Easter Bonnet

[andybrennan]

Hi all who are disposed to wearing the above. Have you got yours yet.

I remember in my youth, not today or yesterday or the day before that either.
When it was a must, to have a new hat for Easter.
Those lucky enough to have one would be co ck of the Walk, as they sashayed their way to mass, flicking their hair from their eyes, perhaps in order to bring the eyes of the spectator, to the bonnet, and if the lady was lucky she might sport a new coat and dress, or skirt and blouse.

Andy

[maryfarrell6]

Hi Andy,
Back then the ladies couldn't enter the church with their heads uncovered. But I do agree the turnout of beautiful hats on Easter Sunday was indeed a sight to behold. The Mammies all as proud as peac ocks with us kids decked up to the nines as well. Ribbons were the order of the day for the younger ones the bigger the bow the better and the older ones sported little straw boaters adorned with ribbons, flowers or little chicks if we could get our hands on them.
Who remembers when the mantillas came into fashion? Everyone was wearing them I had one in black and one in white lace,loved them. All of us young teens thought we were Spanish Senoritas as we paraded down to mass thought we were the bees knees . The church used to be a sea of colour back then fond memories indeed.
MaryF

[andybrennan]

Mary F.

I forgot about the Mantillas but I think they surfaced around 1967ish, they were a big hit with the young ladies.

Andy

[rose5mcdonaghtce]

Hi Andy and Mary,

Yes I remember Easter Sunday going to Mass with the new costume and hat, these were bought then and were the Sunday clothes for the Summer. One year I got a green suit, which was'nt too bad, but the hat I hated, it was green velvet. The mantillas were handy you could keep one in your pocket as Mam used to say in case you called in to say a prayer, though why she felt the need for it I don't know as she usually wore a headscarf anyway, I suppose handy in summertime. Most of us had to wear a clip in our Manitlla's in case it slipped off while getting communion. I remember the white ones too.

Am I dreaming but was the weather a lot warmer at Easter, whether it fell early or late in the month.

Everyone made a special effort for Sunday mass, all the boys would be togged out too, with the drop of hair oil on the disastrous cuts. There was a lot of preparation for Sunday morning, it was very important what you wore to Mass, maybe because we did'nt have a lot of clothes, or went anywhere to show them off. Notice now on Sundays that the Nigerians make a really special effort, parents and children not a speck on them and the boys all in suits, reminds me of the old days.

Rose.

[maryfarrell6]

Hi Rose,Andy,
The preparations for Sunday started in earnest on a Saturday night. Shoes polished to within an inch of there lives, patent ones with the vaseline rubbed in to bring out the shine, and the whitening liberally put onto the communion shoes. Hair tightly wrapped in rags for the mop of ringlets or the curlers well rolled in,sure to guarantee a restless and painful nights sleep. All that after the tin bath in front of the range being topped up from the boiling kettles hopping on the stove.
I remember two hats my ma used to have one was the little Pill-Box with the veil that came down over the face. The other was a Grace Kelly/Audrey Hepburn type which sat flat on the head with a soft covering of feathers she looked beautiful in both with the small pearl earrings and white gloves. Funny the little things that get triggered with just one or two words. Andy you brought that little memory back with just the mention of Easter Bonnets, thank you for that.
Rose I have much the same recollections of warm sunny Easters so unless we were both dreaming or could we be looking through rose-tinted glasses because on the same note I only remember hot sultry summers as well, I'm sure we must have had rain but I don't think back to wet rainy days funny isn't it?
MaryF

[andybrennan]

Mary F / Rose,

I might have jogged the memory banks but fair dues to you for sharing those jogged memories.

As for the weather, it is my memory at about 3pm Good Friday dark clouds would smother the sky, and this was normally followed by a monsoon type downpour and now and then accompanied by thunder and lighting, we used to count in seconds the time between the clap and the lighting to calculate how many miles distant the thunder might be, still calculate the same way to day, after Good Friday the sun made its appearance and there might be the odd light shower or a soft day

Andy

[kathyo]

hi all
yes i to think that easter was warmer back then
wasen't that when we got our new sandles
i remember my lovely mother rip knitting nine
yellow jumpers and me and eileen
with big yellow ribends in our hair
could not wait till after dinner
to get our easter egg
happy day's
kathyo

[kathyo]

hi
i just rememberd we seemed to do a lot
of fasting over easter
i remember running home after mass starving
to a lovely fry-up
kathyo

[andybrennan]

Kathyo,

Begob but you are right. hungry times, indeed wouldn't your belly think that your throat was cut.

There was a lot of fasting in our youth, hours of fasting before receiving communion and at least an hour without a drink and that's water not a beverage.
To right we galloped home after mass for a bit of scoff, sure the belly would be falling out of ye.
And that not counting all the days. of fasting and abstinence

Andy

[afcmoore]

Hi Andy & Mary F.
I remember a certain young lady in the early 60s who went to mass every Sunday with this glorious hat or bonnet and white gloves above the elbow.The rest of her outfits also stood out as you would say dressed to the nines.
Her father was a high ranking N.C.O. at Plunkett Bk's can anyone name the lady that's the clue.?
Cheers ;D
Lt Col Ant

[maryfarrell6]

Hi Lt Col Ant,
A very good teaser to throw in to get the old memories on overdrive I'm sure there were quite a few young ladies turning heads as they paraded to Sunday mass,obviously this young maiden caught your eye Lt .
Did the family in question live in Plunket or was it just the barracks her dad was attached to?
You'll have to count me out of this one as in the early sixties I was still part of the ringlet brigade at that time. I do remember always admiring the older girls and womens fashions but don't think I'll be any good at this one. So I'll leave it to the memory experts to get this one best of luck to one and all. By the way Ant is there an Easter Egg for the winner?
MaryF

[andybrennan]

Tony,

Setting riddles, is it, that is a bit far back for me auld head, at the mo,
the clues the name is in the clue you say,

Lady, The lady is a Tramp, Tramp yes/no ?
Rankin Yes /no ?

Plunkett Yes / no?

Afraid I am like the chap who had his leg blown off Stumped

Andy

[anncu7hane]

Hi all,
The weather was a bit warmer all right, we changed from winter clothes to summer clothes always on easter sunday
Ann Culhane

[afcmoore]

Hi Andy.
The clue no 2 Her Sister was veiled.
Her Dad made the trip to Dublin often.
Cheers ;D
Lt Col ANT

[maryfarrell6]

Hi Anthony,
Now I'm probably well of the mark here would the lady in question have been the fair Audrey Hepburn[Eliza Dolittle]? Who may well have been an icon [n.c.o.]in Plunket in the early 60's.
She also had a veiled sister in the Nun's Story,
The bit that gets me is your clue about her father making the trip to Dublin often, but then I got to thinking thatGeorge Bernard Shaw, Eliza's creator hailed from that fair city didn't he. Am I even close? If not it gave my brain a good work, out dusted off the cobwebs and kept me awake a good part of the night
MaryF