Category Archives: Bees-on Stories

#MyTime Week 12 – Crafting Stories

This week’s #MyTime theme has been a little elusive.  In previous weeks, I was able to select things that had presented themselves to me during the week past or for the week to come.  But this week, well I’ve been doing many of the things that I’ve already noted – seeing family, reading, singing, bottling honey – so I wondered if some of these weeks in the countdown to 60 might be revisiting themes.  That may well be true as I go through the process but I think there is something else that is important for me to capture as a #MyTime theme, and something this website had been established to fulfill.  And that is crafting stories.  I did a year-long Twitter project (#Talein10) to write a tale in ten words each day in an attempt to keep open the story door within lots of time constraints and I haven’t done as much as I would have liked since then but now is the time to set out that intention.

When I have time, I’d like to fill in some of the gaps in my grandfather’s story of The Long Walk and there are many more stories for me to craft, re-discover and tell.

So, #MyTime at minus 29 weeks of my countdown is “Crafting Stories”.

Some words of my Grandfather (1902-1986)

Albert Beeson, pictured as I remember him with a knowing smile


If anyone is idle someone else
   must be working for both
        or there be nothing for
             either of
                  them
                       to eat

Albert Beeson (1902-1986)

 

February cold is here

So that surely is a great time to get writing and crafting and telling. Perfect time for cosy fireside tales, quiet reflection and dark and magical enchantments. Time to recall the stories from childhood – who told what and to whom …

When I was young my Grandfather used to tell me a story about Paddington. No, not the bear. He would tell me about the station and all the different trains that visited – their distant journeys and their exotic passengers and the quiet corners of the station that cosseted its secrets and allowed those who wished, to hide from their fellow travellers. London seemed such a long distance and time away back then.

Nan’s Ring

grandmothers_ringWell a big thank you to Mary for passing onto me my grandmother’s enagement ring.  My father had given me my Nan’s wedding ring many years ago and I’ve treasured it, along with some other precious personal items and I was delighted to see and hold her engagement ring when sister-in-law Mary gave it to me on Friday evening.

Fond Memories

It would have been Albert’s birthday today so a few fond memories of my grandfather are due – of his walk with his father from Birmingham to London a little over a century ago, of his giving up his side of the bed to let my young self fall asleep beside my grandmother, and his endless supply of Fox’s glacier mints.  I still treasure the CND badge he gave to me … and so much more.

 

Treasured recording

What a treat to hear my grandfather’s voice once more. I’ll be posting his story soon but tonight I have listened again to the tapes where he is reading his story of ‘The Long Walk’ and remembered with fondness his principled and gentle ways. Twenty-seven years since his death yet tonight it seems like he was with us only yesterday.

Read the foreword to The Long Walk

Storytelling Workshop

How exciting. I’ve just booked into the storytelling workshop with Shonaleigh at the Bridport Arts Centre on 1st June. Entitled ‘Stories of Myself – the Root of My Journey’, it’s perfect timing to coincide with my current ‘storycraft’ project with the Bees-on stories. Shonaleigh will also be performing at the next Story Café at Bridport on 31st May – should be a treat.

Hand-written and precious

I transcribed my grandfather’s story many years ago, some years after his death but whilst my father was still alive and able to help me make contact and share copies with close friends of my grandfather and near and distant family members. There is also a copy in Birmingham Library, lodged there by Carl Chinn who also kindly wrote a piece in the Birmingham Mail as part of its ‘Old Brum’ magazine features.

book and article

Book and newspaper article

But it is in re-visiting my grandfather’s story now that I have once again picked up his hand-written notebooks and it’s like newly finding a lost precious object.

There are tapes too, where he recorded his story but those I will need to find a way to clean up. For now I want to spend time with his notebooks where he scribed his childhood memories and reflected on the wisdom of his years.

Bees-on Stories

There is a tale that my grandfather wrote about an event in his early life. It tells the story of a 120-mile journey, largely on foot, from Birmingham to Ealing that he made with his father. I’ll replicate the story on these pages but I want to join my grandfather on that voyage. Some parts of the journey I have already visited and one day I would like to walk in his steps but for now I’ll share his words.

An introduction, in my grandfather’s own words, can be read here.