What follows is a short story from Rosemary’s past. After talking with her, I have taken our discussion and turned it into a series of small stories highlighting the incredible life that she has led. Direct quotes from our discussion are highlighted in quotation marks. All else is a retelling written by yours truly.
November in the UK’s Lake District is not known as the driest time of year, but whether or not it was precipitating while Rosemary and Bill journeyed back from their Scottish honeymoon, I cannot be sure. It had been a fantastic honeymoon and Rosemary loved every bit of it. Newly married and deeply in love, Rosemary and Bill were enjoying the start of their long life together.
It was also the first real time in a while that they had spent together. During their engagement, Bill had been most of the year in Nigeria. Then he had come back briefly before heading off to the Sultanate of Oman. In fact, the wedding had to be pushed back from September to October because of Bill’s work. And even with that he only arrived back three weeks before the wedding. Rosemary, during their engagement, had barely seen him.
But that was then. And now they were married and Bill took extra leave so that the two could take a three-week honeymoon.
“We had three weeks touring Scotland and it was marvellous. I loved it. I’d never been to Scotland. It was just wonderful.”
Though they spent most of their time in Scotland, they actually began in the Lake District, moving through on their way to Scotland. In Scotland they journeyed to the Hebrides on a little boat carrying people, animals, and goods. They stopped off at different ports to explore. They tried to understand the Gaelic being spoken to them. They didn’t.
It was a marvellous trip and one Rosemary didn’t want to end. But as they journeyed back they still had time to explore the Lake District and its marvels a second time.
While they were there, on a day that may or may not have been raining (I’m just trying to set the scene here) they came across a little church. Rosemary always tried wherever she was to attend a church on Sundays and here was no different. So Rosemary and Bill attended this little brethren church in the middle of the Lake District. And being the friendly and sociable duo, they met up with some people who invited them around for lunch. Rosemary can’t remember exactly how it happened, what the conversation was, or who made the first suggestion, but they ended up being invited back to the church that evening, with Bill invited to preach and Rosemary invited to play the piano! On their honeymoon!
Rosemary says she actually remembers Bill offering for her to play the piano which she wasn’t the happiest about but she loved the experience. And that’s how Bill and Rosemary ended up, on their honeymoon, preaching and playing the piano for a little church in a tiny town in the middle of the Lake District – she can’t remember the town’s name.
Then it was off to their home, a small place which neither of them realised would only keep them for three weeks. Within a day of going back to work, Bill was given instructions to go to Sicily and the next three weeks that was all the focus. But you’ve already heard that story, and if you haven’t, you can always go check it out. It was the first of many fascinating stories I intend to tell about Rosemary’s incredible life.
Stay tuned for more stories from the life of Rosemary. Please note: these stories will not necessarily hold any chronological grounding. They are designed as snippets of understanding into the life of Rosemary and while some will hold chronology, others may not.