Look at me, posing in the garden like a true pro, mouth clamped shut to avoid exposing missing teeth. Beside me, my fabulous mum, Eileen.
Mum had always wanted to have ballet lessons but with five other girls in her family, her parents couldn’t afford lessons so her dream never became a reality. Maybe this was for the best as she found her talent lay in singing instead and had a successful career as a mezzo soprano.
She was delighted when I asked to learn ballet and eagerly booked me into a local school. However I didn’t prove to be much good and she recalls how, in my first exam, I had no idea what the steps were so was forever stopping to tilt my head so I could watch the examiner’s feet which were subconsciously going through the moves as she sat behind a table. I gave up soon after.
Mum supported me in my next choice which was to learn Highland Dancing. I was good at this. So good that I became the North of England Beginner’s champion in 1974. Get me. I was faultless at the Fling and stupendous at the Sword Dance. I remember countless weekends my family would take me to competitions around the North East. It must have been utter purgatory for them having to listen to hours and hours of the same bagpipe tunes wailing in a school hall, watching a succession of little girls thudding the same steps on a rickety stage.
I put down my swords when I was 13: my kilt became too short and as it was an expensive piece of kit, requiring a fitting up in Edinburgh, I decided to call it a day. I drifted into singing and acting at school instead and have continued the am-dram stuff over the years.
Mum has been very proud of all my achievements: like most mums, she has experienced as much joy watching me perform as if she were on the stage herself. What she probably doesn’t know is that the love and pride she has always had watching me is matched by my love and pride in her. When I look back at old videos of her singing – a fabulous rendition of Carmen’s Habanera on the opening night of Tyne Tees Television, complete with dancers swishing around her – I see a beautiful, talented woman and I think, wow, that’s my mum.
The theme for this week’s Gallery is ‘Mother Love’. See Tara’s page for more entries.
Lovely photo and your mum sounds like an amazing lady x
I was always jealous of my cousins for being able to do Scottish dancing, what a cool secret talent!
Beautiful photo of two talented ladies 🙂
tehe great photo, and a great story!
Wow, your Mum and you have a great relationship and what a great shot that is.
Great post. Your mums sounds like an incredible lady! Emma
@Jenny – she is!
@Alexander Residence – I wonder if I could still manage a Flora McDonald's Fancy now? Hmmm.
@Vickie – thank you
@Pippa – we have a super relationship: spend most of the day on the phone to each other!
@Emma – She's one in a million (but then she is mine!)
Wow. I think my mum got married in an outfit not unlike the one your mum if wearing. And she had glasses like Olive from On The Buses.
@Steve – Specs like those sported by Olive are probably very retro/vintage now.
Oh those scary ballet exams. I crashed and burned in mine!
What a lovely bond you have with your mum.
Great post and what a fabulous picture!
Such a great photo, and I remember those ballet exams too, I failed miserably ! your mum sounds fabulous! XXX
What a lovely photo of you and your Mum, and I loved the story behind it too.
Would like to see a photo of you doing your Highland Dancing as well!
But it wasn't your only Highland fling eh?
Oh I want to see the Tyne Tees clip now.
She was obviously inspirational to you…and I want to see the Tyne Tees clip now!
To everyone — thanks for all the comments: Mum has been reading them too and is delighted. I'm going up to Newcastle this weekend so will hunt out the Tyne Tees video and 'record' it on my camera so I can play it on here. Watch this space – she's a cracking Carmen!
Wow – I must have seen and heard your Mum at the opening of Tyne tees – love to see the clip! You had great supportive parents watching you swing your kilt – and now you are swinging hubby's kilt eh? Lovely story!
I had ballet lessons too, and was equally hopeless, proved by the fact that I was never chosen to be the butterfly at the end of class. You had to be a bit good for that.
I thought I looked a bit of a sissy in the pink ballet cardi too.
What a treat for you to have such a talented mum. She sounds a special lady.
You are so adorable! I did ballet for five years without any discernable talent. In photos mum took of ballet class I was always using the opposite foot to everyone else. Always dancing to a different drum even then!
@Diney – How old were you in 1959? Were you born or a wee baby?
@Sarah and @Emma – glad to know I wasn't the only ballerina not to be an Angelina. You both would probably have made excellent Highland Dancers then, if only you'd known!
What an amazing woman – she looks fabulous too in that striped dress. How did she get onto telly on the TynTtees opening night – she must have been famous in her time! I would have loved to see a vid of that! Plus you were the competitor, I bet entering all those comps stood you in good stead for the rest of your life. I did ballet all my life but was lazy and useless, though in last eight years have been doing hip hop (yes scary thought) but it is such a fun and Oakland thing to do. They even have a mid aged woman's performing group but I have been too chicken to join.
@About last weekend – She was famous in the North East in her time. Once I've got the tape this weekend I'll write a post explaining the detail about the show: it's fascinating.
Once the ballet stopped I never looked back! I've done lots of AmDram since and musicals etc are much more my thing now.
I think you should perform your hiphop: if I've got the guts to go on stage at my age then you can too as you look fab.