Painting whispers on her charming wishing trees has helped Kathy Latour’s 10-year-old daughter Tegan get through the dark days of lockdown.
The young painter, who lives in Chelmsford, Essex, with her family, took up painting as a hobby to spread some positivity. Her mum says: “Like many children, Tegan struggled with lockdown so she started creating Wishing Tree paintings to bring colour and fun to people which, in turn, also helped her to cope.
“Using acrylic and 3D paints, she painted each dot of colour on the trees to represent a dream, wish or hope for either yourself or loved ones.
“And on some trees, Tegan also painted a butterfly for those who’d lost loved ones so they could whisper ‘I love you’ to a butterfly and it flies away to deliver the message.
“Sadly we have known two people who have passed away from Covid, and Tegan’s Wishing Trees brought their families a lot of comfort.”
Not only does Isobel Arbuckle look like she can slip back into her old 1973 wedding dress, she hand-knitted the beautiful frock herself.
“I learned to knit at primary school when I was five years old, so I’ve been dabbling now for 73 years,” says Isobel, who lives in Derry, Northern Ireland.
Pictured here in her latest creation, Isobel adds:
“Knitting has been a real blessing over the years. During lockdown I knitted Fair-isle cardigans, a waistcoat and a scarf, and many years ago I even knitted my own wedding dress.”
And just to prove it, Isobel’s daughter Shauna sent in a picture. She says: “This is mum, Isobel, and dad, John, at their wedding in 1973. Sadly Dad is no longer with us, and while Mum still has the dress somewhere, my sister Patricia and I destroyed the hat and platform shoes playing dress-ups together when we were wee!”
My first job aged 12 was in a greengrocer’s, which paid me £10 for an eight-hour Saturday shift and all the grapes I could eat.
I thought I was rich and would save my cash to buy clothes and records from Woolworths. The first single I bought was Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, which probably tells you an awful lot about my go-to dance moves.
I don’t think I knew much about finance but I did know the 80s’ loadsamoney boom didn’t reach my inner-london home and cash was always tight.
I only mention this because on top of cancelling The Dark Lord’s iphone, I’ve also cut up her pocket money bank card this week.
A recent report out by Kickstart Money programme from education charity Mybnk shows that most children in the UK do not know what a wage is, and they have worryingly poor levels of financial understanding.
The findings revealed three out of five 5-11 year olds struggle with basic personal finance terminology, barely a third can delay instant spending gratification and just 19% save money regularly.
Speaking as a parent who was on first-name terms with most of our local Amazon drivers because Jesse was ordering things almost daily, I can completely agree that young people are being ruined by an online ordering frenzy.
I remember my dad telling me that everyone should keep their cash in fivers to make them understand the value of money. Although that does make him sound a bit like Ken Dodd’s old financial adviser.
So I’ve decided to go back to giving Jesse her pocket money in cash which she can save in her old piggy bank. And at least that gives me something to raid when I need emergency taxi money!
Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791, Winchester SO23 3RP.
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While buying drinks in the local corner shop, I happened to point out the bottles of Lucozade to The Dark Lord. “They were used to cure everything from bullet wounds to broken limbs when I was a kid,” I told her quite seriously.
“Really?” she asked, and we bought one of the new energy versions of the drink so she could marvel at its curative properties. “It tastes like metal,” she said, screwing up her face, which must mean it’s still good for you. Before Lucozade, the nation relied on rusty old tins of Andrews Liver Salts to keep our peckers up. Reader Joan Walters in Stoke-on-trent has written in with past remedies, although judging by the length of her list, she must have been quite poorly as a child! She says: “I remember these over-the-counter remedies when I was a child in the 1950s – Angiers Emulsion, Fennings Fever Cure, Indian Brandee, Syrup of Figs, Double E (similar to Beechams Powders), Andrews Liver Salts and Korays, which were pink tablets in a black and yellow box. Can any readers add to the list?”
I would add leeches, Joan, but I don’t think any of us are old enough to remember that far back.
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KNITTED CHIC Isobel in new dress. Below, wedding