Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
26th December 2020
Peas and Goodwill
Happy Boxing Day. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas Day, and I’m sure it will probably go down in history as one of the strangest. I say ‘one of’ as, quite honestly, I’m not confident enough to say ‘the strangest’. Who knows what lies ahead?
Yogi and I had a lovely day in our little bubble. People who know me well often referred to me as ‘living my life in a bubble’ long before it became a political term – which I have always taken as a compliment. I once had a t- shirt which read, “Yes I am in my own little World; they know me here.”
Of course, nature is a large part of that world. On Christmas Day, after popping to see Mum (talking through the window), Yogi and I had a lovely walk, fed the pigs, fed the chickens, tied in a rose that had ‘burst it’s bubble’, straightened Santa’s hat on my giraffe (as you do), fetched wood and coal for the wood-burner and then both curled up in front of it reading Horatio Clare’s ‘A Single Swallow’.
Well, I read it, Yogi snored contentedly next to me.
It was very low-key and very peaceful and very much a time to just be present rather than being about the presents.
What Sap?
However, my Uncle did send me a lovely gift just before Christmas. It was a little prayer book with the inscription ‘Mabel Allbutt. 1899’. He told me that she would have been 15 when she wrote in it.
It has, not surprisingly, got me hooked on finding out more about my ancestry. Although admittedly, I had to learn how to spell it first – I was sure there was an e’ before the ‘r’. Isn’t it interesting too, that at some stage we become more interested in looking back than forward. Although it has been said that we study history because we are interested in the future.
A little ironic for the time of year, Mabel’s parents were Mary and Joseph, and although I haven’t begun my research in earnest yet, I have discovered that the majority of my male ancestors on my father’s side were gardeners. I knew that my father’s father and his father were gardeners but the green fingers point back a lot further.
Incidentally, my grandfather and his father on my mother’s side were also gardeners. It fills me with absolute pride and, for those of you who don’t already know, my brother although a qualified engineer, has spent the majority of his professional life as a gardener too.
I don’t think we have blood in our veins, we have sap.
Christmas Box
The 1901 census showed that Mabel Allbutt was a servant at Maescelyn, a rather grand house in Crickhowell, although my uncle did briefly indulge himself in the notion that she may have actually owned the mansion (cue an emoji eye roll).
Rather timely, my continued research reveals that the term “Boxing Day” – first recorded in 1833 – has never had it’s official origin determined.
However, one theory is that the name refers to holiday gifts. A “Christmas Box” in Britain was also a Christmas present. So it is thought that Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants and the day when they received a gift from their employer. The servants would also be allowed go home on Boxing Day to give gifts to their families.
I wonder where Mabel went in 1899.
From Christmas Tree to Family Tree
I highly recommend this researching your family tree malarkey. I am also finding out more about my cottage, which was built around 1760 – and has had little done to it since (or so it seems sometimes). It’s so exciting and a fab’luss way to spend lock down time.
Inspired by my enthusiasm, a client is also researching the history of their house. When we did some landscaping work there a few years ago, we dug up a huge amount of stone and realised that it was all dressed, suggesting there had been buildings on the site. It turns out that it was an old monastery (with an ‘e’ before the ‘r’). She is going to collect and frame photos and documents and dedicate a whole wall in the house to the history of their home.
There are lots of websites that offer a variety of services and apparently if you can join a local library they often offer access to relevant sites too.
I’m lucky that a neighbour has researched a lot of the history of the houses in the area and also works at the Archive Centre. She has already been a mine of information. She also warned me that I might find out things I don’t want to know, which tied in nicely with my uncle telling me that one of my great, great uncles was sacked from a local estate for stealing the silver.
As the late, great George Bernard Shaw said, “If you can’t get rid of the family skeleton, you might as well make him dance.” And as another good friend warned, “If you’re going to shake the family tree, watch the nuts fall out!”
I’m looking forward to it!
Chrimbo Limbo
The time between Christmas and New Year is notoriously an awkward time for many, hence it being referred to as “Chrimbo Limbo’.
Years ago, a friend Cliff Arnell, came up with the name, Twixmas, and suggested that we should all think of something special to do on each ‘Day of Twixmas’. It could be a kind deed, or setting a goal or intention, or simply going for a walk somewhere new.
Obviously this Twixmas will be somewhat restricted but I’m sure you clever lot will come up with seven inspirational ideas.
Happy Twixmas!
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