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http://www.a-sewell-from-sheerness.com/Ray%20ss2-o/e94.htm
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Family Tree - The Fahey's and the Harvey's
The Fahey's and the Harvey's are my mother's side of the family and I can trace back four generations and have three names in that generation of my family.
Fahey, Connelly & Wall
My mother's father was Michael Fahey. He was one of 14 children that lived past birth. Michael was born in Clonmel on the border of Tipperary and Waterford counties in Ireland. I have visited Ireland and the house where he was born in the summers of 03 and 04. I met my grandfather's brother Martin and his children, and other family members.
During my 04 trip I also met relations from the Nire Valley in Waterford. Michael's mother was born Mary Connelly. It is this part of the family that I can trace back the furthest. Mary was the daughter of Dick Connelly and Ann Wall. My grandfather's oldest sibling Alice had a son who I met in 04 along with his wife and a daughter, her husband and their two young daughters. In just that one sentence I mention three cousins!
Michael's father was Lau(or w)rence Fahey. His father my great great grandfather was Tom Fahey. I don't know the name of Law's mother.
Harvey, Smith
My mother's mother was born Muriel Harvey before marrying Michael Fahey. Michael already had two sons from a previous marriage. With my grandmother they had eight children including my mother. Muriel's parents were Arthur Harvey whose hometown as far as I know was Colindale, which is also the town where I grew up in north west London. I have also been able to trace another Harvey from the previous generation in the same area but no other details.
Muriel's mother was Florence Smith of St Neots, Northamptonshire. Nothing else is known about that side of the family. I have a photocopy of a picture of Arthur and Florence in old age with their daughter and my grandmother Muriel.
Fahey, Connelly & Wall
My mother's father was Michael Fahey. He was one of 14 children that lived past birth. Michael was born in Clonmel on the border of Tipperary and Waterford counties in Ireland. I have visited Ireland and the house where he was born in the summers of 03 and 04. I met my grandfather's brother Martin and his children, and other family members.
During my 04 trip I also met relations from the Nire Valley in Waterford. Michael's mother was born Mary Connelly. It is this part of the family that I can trace back the furthest. Mary was the daughter of Dick Connelly and Ann Wall. My grandfather's oldest sibling Alice had a son who I met in 04 along with his wife and a daughter, her husband and their two young daughters. In just that one sentence I mention three cousins!
Michael's father was Lau(or w)rence Fahey. His father my great great grandfather was Tom Fahey. I don't know the name of Law's mother.
Harvey, Smith
My mother's mother was born Muriel Harvey before marrying Michael Fahey. Michael already had two sons from a previous marriage. With my grandmother they had eight children including my mother. Muriel's parents were Arthur Harvey whose hometown as far as I know was Colindale, which is also the town where I grew up in north west London. I have also been able to trace another Harvey from the previous generation in the same area but no other details.
Muriel's mother was Florence Smith of St Neots, Northamptonshire. Nothing else is known about that side of the family. I have a photocopy of a picture of Arthur and Florence in old age with their daughter and my grandmother Muriel.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Ready for the off
I packed my back pack tonight. Everything went in. It was easy really. I have been packing it in my mind for weeks, not too many clothes, and even those I'm taking I'm thinking could lose en route or leave behind in England etc.
I am a bit light in the presents dept. Going to have a look around tomorrow see if I can remedy that.
Still have three houseplants to find a home for. Might take a stroll down to Co-op Radio tomorrow to see if they will adopt them. Jamie and Rhonda going to take the remainder of the food items and that pesky Propane cannister which I have been stowing since the summer.
Apart from that I think I have everything covered.
Getting pretty excited.....
I am a bit light in the presents dept. Going to have a look around tomorrow see if I can remedy that.
Still have three houseplants to find a home for. Might take a stroll down to Co-op Radio tomorrow to see if they will adopt them. Jamie and Rhonda going to take the remainder of the food items and that pesky Propane cannister which I have been stowing since the summer.
Apart from that I think I have everything covered.
Getting pretty excited.....
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Stone Roses
Two days ago I brought in a couple of CDs from home to play on the stereo. Having done the rounds and got the approval of the lads to play the CDs on the communal stereo I got the thumbs up with The Who's Live at Leeds and an Uncut compilation 'The Devil's Music - Keith Richards' Personal compilation of blues, soul and R&B classics.
I decided to step it up a gear and take the stereo speakers a degree further left field with the Stone Roses debut eponymous album. It was well received and one of the lads is borrowing the CD this evening. Nice one lads.
I decided to step it up a gear and take the stereo speakers a degree further left field with the Stone Roses debut eponymous album. It was well received and one of the lads is borrowing the CD this evening. Nice one lads.
A beautiful day
Today turned out to be a beautiful if one was to take a look over Vancouver after noon and well onto dusk. The sun shone and I snapped digital pix along Clark. But today was beautiful in another way. It is almost as if my metabolism had somehow altered. I felt fresh and healthy. Wearing glasses really has altered my perception of life. It is almost as if I am somehow more complete. I have gained peripheral vision and two days ago when a friend gave me a ride to first avenue in her car I noticed that I could scan the street without having to turn my head.
I guess what I am really saying is that the last few days have given me boons which culminated in my sense of ease and happiness today. In addition to the glasses my dentist told me yesterday I need no treatment and just need to come in for a check up in March. I was so happy at that point I felt I could cry. Really. This may sound melodramatic but when I first visited the dentist here in Canada and they criticised my teeth and the dentistry in the UK I was catapulted into a state of extreme gloom.
What else? Well spent the last few evenings with NDP comrades phoning party members and renewing their memberships. A real sense of optimism and feel good gripped our group of volunteers. We are on our way, our way to saying goodbye to Gordon Campbell and his Liberal regime. Not even the fact that en route to last's night session I dropped a case of beer could dampen my spirits. I picked up the eco-friendly bag containing a pack of six Granville Island English Pale Ales only for the handles to slide through my fingers and crash to the concrete just as the bus arrived. The driver waited but I had to say I will get the next one. I was left picking out 3 of 6 good bottles and mopping up.
But the single most important factor putting a smile on my face today is that today was the day that I submitted my two weeks notice at work to quit. I had my draft letter written weeks ago and knew that this day was coming for weeks. So at tea time today I popped into the office and handed the boss the letter and told him exactly what it was too. He then surprised me by saying that you can make Friday your last day. Oh no!
Drat. This was not what I wanted. I told him that I would really rather work up until the 14th. He then said well you're 35 days are coming up and he didn't want me to pass that and told me without even looking up my details that I currently sit at 29 days (as of tomorrow). So first thoughts are; "hang on, was he planning to lay me off?" "Was he only intending to keep me up to a maximum of 34 days and then getting rid of me to avoid me gaining permanent status (35 days) and thereby avoiding the wrath of our union"? Not sure however that wrath and our union go into one sentence. Foolishly I said that it wasn't my intention to give he any grief on that issue and that if I could work as long as possible that would be really good for me and my budgeting and then said that next Friday would take me to 34. He agreed.
It buys me some time and the ability to negotiate further next week. If I lose out and lose that last week of work before my departure for England then so be it.
Going back to the cutting table I felt a little deflated but worked out the last half hour of the shift with brief words to the shop steward and a copy of note for him and also updated the department head of my plans.
I guess what I am really saying is that the last few days have given me boons which culminated in my sense of ease and happiness today. In addition to the glasses my dentist told me yesterday I need no treatment and just need to come in for a check up in March. I was so happy at that point I felt I could cry. Really. This may sound melodramatic but when I first visited the dentist here in Canada and they criticised my teeth and the dentistry in the UK I was catapulted into a state of extreme gloom.
What else? Well spent the last few evenings with NDP comrades phoning party members and renewing their memberships. A real sense of optimism and feel good gripped our group of volunteers. We are on our way, our way to saying goodbye to Gordon Campbell and his Liberal regime. Not even the fact that en route to last's night session I dropped a case of beer could dampen my spirits. I picked up the eco-friendly bag containing a pack of six Granville Island English Pale Ales only for the handles to slide through my fingers and crash to the concrete just as the bus arrived. The driver waited but I had to say I will get the next one. I was left picking out 3 of 6 good bottles and mopping up.
But the single most important factor putting a smile on my face today is that today was the day that I submitted my two weeks notice at work to quit. I had my draft letter written weeks ago and knew that this day was coming for weeks. So at tea time today I popped into the office and handed the boss the letter and told him exactly what it was too. He then surprised me by saying that you can make Friday your last day. Oh no!
Drat. This was not what I wanted. I told him that I would really rather work up until the 14th. He then said well you're 35 days are coming up and he didn't want me to pass that and told me without even looking up my details that I currently sit at 29 days (as of tomorrow). So first thoughts are; "hang on, was he planning to lay me off?" "Was he only intending to keep me up to a maximum of 34 days and then getting rid of me to avoid me gaining permanent status (35 days) and thereby avoiding the wrath of our union"? Not sure however that wrath and our union go into one sentence. Foolishly I said that it wasn't my intention to give he any grief on that issue and that if I could work as long as possible that would be really good for me and my budgeting and then said that next Friday would take me to 34. He agreed.
It buys me some time and the ability to negotiate further next week. If I lose out and lose that last week of work before my departure for England then so be it.
Going back to the cutting table I felt a little deflated but worked out the last half hour of the shift with brief words to the shop steward and a copy of note for him and also updated the department head of my plans.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Reasons why I love the DTES #'s 2 & 3
#2 - Yesterday Sunday standing at the bus stop on Hastings at Carrall. I look across street at a guy selling his wares out of a bag. Nothing unusual in that in this part of town. He's selling work coveralls, interesting perhaps? What's that wording on back on coverall? Coroner. One punter notices, laughs and politely refuses. A second punter measures length of leg against his own but doesn't turn coverall around. My bus arrives. I snicker away.
#3 - Today walking east on Hastings from Columbia I draw almost level with a woman who turns and shouts to a guy singing on the other side of road, "that song was in my head too." She laughs and then says to no one in particular "Don't give up the day job". I say "that's for sure." She says "aint that the truth" and knocks me sideways with her beautiful smile. What a wonderful sparkle too in her eye. She is so thin and her rain coat sits like a tent.
#3 - Today walking east on Hastings from Columbia I draw almost level with a woman who turns and shouts to a guy singing on the other side of road, "that song was in my head too." She laughs and then says to no one in particular "Don't give up the day job". I say "that's for sure." She says "aint that the truth" and knocks me sideways with her beautiful smile. What a wonderful sparkle too in her eye. She is so thin and her rain coat sits like a tent.
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