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Post by Tim on Sept 3, 2016 11:46:41 GMT -5
on July 8, 1912, my maternal grandmother, whom I was very close to, Patty Nicol, was born. She died in 2006 at the age of 94. On this, the centennial of her birth, I thought I would write this little article.
When my Grandma was born, the telephone was less than fifty years old. There were no radios, no television sets, no PC's or Macs, no Internet, and no cell phones. My Grandma saw them all appear in her lifetime.
When my Grandma was born, cars were still coming into common usage. A lot of people still used horses and buggies to get around. My Grandma saw them give way to the automobile.
When my Grandma was born, there were no man made object orbiting the Earth. Men in space belonged to the writings of H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. My Grandma saw science fiction become reality.
When my Grandma was born, only nine years had passed since the Wright Brothers flew their first plane. My Grandma saw the arrival of modern air travel.
When my Grandma was born, the British, German, Russian, and Austrian Empires still existed. Only a few years would pass before three of those empires would fall, and later, the fourth would evolve into a commonwealth. My Grandma saw both World Wars that altered our world (she was in the WAC in World War II).
When my Grandma was born, Canada was still a British colony, the U.S. only had only 48 states (some having only become states that same year she was born. In her lifetime, Canada became an independent country and the U.S. got the 50 states it has now.
Amazing how much the world changed in my Grandma's lifetime.
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Post by Tim on Oct 7, 2016 16:48:46 GMT -5
I decided to do this, because I'm facing a big birthday this year (my 50th). Share your favourite birthday memories here.
One of my favourites is from my 40th, ten years ago, in 2006. For that birthday, I wanted my maternal grandmother, whom I was very close to, there. However, at the time, my grandmother was 94-years-old and in a nursing home in Pembroke, about 100 miles away. So, I decided that, if Grandma couldn't come to my party, we'd take my party to her.
So me, my mother, and a friend jumped in the car and drove up to Pembroke. We took along the cake and everything and had the party with Grandma. My grandmother really enjoyed herself. It was a wonderful birthday.
As it turned out, that would be the last time I would see my grandmother. A few weeks later, I had this dream one night in early December. I don't remember much of said dream, however, one thing I do remember is that, in the dream, I saw my grandmother going away. It was the next morning that my Mom and got the call that Grandma had died during the night. Was that her way of saying good-bye to me? Make of this what you will.
Anyway, I will always remember that birthday.
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on Oct 7, 2016 17:00:53 GMT -5
That sounds like a really nice birthday you had Tim.
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Post by Tim on Oct 7, 2016 23:51:46 GMT -5
It was. I'm glad I got to spend that birthday with my beloved Grandmother, because, as I said, it was the last time I saw her.
Anyone else here have a birthday memory to share?
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Post by adzpower on Oct 8, 2016 4:31:23 GMT -5
My favorite birthday was my 21st, it was 2013, and my family had gotten me tickets to go the Harry Potter studio tour just outside of London, I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan and it was so much fun, we saw parts of the set from the films, and tons of props, we were actually inside the great hall, and Hagrid's hut and the forbidden forest and my fanboy heart exploded with joy! They had real butterbeer and it was delicious, not to mention the shop! Oh my the shop! It was filled with so much Harry Potter memorabilia that I was sad I couldn't buy one of everything! The biggest attraction for me were the wands, they had real-life replica's of the one's from the movies and I bought Snape's since I thought it looked the coolest. We went for a nice meal afterwards at this American style restaurant and I had the biggest burger I've ever seen in my life, it was massive! That's the one that sticks out to me the most, the other being my 19th, in 2011, my parents got me tickets to go and see my favorite singer in concert, Britney! Although the actual concert wasn't until a few months later, it was still wonderful, I couldn't contain my excitement when I saw the tickets!
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on Oct 8, 2016 9:52:08 GMT -5
I've been Harry Potter World to twice which was fantastic especially for my mum who's 69 and loves that actually.
We went the first time in September 2013 and then the second January last year after Xmas when they still had the decorations up.
Some bits the second time round had changed like the inclusion of Umbridge's office and the Hogwarts Express.
My favourite parts were the Great Hall and Diagon Alley plus Dumbledore's office.
We to browsed the gift shop at the end but alot of the stuff there was expensive although I did buy a key ring, mug and pen which was £25 in all I think and we had our picture taken on my phone in one of the carriages opposite Hogwarts Express which we bought a photo frame of afterwards that we put the photo inside of after printing it that saved us a bit of money which we gave to my sister later on.
Anyway although not done on my actual birthday as wasn't a present persay but could be considered one 2 months later on though was my mum and me seeing Riverdance 20 on a Saturday evening at Westcliff On Sea theatre near Southend 2014 which was the best show we'd ever seen from the staging to the lightening, costumes and Irish dancing fantastic really.
Has to be seen live to believe it and there isn't another show which topped that one beforehand or since really although that was last theatre show we'd seen obviously.
And I had a good day in Southend to winning £13 on the slot machines.
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Post by Squad 51 on Oct 8, 2016 10:46:24 GMT -5
I think it was after the wall came down. It was my 13th birthday and I wanted to use all new opportunities given to us by just one event which we never dreamed of, to begin with. And of course the 18th when you can start to drive a car here. More chances to be independent and all. And also going to another city to study or learn. To be free!
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Post by Tim on Oct 8, 2016 11:57:31 GMT -5
Yeah, Jana, that was a big thing for you. I mean I followed it all on the news, but you were actually there when the German Democratic Republic (AKA East Germany) was swept into the gutter of history.
Must have been a great birthday for you, in the new world you found yourself in.
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Post by Squad 51 on Oct 8, 2016 12:29:34 GMT -5
Yeah, we've just started Civics about our country (GDR) and then the state was gone. We had no idea what to do then and had a school year nearly free.
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Post by Tim on Oct 8, 2016 14:20:12 GMT -5
To most of the posters here, the GDR is just something in the history books, Jana. I think that you, I, Katherine and Natalie are the only ones who were alive when the GDR passed into history in 1990. Sounds like you had fun, Adam. And that burger sounds delicious Riverdance20?
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on Oct 8, 2016 14:36:15 GMT -5
Riverdance was 20 years old that year being 1994 when it first appeared on Eurovision which me and mum saw hence Riverdance 20.
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Post by Squad 51 on Oct 8, 2016 16:54:19 GMT -5
You shouldn't forget that I was born and lived in this country for around 12 years of my life, though only as a pupil but still, it's part of my life. Ah yeah, Riverdance. Saw it when I watched old Eurovision shows as a break show. Cool !! Eurovision break shows are great, most of the time. lol
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Post by Tim on Oct 9, 2016 0:00:50 GMT -5
Ah, I see.
I remember you telling us that you were taught about how great the Russian were. The same Russians that all but destroyed your country at the end of World War II.
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on Oct 9, 2016 1:08:45 GMT -5
Well out of all the Eurovision half time performances there's been Riverdance is the most successful to date.
No other performance has matched it yet.
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Post by Tim on Oct 9, 2016 11:35:14 GMT -5
Sounds like fun.
Mind you, being North American, I'm not familiar with Eurovision.
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