Museum of Life
Are you able to find 10 items around your house that mean something special to you?
Things that you have saved over your lifetime, and then tell us about those items and why they are important to you.
Here is Pat’s 12 items, one of HRGS’s members.
1. Pilgrim’s Progress Book by John Bunyan |
1. The book Pilgrim’s Progress which was written by John Bunyan in 1678 whilst imprisoned for his religious beliefs, was very influential in my life. It was read to me by my teacher Miss Roe in 1948, when I was 10 years old. This book made me appreciate how God would help me in the future. I would learn as I have walked through life, that this world is like a school room, learning about the good and bad, which explained a lot to me.
2. When my Nanna, Harriet Hodges left school, her first job paid her five shillings for three months work. With this she bought a second hand German Naumann sewing machine, in around 1881. In 1903-1904 Harriet made a christening gown and petticoat for her son, my dad, Stephen Toop Hodges. Both the sewing machine and christening gown have been passed down the family from my Mum to me, to pass on to our family. My two children Theresa and Gordon were christened in it, and many of the other family members. The christening robe was last used in our family for my niece Linzi Blake in 1974.
3. My son introduced me to the computer animated film called ‘Despicable Me’, which was released in 2010 which included the main Minion characters Kevin, Stuart, and Bob. They are supposed to be naughty, but by mistake, they always end up doing kind and good deeds. As I feel an affinity with these characters, they make me smile, and so many of my family have bought me Minion character items, which I have collected together on my sideboard to keep me smiling.
4. I have so many soft toys now, but when I was growing up in the second world war, you couldn’t buy toys. When I was born in 1938, before the war, my dad bought me a three foot tall, pink teddy from China, as he was a sailor in the Royal Navy. Although that teddy was lost in time, soft toys have a ‘soft spot’ with me. I particularly cherish my Mum Kathleen Hodges’ talking tedding that would chat with her and make her laugh; a puppy dog that my daughter Theresa bought me when I retired in 2008; and a teddy from my granddaughter Emily in 2020, which actually has her voice built in it to talk to me.
5. I love to read the letters that my late husband Edgar Watson, aka Wiz, wrote to me when I first met him in 1957. They are stored in my oval vanity box, which was part of a luggage set that I bought to go to German in February 1956. These letters can make me laugh out loud, remembering how he would try and persuade me to be his friend, after I would break up with him. He wanted to get too serious… after only two weeks, he wanted us to get married!
6. You couldn’t buy books in the war, so in 1943 on returning from his naval duties, of escorting convoy ships from Scotland to American, my dad brought each of his three daughters back from his travels, a new testament. I lost my dad when I was only 20, so any object that he bought me, is very precious.
7. I received a bible and a book of bible stories for Sunday School good attendance in 1945 and 1946. I received these from the Zoar Chapel in Strood and it reminds me of all the picnics and happy memories of growing up and the people who ran the Chapel, Miss Wicker and Miss Anderson who were the Sunday School teachers. I received these books in the last year before I moved from Temple Street, Strood to Lodge Hill, when I was seven years old.
8. In 1947-1948, I had been struggling at school, when my Mum was ill, and had to live with various relations and went to various schools. The first year I was with Miss Roe, so at the end of the school year, she kept me in her class again during 1948-1949, and she brought the best out in me, and I blossomed. She gave me a progress prize book for 1948-1949, which is a craft book, called ‘The Rainy Day Book’, before I went up to Cliffe Road School. Miss Roe was the biggest influence on making me who I am.
9. My wedding ring has very little monetary value, but is the most valuable thing I have in my possession. Even though I wasn’t keen to get married, meeting and marrying my husband Wiz Watson was very special. He was at the time a Royal Engineer in the British Army, so I became a soldier’s wife and went on many journeys around the world. We started married life in Brompton in Chatham, went to Kluang in Malaya, Osnabrück and Hamlin in Germany, back to Tidworth and Cove in Hampshire, Wembley in London, Parkwood, Rainham, and then finally back to Brompton Chatham in 1971. After retiring from the Army we moved to Cliffe and I ran a craft and sweet shop from 1971-2008. The best bit about the shop was serving the small children. This ring represents my life with him and is the most precious thing I have.
10. I can’t mention everyone who is special to me in my family, but all my family have always been there to support me and be there for me. I have also enjoyed finding out about my ancestors via my online family tree, as this brings them to life. I have hundreds of photos, many of which I enjoy having around the room to remind me of them all. This one was taken in 2004.
11. Another passion of mine is crafts. All my life I have enjoyed knitting, and in 1971 my husband and I came out of the army and our home was also a craft shop. I ran the shop until 2008. But when I retired I took all my wool, patterns and buttons with me. I have created hundreds of crocheted and knitted objects. I love to knit aran, fair isle and picture images. This was one of my favourites that I made for my son Gordon and my great nephew David.
12. My family try to keep me in the modern world. I love my Alexa, my computer, ipad, Wii Fit, and iPhone. I love being able to play Rummikub over the internet, attend zoom meetings and talk over Alexa most days. I enjoy learning new things and asking Alexa to turn my light on and off. I also love being able to message or speak with family and friends day or night. Where would we be without technology!s
Why not contribute to the Museum of Life.
Send us a list of your 10 items and photographs to mailto:research@hrgs.co.uk