Some interesting Yarns

  On 23 Sep 2015, late in the afternoon a Mr Laurie Daniel dropped in to see me. He left me a     book with the title King Alberts Book. Albert was the King of Belgium. The most interesting thing, to me, about this book is the inscription. It reads:

Mary J Daniel

From

  Uncle Tony

March 27^th 1915,

This date is Mary’s Birthday.

In the Book is a newspaper cutting dated 3 March 1952. On 2 March there was a gathering of the Daniel Family at the Botanical Gardens in Melbourne. A picture shows the oldest of the Daniel Family present, Mr A.T. Daniel, 82, and the youngest member present was Annette Brimelow, aged four months. Annette was sitting on her mothers, Mary, knee. The senior member of the family at the time was Mr H.H. Daniel, 90, who was unable to attend due to illness.

Mary Brimelow sent me a note detailing one of her fondest memories.

                  MY FAVOURITE MEMORY

In May 1946, we (the Gannan family), had an exciting day when my father drove my younger brother, Bernie and me to Melbourne's wharf to meet the ship that was carrying brother Gerald's wife, Alma and baby son Paul from England on a "Bride Ship' - yes, that was what these ships were referred to if they were bringing such families together after the war as of course their husbands had returned with the forces they went with. Gerald had left home earlier on this important occasion with the hope that he may reach them sooner but we all got together as soon as possible.

It was such an exciting occasion. I was seventeen and baby Paul was just one year old and had made me an "Auntie Mary" and was the first member of his generation. My young brother was also "Uncle Bernie" at the age of nine!!! It was also very nice to meet Gerald's wife, Alma and we had many happy occasions together so no wonder it is my favourite memory.

This is a picture of a lovely lady that I found among Gerald (Gerry) Gannans’ stuff.  I Hope that someone that see’s this picture can identify her for me. And, please let me know her name. Do not keep it a secret.

 A clue could be that the picture was printed on 16 June 1944.

Martin Sharp, son of Margaret (Gannan) and Maurie Sharp gave me an interesting snippet and picture

Brief Gannan/Sharp History’

Margaret Theresa Gannan, my mother married Maurice Joseph Sharp on the 14 December 1945; incidentally their great granddaughter Kristy was married on the same date 62 years later in 2008.

Margaret Theresa was named after her mother and Mum’s second child was also named after her mother but that is where the lineage stopped because Margaret (3) had no children.

Margaret and Maurie had 9 children in the insuring years, being of that kind of religious persuasion and didn’t in those days have TV or central heating. Mum often said later in life that when it came to music she had no problems the Rhythm Method but otherwise she had troubles. In the courtship period of Margaret and Maurie, Mary, Margaret’s younger sister commented that if Margaret didn’t want Maurie could she have him. (Ask Aunty Mary for verification).

Before meeting Maurie, Margaret who was musically adept came third in a Dame Nelly Melba Scholar I think in 1943 but couldn’t take up the chance due to the expense of travelling to London etc. Margaret continued to sing throughout her lifetime as a maestro soprano in various choirs in Cobram and then Wangaratta.

The family lived in Melbourne at Blackburn for a few years as Maurie worked in the Sharp family business as a fibrous plaster now termed a “gyprocker” or chippie.

They then spent a couple of years at Barooga where Bernie Gannan recalls an incident where Maurie and Phil when down to the backyard the get cold beer from the well, this was before refrigeration was common and was the only place to keep the beer cold. Bernie bought a torch with him and was scornfully informed they didn’t need it but as Maurie pulled up the bag with the beer in it up came an angry black snake. Possible annoyed his beer stash was being disturbed. Bernie was about 10 at the time. (Check with him anyway).

After a time back in Melbourne at Blackburn Fibrous Plaster Works then eventually to the Cobram Fibrous Plaster Works was up and running so the family moved to Cobram.

Margaret continued to sing throughout her lifetime as a maestro soprano in various choirs in Cobram and then Wangaratta. She even did a singing section at radio station 3SR while we were at Cobram.

 We went on trips to Mt Buffalo during winter months and sometime in the summer. This where both the Margaret’s along with Maurice’s ashes have been scattered. Now as we say the Lord’s Prayer we recite “Our Family members whom are on Mt Buffalo” etc.  

It was not unusual in the early family days when there were just 5 of us kids, Christopher being the baby at the time, singing as group of an evening. Maurie had a good voice also, but couldn’t stand the competition.

Maurie died on the 22 October 2005, Margaret Theresa (2) died of throat cancer on the 16 march 2007 after a short battle and Margaret Theresa (3) died from Lung cancer in July 2007 after quite a long battle over a period of years. Christopher was killed in a motorbike accident at Sydney at 20 years of age (he could be 20 years old).