 | For the Memories Hazel White Singer Songwriter and Poet.I was born in 1950 in Portsmouth Hampshire England [Westfield rd eastney].My father {W.S.Lawes} was in the Royal Navy until I was 12 years old, and during his early navy career he was a member of the R.N. amateur dramatic society and was in many productions. He had a good singing voice and had his own little fan club right up to his eightieth year. My mother {maiden name Edna Coward} won a scholarship for singing but sadly at fifteen caught rheumatic fever and lost her voice. My sister Elaine was born in 1953. I was in performance school {preschool four years of age} which involved Tap, Ballet, and Singing. I was also going to piano lessons and seemed to be getting along fine. Then at 7 years we went to Malta {Dads commission} a break from all the classes as mum could not find any such teachers in Malta. We were back from Malta early due to my mothers mental illness {which sadly she had to fight all her life} I went back to piano lessons but not for long, but I never stopped singing, learning chart hits as well as the country songs dad would sing in the pubs. Up to leaving school us sisters would get up on stage and sing duets at the C I U and R.N. clubs. Sometime around 1957? before we went to Malta we visited Ireland and stayed with someone dad had met during the war {Gory} rings a bell, us girls used to call him "Jimmy Edwards" because of his red beard, We were all made very welcome. Dad had previously visited Ireland in 1947. One day I might find the time to research the family history that once came out in conversation, could be on both sides. Singing was the one thing that could always distract from what ever the day would bring. When I left school and palled up with Gill dancing was all the craze. I met my husband Chriss whilst on holiday with Gill in Ruislip N. London. Chriss had an interest in Folk Music and we joined the Swindon Folk Club. Ted & Ivy Poole ran this club for 40 years. It was here that I was overheard singing the choruses by Mervin Penny who has remained a very dear friend since those days, gave me a song book and said learn a song for next week, which I did and the rest is history. We were founder members of the Highworth Folk Club which is still going strong I believe to day. Every spring many of the Swindon folk members and extended family! would travel to the Bampton Morris weekend many a good time had by all with the dancing singing and the pram race. Since then [1971] I have sung at Folk Festivals such as Dartmoor, Cambridge, Sidmouth, Mells Irish festival Somereset, Newton Abbott and Cornwall where we moved to in 1977 and many a pub session in The Wellington Inn Boscastle and the Trawarmett Inn plus numerous pubs along the way. In 1987 at Lowender Peran we met a party from the Listowel Area hence how we ended up arriving in Listowel in 1988 whilst on holiday in our camper, traveling all over Ireland. From 1988 Ireland has been our chosen holiday destination. In 1991 we were at Sligo for the Fleadh Ceoil we spent most of the time in [Tommy Regans Bar] being made very welcome by Dennis the landlord at that time, {a hole in the glass sir} Chriss my husband was playing Tea chest base in those days' In 1996 we bought our cottage in Glanaderhig Lyreacrompane near Listowel since this time we have spent all our holidays based in Co Kerry we finally moved here permanently in 2004. I was first asked if I was going to record, way back in 1975, well its' taken a while but life just happens so hopefully its better late than never. |
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