Please leave a comment.


I love receiving and reading comments ~ please leave one.
If you are a regular I am pleased to see you again ~ make yourself at home. If you are new to my blog, welcome too, and please introduce yourself and I will reply very soon.

Friday 29 May 2009

Eddie Bluelights' Piano Practice!

Listen to the boy play!!
And the gent with the two crooners!

Whilst I am getting some ambulance experiences together I thought you might like to see this.

As a boy my family lived next door to a professional cartoonist who sometimes complained he could not concentrate when my mother, father and I played our rather loud Bluthner upright piano. We played Mozart and Beethoven Sonatas, Chopin Walzes, Nocturnes and Preludes and mum and dad used to give real hum-dinger duet performances of Gilbert and Sullivan. We loved our music and I still play today, when there is no-one around!

When I was admitted into a local hospital with Scarlet Fever Mr Jewell presented me with four cartoons - my favourite is shown here.

I remember well a nurse at the hospital seeing them and insisting she kept one cartoon of a lot of curvy nurses drawn beautifully. I was weak enough to give it to her - wish I had kept it. These were in the days long before photo-copying.

At the time of the cartoon my father was cutting down a huge tree in our garden - hence the 'missile' flying over the fence, aimed at Mr Jewell, whose likeness is captured beautifully, as the chap playing the violin. The log must have hit me on the head because I have never been the same again - neither is my piano playing!

Do you like the school uniform and the cap?

Of course all these characters have passed on now, except Eddie Bluelights of course, but I sometimes pass the old house and memories come flooding back of the good times - and you know even though I have been married for nearly 40 years I still regard that place as 'home' where mum used to make wonderful Lancashire Hotpots - lovely!

Somehow life seemed much better then.

You know these were the wonderful days of manners - that little Eddie and his cap! We had to touch our caps whenever we saw a lady - if we didn't and got reported we were in for the high jump! If I did that today women would think I was bonkers - not that I wear a cap now!

11 comments:

  1. Oh shucks! No wonder you have such good manners and a daughter with a fabolous voice: it's all in the DNA.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I, too, like a little stroll down memory lane every now and again. I was raised in south Georgia and we were taught early on to respect our elders (or else...... this required a switch to the bare legs). Being in the Bible belt meant that every answer was either 'yes ma'am or yes sir'. You were never to call an adult by their first name unless you preceded it with "sister" or "brother" in church. Things have changed and I am not sure if I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Eddie,

    I love it! How special and what an artist he was!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Your friend was a superb cartoonist. I have a cartoonist friend and I admire his craft greatly. That log was big enough to fell a whole orchestra!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nostalgia, what a wonderful emotion that is.
    I too look at the 'old' homestead, and call it 'home'. It's all the way up in Southport Lancashire, so I only get there infrequently now. Been in the south 45 years, but 'home' is always Southport.
    The cartoon is fabulous, how lovely you still have it.
    The young of today have sadly missed out of the schooling of general manners to your elders.
    Where will it all be in another few years.... Mustn't get on this soapbox just now. Not enough room here.
    Lovely post Eddie.
    Love Granny

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my Goodness..... Glad I stumbled by on this. Brilliant cartoon and what an interesting family you have!
    Great post. One of your best, I think!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a great cartoon and a wonderful story to go along with it.

    Were the days of my youth as innocent as I recall. They certainly seem much more innocent that those of children today.

    I really enjoyed this post.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hello
    Arrived here via Rosaria in Oregon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lovely memories, Eddie! And the art is a true treasure... this post is very heartwarming...and shows your softer side...well-done! You carried this off beautifully ~Janine

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am 42 and even I remember the days when gents would touch their hats or their fore locks as I passed. Now blokes just push past. My hubbie has old fashioned manners though x

    ReplyDelete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. You are most welcome to my humble abode.