Happy International Women's Day!
Happy International Women's Day to all you 'amazing' women and especially to those strong women gone before us. I was chuffed to have my story included in Humans of Offaly by Paula Nolan this week and to talk about my granny who was an inspiration to me.
"I absolutely love nature. The first blossoms will be coming out soon on the trees in the garden and I can’t wait. I love organic food and doing my market in Tullamore. Most of us are lucky enough to have at least one person in our lives who make a lasting impression on us and for me, that was my granny Langton. I was one of her eldest grandchildren, which meant that I got to spend more time with her. She lived on a small farm where she foraged and enjoyed the nature around her. Her hens roamed freely and she grew all of her own vegetables. I remember picking wild strawberries from one of the hedges which was full to the brim every year. There was also a damson tree at the front of her house from which she made all of her own jam. Granny’s salad sandwiches were divine!
She was the one person who stirred my interest in crafts. She taught me how to patchwork and helped me with my Home Economics projects, especially the sewing side.
Before Granny got married she worked for the Midland Health Board as their seamstress. She married at 20 in the early 1950s and like all women of that time had to leave her job. She went on to have ten children and she made all of their clothes. Back in the early 70s, because confirmation only happened every three years, she had four children for confirmation. She made all four outfits. My mother clearly remembers getting dressed for her confirmation and absolutely loving her salmon coloured dress complete with a cape that her mother had made for her. With her family reared, granny returned to making things like patchwork quilts, cushion covers and tea cosies. She went on to sell them at the market at the Tullamore Court Hotel at Christmas. She was so proud of her work and had no problem selling it at the price that she felt it deserved. She knew her worth which makes me so proud. She made everything by hand and was not afraid to let consumers know that the price reflected the time that went into making each piece. She was so clearly ahead of her time and a strong saleswoman. I’d like to think I inherited my creativity and entrepreneurialism from her and I know she would be very proud that I am in some way following in her footsteps. After all, she was my inspiration”.
Humans of Offaly ~ Jennifer Doyle
This day last year we launched Millbee!