Advent Calendar of Memories - Music

December 21 - Christmas Music

What songs did your family listen to during Christmas? Did you ever go caroling? Did you have a favorite song?

Do you remember the 78s? I went to the basement to see what old Christmas records had survived. I found these.

I still have a record player. Although, they are a bit scratchy, I listened to one of them. They bring back memories. After 78s, we graduated to 33 albums and single 45s, then cassettes and now CDs.  There are so many beautiful Christmas songs and carols.


We listened to both secular and religious music. Some of the records also had stories. The orange record above had "It came upon a midnight clear", "Away in a Manger", "The First Noel" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing". These are still favourites today. On the other side was the narration of "The Night before Christmas". The other disc had "C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S" (a favourite), "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas", "Up on the House Top" and the Village of Christmas Pie."

I can only recall caroling once outdoors.

When my dad was in hospital all the 1989 Christmas season, he was so pleased by the visitors who came to sing carols and of course, the visit of the Salvation Army with their musical instruments. I am sure he sang along.  When my dad was moved from re-hab to the regular hospital building,  he was able to have a small cassette player and miniature speakers in his room. He wanted to share the music with those who were spending time with him.

Every time I hear or sing Silent Night, I remember that Christmas.

 updated from 2007

© 2009 Janet Iles

Carnival of Postcards - Water

I have quite a few postcards in my collection so I found quite a few with water on them. Some were more recent ones so I couldn't post them.

The above was sent by mother to my father the year before they were married. My dad was overseas serving with the Perth Regiment. My mother is on holidays up on Manitoulin visiting family. The family property went right down to Lake Mindemoya.

The postcard was written July 25 1945

Dear Bob
I can't seem to get around to a letter but will later.

The weather has been grand and I'll be telling you what we have been doing.
As always
Marion

to 911559
Sgt Iles HB
Perth Regiment
Canadian Army Overseas

The other entries in the Festival of Postcards - Water are now available at this link
© 2009 Janet Iles

They worked hard for their money - Smile for the Camera

Photo taken in 1937 at Turner's Meat Market in Owen Sound on 2nd Avenue East
In the photo are Charlie Boorman, Roy Turner, Bob Iles and Gord Waghorn. My father was 21 in this photo. Original in the possesion of Janet Iles.

In 1934, Turner Brothers who were cattle drovers opened a meat store. Charlie Boorman had already agreed to be manager and they asked my dad to go also. Both had been working at Dominion. At first, my dad did everything, including some delivering. His duties included ordering, cutting meat, making sausage, cleaning fowl and counter selling.

What he liked doing was Friday afternoon dressing the window in large marble slab and hanging quarters of beef, lambs, and turkeys on the rail for backstop. Roy Turner, Charles Boorman, Gordon Waghorn, Bill McDonough, his brothers Wilf and Cliff, Mark Nicholson and others worked at Turners. They were paid about $12.00 a week.

My dad left Turner's Meat Market when he joined the Perth Regiment in September 1939 where pay was $10.00 a day with room and board.

The above information was found on a piece of paper found amongst the photographs.

Update: The Turners were Roy and William and the market according to the city directories was called Turner Brothers.

Bound for Mom Milepost #4 The World is Not Flat

My mom began the first years of her life living on the largest freshwater island in the world, Manitoulin Island. I do not know how often she had the chance to leave The Island (often referred to in this manner) before she left to come to Owen Sound to take her C-special at the high school here.

As a family, we travelled to different places in Canada and the United States on family vacations. While we were still in high school, she and my dad had the opportunity to take some very special trips with others who owned IGA supermarkets. Now, let me see if I can remember some of the places they travelled to -- Hawaii, Las Vegas, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Aruba . . . These trips were well deserved as they both worked long hours.

After their retirement, I also got to tag along on some of their trips -- Cuba, St. Lucia, Dominican Republic, England . . .

My mother and I took several very special trips together after my dad's passing. We travelled to Newfoundland, visited a couple of Caribbean Islands, took a Rhine Cruise and went to Oberammergau for the Passion Play, took a cruise on the Danube with stops in some interesting countries and, of course, we went back to Manitoulin.

My mother enjoyed the trips she took. She enjoyed the anticipation and the planning for the trip, the trip itself and remembering the trips through the pictures in the photo albums. My mother kept a travel diary. Her detailed descriptions of each day, including the food that was eaten, bring to life her trips. My mother knew the world wasn't flat and she was thankful that she had the opportunity to expand her horizons through travel.