Whitbread Tankard

This necklace belonged to my Gran (Joice Glass) who won the Whitbread Tankard for playing bowls and my grandfather bought her the silver chain to put it onto. It’s quite a chunky item and not like the jewellery that she normally wore which was fine and elegant. She gave the chain and tankard to me as a present about 15 years ago and I wear it all the time. My Gran was a radar girl in the Second World War, scanning the air for threats to the Home Front with a few adventures along the way. I was born on her birthday, April 2^nd, and we were always close up until she passed away at the age of 89 in 2012. I remember her and her life through this necklace and having it makes me feel closer to her memory.

Lego Spaceman

This is an original lego spaceman from the 80s.  It reminds me how lego wasn’t gendered then, how unrestricted I was in my toy choices.  It also provides a meaningful connection to my kids, and reminds them that even an aul one like me was a kid once.

Moses Basket Maurice

24 April 2006, that was the day when my feet first landed in Ireland to work as a nurse. I was assigned in Tullamore Hospital - Dialysis Unit, there I met a very nice person who eventually became a very good friend and a Godmother of my son. Her name is Mary.  On 26 of June 2008, I delivered a healthy baby boy named Frank Maurice. On the very next day we arrived at home, we got a visitor. Yes, Mary came to visit us. She saw me laying Maurice in the couch while we were talking. She ask me then if I already got a Moses Basket, I said “no”. I actually didn’t know what was she talking about as we don’t have such a thing in the Philippines (not that I know) except for a crib or a pram for the baby. Anyway, she told me she will lend me her Moses basket which I gladly accepted. She then came to give the basket which Maurice was able to use for several months until she got it back to be given again to another lucky baby.  Lucky, because the Moses basket is like an heirloom being handed to different generations of babies and one of them is my son. Thank you very much Mary. 

Curious George

My item is Curious George the jogger.  I got this the night before my fifth birthday from my aunt. I clearly remember the night because I was sick and I was allowed to open one present.  As soon as I saw George I fell in love with him!  His fluffy red tracksuit!  His runners with bananas on the sides! He went to bed with me for years.  He’s survived his eyes being pulled off by my little sister and a million machine washes.  He’s been borrowed by my niece who’s allowed him to hang out with her monkey and he has moved to more than eighteen houses with me!  He’s very scruffy now and when I pull back his sleeves you can see how fluffy he once was, but I’m planning to clean him up pass him on to my little boy!

Money Box, Bible and a candle

I’m kinda cheating by having 3 but to me they come together in a complete package.  The objects, a silver money box, a bible and a candle where all given to me on my christening day.  It’s not that they elicit strong memories of the big day.  They do however always start me down the path of childhood memories.  I always find, before putting them away, that I finish my walk down memory lane thinking of the future.

Moses Basket Amy

Nearly five years after my last child was born, I was thrilled to discover I was pregnant.  My other children were at school and crèche so I was looking forward to having a baby in the house again.  At that time my sister was expecting her first baby so I decided not to tell anyone about my news.  In previous pregnancies I usually looked like I was ready to give birth from the moment I knew I was “with child” as they say.  My morning sickness was not as bad as other times so things were going well.  January 1986 my sister gave birth to a beautiful daughter and she named her Emma.  I went to visit her in hospital and was very pleased that nobody knew I was pregnant.  I had loaned my Moses basket to a friend who was expecting twins, so it was time once again to get the basket back and have it prepared for my baby. The other children were told they were going to have a new baby and were very excited.  This time there was no debate about whether it should be a boy or girl, thank heavens. July was coming round fast and thankfully school holidays had arrived.  It gave me a break from car journeys.  My sister Celestine came down to give a hand with the children while I was in hospital. My sister lived in Dublin, and she told us she was going to fly down to Cork and was picked up at the airport.  My kids thought this was magical and all the friends were informed.  Back in 1986 it was a big deal to travel by air other than going abroad.  I had an appointment with my Gynaecologist on the 2nd of July in the Victoria Hospital and was told to bring my case with me.  After the visit he told me he was going to admit me with the possibility of inducing me the next morning.  I was both pleased and nervous as I had hoped to go into labour myself and this was not going to plan.  I was admitted later that night and about 7.20am the next morning I knew I was going into labour.  I was taken down to the labour ward. Again no time for Epidural!  At one minute to 8 on July 3rd 1986 my daughter Amy Pamela was born, she was beautiful.  It was just the two of us as there was no time for anyone to get in from Aghada.  She was so peaceful and content and very alert.  Some hours later we were returned to my room and she slept so peacefully.  I had to wake her for her bottles she was so content. I was allowed to go home on the Saturday and the trusty Moses basket once more made its way into Cork.    All her brothers and sisters were so pleased to see her.  They all were big enough to be able to help with feeding and changing nappies.  True to form our dog took up his guarding position at the base of mosses basket stand.  Eight years ago last February, it was a great joy to see Amy’s own daughter and my granddaughter Eva sleeping in that same basket.  It brought back all those memories and she looked so much like Amy it was uncanny.  I do hope in future years that the basket will still be used and give some lasting memories for the parents and lovely stories for the occupants.  One little story regarding the plane, Amy’s sister Sarah went to the airport to see her aunt off.  She was watching the plane waiting to take off at the end of the runway, when she said look its like its taking a deep breath before it goes into the sky.

Moses Basket Louise

In 1976 I was expecting my second child.  I was attending the Coombe Hospital and at that time it was the policy of the hospital that you delivered on the date you were due so I was admitted to be induced.  I came to Dublin the night before as my admission was very early the next morning.  This time the Moses basket came with me.  My daughter Louise was born and weighed 6.5 lbs but was unable to keep her temperature steady so was in an incubator for 48 hours.  At last she was able to return to my room.  We were allowed to go home.  I was delighted and at the same time wondering how big brother would react to this new baby.  It went well and over the next few weeks he was constantly checking on her and fixing the blankets.  My father in law spent his time shaking the basket in order to wake up the ‘wain’! Word used in Donegal to describe child.  Louise always looked so comfortable in the basket, and she remained in it till she was two months old.  The last two weeks I used to put Moses basket into the cot as big brother was becoming a bit too helpful and she was safer in cot.  That was nearly 40 years ago and nearly 14 years ago her own daughter used the same basket.  It was lovely to see it still of service and as cosy as ever.