FordeFables
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      • The Priest's Calling Card >
        • Chapter One - The Irish Custom
        • Chapter Two - Patrick Duffy's Family Background
        • Chapter Three - Patrick Duffy Junior's Vocation to Priesthood
        • Chapter Four - The first years of the priesthood
        • Chapter Five - Father Patrick Duffy in Seattle
        • Chapter Six - Father Patrick Duffy, Portlaw Priest
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        • Chapter One - The Early Life of Sean Thornton
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        • Chapter Four - Sean Thornton marries Sheila
        • Chapter Five - Discoveries of Widow Friggs' Past
        • Chapter Six - Facts and Truth are Not Always the Same
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        • Chapter 1 - 'Return of the Prodigal Son'
        • Chapter 2 - 'The early years of sweet innocence in Portlaw'
        • Chapter 3 - 'The Separation'
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        • Chapter 5 - 'Portlaw to Manchester'
        • Chapter 6 - 'Salford Choices'
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        • Chapter 9 - Sean's interest in stone masonary'
        • Chapter 10 - 'Sean's and Tony's Partnership'
        • Chapter 11 - 'Return of the Prodigal Son'
      • The Alternative Christmas Party >
        • Chapter One
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        • Chapter One: ' Liam Lafferty is born'
        • Chapter Two : 'The Baptism of Liam Lafferty'
        • Chapter Three: 'The early years of Liam Lafferty'
        • Chapter Four : Early Manhood
        • Chapter Five : Ned's Secret Past
        • Chapter Six : Courtship and Marriage
        • Chapter Seven : Liam and Trish marry
        • Chapter Eight : Farley meets Ned
        • Chapter Nine : 'Ned comes clean to Farley'
        • Chapter Ten : Tragedy hits the family
        • Chapter Eleven : The future is brighter
      • The life and times of Joe Walsh >
        • Chapter One : 'The marriage of Margaret Mawd and Thomas Walsh’
        • Chapter Two 'The birth of Joe Walsh'
        • Chapter Three 'Marriage breakup and betrayal'
        • Chapter Four: ' The Walsh family breakup'
        • Chapter Five : ' Liverpool Lodgings'
        • Chapter Six: ' Settled times are established and tested'
        • Chapter Seven : 'Haworth is heaven is a place on earth'
        • Chapter Eight: 'Coming out'
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        • Chapter Ten: ' The murder trial of Paddy Groggy'
        • Chapter Eleven: 'New beginnings'
      • The Woman Who Hated Christmas >
        • Chapter One: 'The Christmas Enigma'
        • Chapter Two: ' The Breakup of Beth's Family''
        • Chapter Three: From Teenager to Adulthood.'
        • Chapter Four: 'The Mills of West Yorkshire.'
        • Chapter Five: 'Harrison Garner Showdown.'
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        • Chapter Seven : 'The ballot for Shop Steward.'
        • Chapter Eight: ' Leaving the Mill'
        • Chapter Ten: ' Beth buries her Ghosts'
        • Chapter Eleven: Beth and Dermot start off married life in Galway.
        • Chapter Twelve: The Twin Tragedy of Christmas, 1992.'
        • Chapter Thirteen: 'The Christmas star returns'
        • Chapter Fourteen: ' Beth's future in Portlaw'
      • The Last Dance >
        • Chapter One - ‘Nancy Swales becomes the Widow Swales’
        • Chapter Two ‘The secret night life of Widow Swales’
        • Chapter Three ‘Meeting Richard again’
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        • Chapter Five ‘The All Ireland Dancing Rounds’
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        • Author's Foreword
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        • Chapter Four
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        • Chapter Twenty-Two
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January 20th, 2014

20/1/2014

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Picture
Thought for today:
"Are you proud to be British? When we were young and growing up during the 1950's it was part of every parent's range of tasks, along with the responsibility of teachers and all custodians of children to instill a sense of pride. One remained proud of the school uniform, even if the flat cap that accompanied it was discarded at the first available opportunity and the  tie knot loosened. Whatever was put on one's plate got eaten and one remained at the table until permission to leave had been granted.

The world of children and adults was full of rules to be observed. On a bus, train or in any public place, no man or child would ever think of sitting down while any woman or elderly citizen were left standing, and because most people adhered to these customs and all other traditional British ways, a sense of order and civil code of conduct emerged. One rarely heard an adult arrive home at the end of their working day and complain how hard they'd worked. Instead, they would be far more likely to express instant satisfaction and a sense of pride in having done a good day's work and having earned their meal on the table that awaited them.

I will never forget the pride exhibited by all householders when it came to washing their front steps daily and sweeping the area in front of their house door. Indeed, they carried the length of their brushes and personal responsibility in keeping their community clean to the edge of the gutter. My parents used to joke that during the Blitz of the Second-World-War years, even when houses had been bombed to smithereens and razed to the ground, if the house owner happened to find their front doorstep amid the rubble they would wash it down and whiten it ready for another day! 

It may have been much harder for any man, woman, girl or boy to engage in any bad behaviour without observation from behind the street curtains of a nosy neighbour, and what happened in the street was quickly spread throughout the gossip of the street. Equally so however, good news also spread far and fast. If any boy or girl passed their eleven-plus exam to attend the grammar school, the entire street was pleased for their success and the achievement of one street resident helped to increase the pride of all street residents. 

My parents and their three eldest children were all born in Southern Ireland into the proud homes of Irish Nationalists; many with rebel backgrounds against the English landlords and ruling occupiers of their country for four hundred years. 

My parents and the three eldest children emigrated to England during the Second-World-War years; and despite many of the indigenous population occasionally scapegoating newcomers from Ireland and the West Indies, we were glad to live here and in time we became just as proud of all the rest of our neighbours to live here. England has been good to me and mine and for that I will always remain indebted to this great nation and be proud to be called British.  William Forde: January 20th, 2014.       

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