I rarely blog but I am laughing so much I felt I had to:
First I'll attempt to explain where I normally stand in politics and why:
Family Influences are Extremely Varied
Father - background Bourgeois.
His mother's family: when I was young I naively thought that my great- grandad was a Railway Clerk i.e. he sold tickets. Um no - wondered why he had smart suits and a big watch chain and a thick expensive looking coat and a bowler hat. I thought he lived off his wife, equally well-dressed who had an array of business interests, an American car and a house full of oriental object's d'art. This formidable lady owned blocks of terraced houses so when my grandad died after the WW1 after being gassed and then starved as a POW- he only lived until my dad was 5, and my grandma and dad may have been in a spot of bother if not for the relatives. Most of them apart from a couple of notable kind exceptions were not, from what I could gleam from dad what, you would call the cuddly types and he and thankfully grandma did not pillage the family home before her body was cold as some did, according to dad. They were protestants and not too keen on my grandma converting to catholic to marry my handsome grandad.
His father's family were a bit snooty too- Norman Irish immigrants whose son's all conveniently married in the local well to do bourgeois (just like grandad). His great aunts paid for dad's education at the same school his father went to. He did a lot for them but the relationship soured when they told lies to my very upset and much loved mother's mother about my mum and he drove over with we 3 children to tell them off, I was sat in the front of the car, my two brothers in the back. We still had the old racing green jag. Dad was normally a gentle soul and it was quite out of character, apparently I, although young, was very angry and gave them a fine telling off too, I'm not exactly shy. Of course his inheritance went to another greedy cousin who did nothing at all for them. Years later I asked him about it all and he said that morality and the truth and his family were worth more than any money.
Strangely, he was a socialist and I had to ask him why, considering his background and he said it was the Jarrow Marches of 1936. The women of the town of all political persuasions made soup to take to the starving men and he went with his mother. The sight of such awful poverty had such an effect on him that he could not forget it and so he always voted Labour.
Mother's Family.
Father's side.
One day grandad had a few too many pints and told me his family once had owned half a town, owned coal mines and he had dined with millionaires, I didn't of course believe him, until yes, we did the genealogy They were small landowners who came over from Yorkshire in the 1500's as a secretary to the Earl of Derby, perhaps fleeing the reformation. They started in wool but the bottom fell out of the sheep business and they diverted into investing in coal mines and also gave land to build a new catholic church when Catholics were once again allowed to be full citizens. They are still good at music with a great, crazy sense of humour. Grandad always threatened to vote conservative but Grandma wouldn't speak to him again if he did.
Mother's side.
Most interesting. My grandma was very lady-like in everyway including her generosity of love and time to everyone who needed help. She never entered a public house until her late 40's, when perhaps it was then more acceptable, I found that story very amusing and knowing grandma it had to be true. Her mum, my nana was the local schoolteacher until she married my great-grandad who was a miner. He was adorable man with a great moustache that used to tickle me when I kissed him, when he died in his 90's I missed those tickles. Nana had a prodigious memory and knew everyone of her many descendants and she was very kind and was still digging the garden at 94, she died quickly at 97. Mum's family were the opposite in every way to my dads family, he loved them dearly. There were rumours too about Nana's family, mainly from the Bishop, who told her they were related to a saint. There were a few catholic clergy in the family. On mum and dad's wedding day nana told mum that dad's mother's family had brought her families land off them. Mum only told me that a few years ago, it was funny, as a cousin had kindly done a complete and professional family history of dad mother's family and there it was, a little research and everything fitted into to place. We lost everything in the reformation, in the end Catholics were not even allowed to inherit their own land and the family spread to America and France. Funny after that was over, other landowners who had kept quiet, many returned to their old faith and kept everything, very convenient. Our ancestor is in Westminster Cathedral. Nana stood up for the poor and underprivileged, especially women, and although had a business didn't end up with much because she was too kind to ask for the money owed. No need to ask whom she voted for.
As for Mum and I, well we usually vote middle leaning slightly left - that kind streak we both inherited - and next if I am not boring you, I'll tell you how I came to that.
Me and my thirst for knowledge.
it's a terrible thing wanting to know the reason for everything, it doesn't do you any good because there is no end to it and can never be. I started very young, first read all the books at home, including later mum's secret never to be revealed stash of Mills and Boon hidden away in case any visitor suspected. Some were good, one about Africa I read over and over. It was then off twice a week to the public library - finished all those by about 14 - incl many adult ones some completely above my head. Then the 2 libraries at school and finally the central library. In between this there were dc and Marvel comics and dad's office swop of Science fiction. Yes, what could a girl want for with that lot.
I was lucky enough to win a scholarship to the best Catholic Girls School in the city and it was wonderful, more knowledge to stuff in. At 16 in Religious Instruction we all had to give a speech on a topic and was very unlucky and got the Long March which was so dry and boring I never thought I could come up with anything mildly interesting, so being me and young with no regard for the consequences I wrote off to the Chinese Embassy and in double quick time on Saturday morning I received a large parcel from Peking. Unfortunately my dad got it first.
Dad knew some very strange things "what have you done Angela, now you will have a secret file and never get a job with the Civil Service" (ah the bourgeois re-surfaced) "I don't want a Job with the Civil Service Yuk - how boring." "You have weak physics, (duh) besides you can do well, it's a great career for a woman" (for a woman - dad had never mentioned me being a woman before, the shock, just because I'm weak at physics and my brothers can do pages of equations!) "I want to be an archaeologist." "I'm not supporting you to dig up Egypt!" "I don't want to dig up Egypt, I want to dig up the Neolithic, bronze and Iron age." (give dad his due after seeing my bookshelves and hearing my take of a documentary later in life he did apologise and said he had made a mistake) (oh and I later read Spycatcher too, dad was spot on about my file but I still got a job that needed me to sign the secrets act so maybe they forgave me)
Everyone fell asleep anyway, it was the most boring speech ever, but I did get a nice letter, loads of art and a little red book, which wasn't very good.
Then I read Lenin, beautiful uplifting. Then I read Das Kapital and for a change Mein Kampt then I looked at the oppressive regimes that were and the one just gone and realised that the far right and far left were in the exactly the same place in the political circle and I hated both equally and there was absolutely no difference between them, so when I voted middle of the road Liberal in the UK dad didn't mind, just laughed.
(The communists tried to recruit me 3 times. Actually I was very flattered indeed - listened politely and made no comment as I knew even as a young woman you could not sway them).
Then I fought with mum over getting a Saturday Job, she offered me more to stay at home and study, but being me with that independent streak I refused went into the big stores and got a job in a cafeteria. Then my perfect ordered world fell apart. it was very simple, a very nice lady said to me "I've never known anyone to learn how to use the dishwashing machine so quickly before.' My heart fell into my shoes and I realised I knew absolutely nothing about the world outside my nice family, nice church, nice schools, I'd sorted the political system logically as far as I was concerned but I knew nothing of the people, I'd mastered boys, kept away from the wrong ones, got rid of the nice clingy ones, hopefully without hurting them, but I knew nothing of the other people sharing my world with me. I was bereft. I read Freud he was a twit no idea there and in dire need of help himself. There wasn't much else- the philosophers-we'd done most of the Greek ones, not convinced - the others no help whatsoever - a load of self-serving twats who thought they knew everything, but it didn't help me, except of course Shakespeare who seemed to understand the world, the only one who did.
So I had another journey to make to understand humans and again worked hard looked at evolution, not much to go on until DNA could be used fully. Then back to psychology they were making progress at last and the neuro-science was fascinating, making perfect sense 50% like me and 50% different who find it hard to make choices logically - perhaps the start of 2 new species- it's getting exciting now....
Then we had the election last night between a clever but over-stretched man and a man who shows some very disturbing traits, my wise husband did warn me that he would win easily. I said not possible win perhaps, but not easily, not everyone is blind, deaf and dumb (my 50%'s)" Yes they are." he said, "so dumb. They'll destroy themselves and blame everyone but themselves." Without reading all those books he was right - they voted in the awful man. I've still got a lot of studying to do or shall I just write about the absurdity of my most loved species.......I expected to feel embarrassed, ashamed, but after not believing that my sane logical 50% would do such a thing... I just laughed and I will keep laughing for the next three years.. and carry on researching.....hoping to make sense of the voting for less. So I'm always the optimist and still hopeful, we leave a world fit for anything to thrive on. it's going to be a very weird 3 years and I'll be watching and laughing because I think it could be a blast - forget the Xfactor watch the new act....of parliament.
First I'll attempt to explain where I normally stand in politics and why:
Family Influences are Extremely Varied
Father - background Bourgeois.
His mother's family: when I was young I naively thought that my great- grandad was a Railway Clerk i.e. he sold tickets. Um no - wondered why he had smart suits and a big watch chain and a thick expensive looking coat and a bowler hat. I thought he lived off his wife, equally well-dressed who had an array of business interests, an American car and a house full of oriental object's d'art. This formidable lady owned blocks of terraced houses so when my grandad died after the WW1 after being gassed and then starved as a POW- he only lived until my dad was 5, and my grandma and dad may have been in a spot of bother if not for the relatives. Most of them apart from a couple of notable kind exceptions were not, from what I could gleam from dad what, you would call the cuddly types and he and thankfully grandma did not pillage the family home before her body was cold as some did, according to dad. They were protestants and not too keen on my grandma converting to catholic to marry my handsome grandad.
His father's family were a bit snooty too- Norman Irish immigrants whose son's all conveniently married in the local well to do bourgeois (just like grandad). His great aunts paid for dad's education at the same school his father went to. He did a lot for them but the relationship soured when they told lies to my very upset and much loved mother's mother about my mum and he drove over with we 3 children to tell them off, I was sat in the front of the car, my two brothers in the back. We still had the old racing green jag. Dad was normally a gentle soul and it was quite out of character, apparently I, although young, was very angry and gave them a fine telling off too, I'm not exactly shy. Of course his inheritance went to another greedy cousin who did nothing at all for them. Years later I asked him about it all and he said that morality and the truth and his family were worth more than any money.
Strangely, he was a socialist and I had to ask him why, considering his background and he said it was the Jarrow Marches of 1936. The women of the town of all political persuasions made soup to take to the starving men and he went with his mother. The sight of such awful poverty had such an effect on him that he could not forget it and so he always voted Labour.
Mother's Family.
Father's side.
One day grandad had a few too many pints and told me his family once had owned half a town, owned coal mines and he had dined with millionaires, I didn't of course believe him, until yes, we did the genealogy They were small landowners who came over from Yorkshire in the 1500's as a secretary to the Earl of Derby, perhaps fleeing the reformation. They started in wool but the bottom fell out of the sheep business and they diverted into investing in coal mines and also gave land to build a new catholic church when Catholics were once again allowed to be full citizens. They are still good at music with a great, crazy sense of humour. Grandad always threatened to vote conservative but Grandma wouldn't speak to him again if he did.
Mother's side.
Most interesting. My grandma was very lady-like in everyway including her generosity of love and time to everyone who needed help. She never entered a public house until her late 40's, when perhaps it was then more acceptable, I found that story very amusing and knowing grandma it had to be true. Her mum, my nana was the local schoolteacher until she married my great-grandad who was a miner. He was adorable man with a great moustache that used to tickle me when I kissed him, when he died in his 90's I missed those tickles. Nana had a prodigious memory and knew everyone of her many descendants and she was very kind and was still digging the garden at 94, she died quickly at 97. Mum's family were the opposite in every way to my dads family, he loved them dearly. There were rumours too about Nana's family, mainly from the Bishop, who told her they were related to a saint. There were a few catholic clergy in the family. On mum and dad's wedding day nana told mum that dad's mother's family had brought her families land off them. Mum only told me that a few years ago, it was funny, as a cousin had kindly done a complete and professional family history of dad mother's family and there it was, a little research and everything fitted into to place. We lost everything in the reformation, in the end Catholics were not even allowed to inherit their own land and the family spread to America and France. Funny after that was over, other landowners who had kept quiet, many returned to their old faith and kept everything, very convenient. Our ancestor is in Westminster Cathedral. Nana stood up for the poor and underprivileged, especially women, and although had a business didn't end up with much because she was too kind to ask for the money owed. No need to ask whom she voted for.
As for Mum and I, well we usually vote middle leaning slightly left - that kind streak we both inherited - and next if I am not boring you, I'll tell you how I came to that.
Me and my thirst for knowledge.
it's a terrible thing wanting to know the reason for everything, it doesn't do you any good because there is no end to it and can never be. I started very young, first read all the books at home, including later mum's secret never to be revealed stash of Mills and Boon hidden away in case any visitor suspected. Some were good, one about Africa I read over and over. It was then off twice a week to the public library - finished all those by about 14 - incl many adult ones some completely above my head. Then the 2 libraries at school and finally the central library. In between this there were dc and Marvel comics and dad's office swop of Science fiction. Yes, what could a girl want for with that lot.
I was lucky enough to win a scholarship to the best Catholic Girls School in the city and it was wonderful, more knowledge to stuff in. At 16 in Religious Instruction we all had to give a speech on a topic and was very unlucky and got the Long March which was so dry and boring I never thought I could come up with anything mildly interesting, so being me and young with no regard for the consequences I wrote off to the Chinese Embassy and in double quick time on Saturday morning I received a large parcel from Peking. Unfortunately my dad got it first.
Dad knew some very strange things "what have you done Angela, now you will have a secret file and never get a job with the Civil Service" (ah the bourgeois re-surfaced) "I don't want a Job with the Civil Service Yuk - how boring." "You have weak physics, (duh) besides you can do well, it's a great career for a woman" (for a woman - dad had never mentioned me being a woman before, the shock, just because I'm weak at physics and my brothers can do pages of equations!) "I want to be an archaeologist." "I'm not supporting you to dig up Egypt!" "I don't want to dig up Egypt, I want to dig up the Neolithic, bronze and Iron age." (give dad his due after seeing my bookshelves and hearing my take of a documentary later in life he did apologise and said he had made a mistake) (oh and I later read Spycatcher too, dad was spot on about my file but I still got a job that needed me to sign the secrets act so maybe they forgave me)
Everyone fell asleep anyway, it was the most boring speech ever, but I did get a nice letter, loads of art and a little red book, which wasn't very good.
Then I read Lenin, beautiful uplifting. Then I read Das Kapital and for a change Mein Kampt then I looked at the oppressive regimes that were and the one just gone and realised that the far right and far left were in the exactly the same place in the political circle and I hated both equally and there was absolutely no difference between them, so when I voted middle of the road Liberal in the UK dad didn't mind, just laughed.
(The communists tried to recruit me 3 times. Actually I was very flattered indeed - listened politely and made no comment as I knew even as a young woman you could not sway them).
Then I fought with mum over getting a Saturday Job, she offered me more to stay at home and study, but being me with that independent streak I refused went into the big stores and got a job in a cafeteria. Then my perfect ordered world fell apart. it was very simple, a very nice lady said to me "I've never known anyone to learn how to use the dishwashing machine so quickly before.' My heart fell into my shoes and I realised I knew absolutely nothing about the world outside my nice family, nice church, nice schools, I'd sorted the political system logically as far as I was concerned but I knew nothing of the people, I'd mastered boys, kept away from the wrong ones, got rid of the nice clingy ones, hopefully without hurting them, but I knew nothing of the other people sharing my world with me. I was bereft. I read Freud he was a twit no idea there and in dire need of help himself. There wasn't much else- the philosophers-we'd done most of the Greek ones, not convinced - the others no help whatsoever - a load of self-serving twats who thought they knew everything, but it didn't help me, except of course Shakespeare who seemed to understand the world, the only one who did.
So I had another journey to make to understand humans and again worked hard looked at evolution, not much to go on until DNA could be used fully. Then back to psychology they were making progress at last and the neuro-science was fascinating, making perfect sense 50% like me and 50% different who find it hard to make choices logically - perhaps the start of 2 new species- it's getting exciting now....
Then we had the election last night between a clever but over-stretched man and a man who shows some very disturbing traits, my wise husband did warn me that he would win easily. I said not possible win perhaps, but not easily, not everyone is blind, deaf and dumb (my 50%'s)" Yes they are." he said, "so dumb. They'll destroy themselves and blame everyone but themselves." Without reading all those books he was right - they voted in the awful man. I've still got a lot of studying to do or shall I just write about the absurdity of my most loved species.......I expected to feel embarrassed, ashamed, but after not believing that my sane logical 50% would do such a thing... I just laughed and I will keep laughing for the next three years.. and carry on researching.....hoping to make sense of the voting for less. So I'm always the optimist and still hopeful, we leave a world fit for anything to thrive on. it's going to be a very weird 3 years and I'll be watching and laughing because I think it could be a blast - forget the Xfactor watch the new act....of parliament.