Email from Ellie to us all :
I'm sending a copy
of this reply to the boys in US as they might like to read it because of
the references to Jeanette and their grandmother Jenny.
Thanks
for the sending the kindespeil photo. It was amazing to see it.
(Kinderspeil (kids story or kids drama)). I so enjoyed being in them
when I was a kid. They were run, as I understand it through the miners
institute funds, or through the co-op. In my time, they hired lovely
costumes for us, and later they had a drama club for the teenagers, and I
really enjoyed being in that, and on stage in them with pals.
I was in
the Kindespeil of Cinderella, and we had great costumes. The only
problem was I was one of the ugly sisters!!! But don't jump to
conclusions, I wasn't picked for that. The truth is that none of us
girls wanted to play those parts. But my acting ambition overcame my
concerns, because, when the producer had asked a few girls who said no
in horror, and then he asked for volunteers, and since I was convinced I
was pretty ugly anyway, I thought I might as well make use of it. My
make up was matched to emphasise the ugly,.e g. fake warts, spotty face,
etc. Then the girl they chose for Cinderella was such a big girl, who
had a foot far too large for the dainty glittery slipper that was sent
for the show. The fumbling of the very serious kid playing the Prince,
and the black looks from what was supposed to be a sweet Cinderella,
horrified us kids, but it all gave the crowd a great laugh. We serious
actors were mortified tho, as we were all taking the sad story of
Cinderella very much to heart. When I volunteered for one of the ugly
sisters, my pal May Spalding volunteered too. So the producer was happy.
This kinderspeil,
photo, tho, is of an earlier time, but you can see how many children are
involved, and it shows how active that mining community was in the
arts, which included the choir, the drama club, elocution lessons for
kids, and entries in the eistedfodd poetry, speech and song
competitions.Then the big Gala Days with the history dress up
processions, with the lorry loads of kids. They were so keen to get
their kids some education and a better life. They also held regular 'go
as you please' shows, which were an early version of the TV talent
shows. My mum often went in for those, and she did get a prize or two I
believe, but she wouldn't care, I think, because she just loved
singing, had no shyness on the stage, and usually she did something
comical anyway. e.g. singing Judy Canova style (someone she loved for
her humour as she had a gorgeous voice, but would break out yodelling,
and singing rough country style in the middle of a serious song). Here's
a couple to see the style, and hear the range of her voice.
The first
one is exactly how I remember Mum dressing up for one show, and she
could yodel like that. I remember her making her plaits (pigtails we
called them) from wool. Seeing that one just now brought a tear to my
eye, as she really was fun at those times. I think Jeanette really
picked up on that zany humour, and I think she used that a lot with her
church and singing groups when they had fun times together. I know she
gave me many's a laugh when I visited her, and the mininster mentioned
that humour at her funeral. I think my Mum picked it up from Granny's
sister Aunty Grace, who was the laugh a minute Auntie, and fabulous cook
and housekeeper. Long live humour!
Love Eleanor.
PS.
If the links don't work look for Judy Canova. The 1st one is Canova
Cracker Trio, the second is Wait for the Wagon, and the third is "I
can't give you anything but love".
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