lady! My mom is 90 and also still has a clear mind and is such a blessing to her family and to others in the nursing home.
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting - how lovely to still have your Mum at such a great age, K.
ReplyDeleteThe way I feel this morning, not sure I'll make 55, let alone 90.
The band name is a brilliant idea, F!
What a lovely lady. They still have so much to teach us, I feel.
ReplyDeleteI knitted dishcloths at school also!