Past Imperfect

Friday, March 06, 2009

Blast from the Past

In the thirties we had a Depression but we also had 'Our Gracie' - Gracie Fields a lass from Rochdale who became world famous. This was Lancashire in 1934. I remember those great bales of cotton being hoisted at Lolly Mill

'Dad if you swallowed that much chewing gum - would you die?'

Alas - all gone now.
'Depression? Eeeeeh lad - tha doesn't know tha's born!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...: Gosh that takes me back, Pat. My grandmother and mother were great fans of Gracie Fields so I grew up listening to her songs.
Love the quotes in the previous post - especially the one about the cats.; 9:37 AM
kenju said...: Those old machines were engineering marvels. Too bad they had to shut down.; 2:27 PM
Kanani said...: I don't think there's an equivalent right now --we're so spread out in the media!; 3:53 PM
Barlinnie said...: Holy Mother of God.. I can remember my auld maw singing along to "Oor Gracie"; 6:36 PM
Eryl said...: Gracie might have sounded very cheery but that was a devastatingly ominous end to that opening sequence. I really feel I need to find and watch the rest of the film now to see everything turning out alright in the end. It does all turn out alright in the end doesn't it, Pat?; 7:19 PM
OldLady Of The Hills said...: For some inexplicable reason...I cannot see the picture! Grrrrrrr.
I tell you, it is ALWAYS something with these frigging computers!
All I see is an empty box with the background color of your blog, and in the upper left hand corner, a tiny little colorful box....!
Probably another stupid Automatic Update that screws everyting up!
ANY SUGGESTIONS, ANYONE? H-E-L-P!; 8:07 PM
Pat said...: Sandy : hope it brought back happy memories

Judy: I seem to remember that working amongst all that fluff was quite hazardous and there were some dreadful accidents with the machinery - happened to a neighbour of ours, Mr Greenwood; a very unlucky family - one daughter in a wheel chair with arthritis and one daughter with TB.

Kanani: sadly we no longer have Gracie.

Jimmy: did Your ma realise she was English? Although being Lancastrian makes all the difference.; 9:39 PM
Pat said...: Eryl: there is the closing sequence which I was going to use but couldn't resist the bobbins and stuff. If you google Gracie Fields - sing as we go, You'll see the full range and it all ends tickety boo.

Naomi: bad l;uck! All I can suggest is you google 'Gracie Fields 'sing as we go.'; 9:43 PM
Barlinnie said...: My mammy, bless her heart, never saw wrang in anyone. She liked people for who they were, no where they came fae.

Gracie Fields used to give her a feel good factor, and anyone who brought happiness into our hoose was alreet by us all.; 10:15 PM
Keith said...: Eeee Pat, tha's reet!

Tha's nowt wrong wi reet folk tha knows!; 12:24 AM
Kanani said...: I was trying to figure out if there's anyone equivalent to a Gracie. Someone who pulls us out of our funk.

And all I could think of was that delightfully silly movie I watched with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant!

Well, they're not Gracie, but for a few hours I completely forgot about the economy and getting laid off!; 7:30 AM
Pat said...: Jimmy: God bless your mammy. Would there were more like her.

Keith: where's ta bin? Sit thyself down and 'ave a brew.

Kanani: that's a result:); 8:15 AM
Shelby said...: Oh I really enjoyed seeing this.. I hadn't heard of Grace (that I recall).. beautiful happy voice. great clip.; 3:16 PM
Pat said...: Shelby: so glad you liked it. I know all the words:); 9:16 PM
Daphne Wayne-Bough said...: Was that Gracie singing? You can hardly hear her Rochdale accent thankfully. *ducks*

"Sally, Salleeee, pride of ower alleee.... "; 11:13 AM
Pat said...: Daphne: I knew you'd really appreciate it; the closing sequence illustrates her accent more. Even than it's a bit poncified but better than when - in later years - she developed a mid-atlantic twang.; 4:14 PM