1930 TB

The Old Kitchen Gardens, detail of the quilt 'A Bombers Moon' 

1930

TB

Me mother's were all Darley Dale people

"None make pudding like mum!"

Lived on a farm, a copper for the water

Family of four, photos in me head.

Gosh yes, two sisters and me twin and

Father kept cows, TB in the milk, they said.

But I do like a sunset spire

I do love to hear church bells.

"Keep warm," she told us. Always warm clothes

We did, we did. Stay warm

With a few aunties and uncles

A lovely surround, over the Xmas, joining us

All born at Darley Dale. Memories

Are how you make yourself

Memories we do like to see and

I love to hear church bells.

My brother's TB all the worry

Nothing worse than a child ill

Got to pay the doctor, there's the rub

And the train is at Monsal Head loading cold 

Milk churns for Manchester.

Orange sky spreads, oh look at

The spire! The spire!

And it all belongs to the Duke: the lovely fireplace

The farm, the Autumn sunset and

The church bells.

Anne Purseglove

Bakewell

From the arthur+martha project Stitching the Wars. A Two year collaboration with older people in Derbyshire, producing two embroidered quilts, a book, interviews and a series of poems. 

More poems found here. A short documentary film about the project found here.