… And the Original Reason For the Trip, Concluded
By Greg
I hope you have enjoyed reading the Japan Travel Diary, and the photos I added from our trip.
Once we returned to Perth Trenna set about writing an email to our friend Wayne, who had shown us around one afternoon, and with whom we had a very enjoyable evening meal in Yokohama.
Trenna loved seeing Wayne, who she had a soft spot for, and set about writing some Haiku … Read the rest ... “The Japan Travel Diary – Part 5 – Seven Haiku”
The first instalment in this series of angsty teenage poetry is HERE.
Friend, is a word you’ll hear or use nearly every day But do you really know the actual meaning of the word Is it to be kind to someone and talk to them? No, a lot more! A friend is someone who is comforting in times of sorrow A person who has always… Read the rest ... “Angsty Teenage Poetry #2”
Trenna loved reading, and she loved writing. She also loved, a lot, but for many years this was very often unrequited.
She tells in the Kitchen Tapes, HERE, of the dozens of love poems and letters she wrote to Murray Malski.
Trenna also kept a notebook during her high school years and wrote poetry in it.
Whilst Trenna was alive I was … Read the rest ... “Angsty Teenage Poetry #1”
By Greg
This is just a short anecdote to cover an incident at Craig House that I don’t think made it into The Kitchen Tapes recordings. As those oral histories were never completed that isn’t all that surprising.
We both just ran out of puff.
“Now everybody – pay attention!” Matron was her usual stern self, or maybe even a bit more on edge this morning. She continued.
“This picnic is organised by the legatees, … Read the rest ... “The Keaver Stich-Up – a Kitchen Tapes Extra”
By Greg
I’m publishing this post on 23 December 2022, exactly two years from when Trenna passed away.
I debated with myself whether to put anything on the site to commemorate the specific day, but then recalled an idea I have been meaning to get around to for a long time.
A “Celebration of Trenna’s Life” was held on Friday 15 January 2021. I gave the main eulogy but I also asked Trenna’s sister Nancy, and … Read the rest ... “Eulogy – The Movie”
Mainly by Trenna, Brief Intro by Greg
This piece of writing by Trenna was on her laptop computer (not her iPad) and appears to have been commenced on 21 July 1997, and further work done on it in 1998.
It looks like she did most of the work, but never came back to it. The first part is very orderly and polished, the later part looks more … Read the rest ... “Meals at Craig House”
This series of transcripts starts here.
I got up at 7.30 and then went to breakfast. Sue and I had breakfast with Ruth and Marg. I got dressed for work and then left.
I seem to be doing a lot more filing out the back and I could bloody kill Cheryl for making me do it. I was glad to get home.
We had tea … Read the rest ... “The 1973 Diary, Part 8”
By Trenna’s sister Barbara, with an introduction from Greg
In 2018 Trenna asked her sister Barb to jot down her memories of Craig House. Barb is six years older than Trenna. It was at exactly the same time as Trenna and I were recording Trenna’s stories and I have no doubt it was as part of Trenna’s research in preparation for writing her own story.
Barb subsequently sent the notes that appear below, and when … Read the rest ... “Barb’s Craig House Memories”
By Tren, with a little help from her friends.
Another document from Trenna’s iPad. I think she has collected thoughts and snippets of information together to help her and I put her story together.
The original document was entitled “1965-1972 Craig House” and it was in a folder called “Tren Family Chronology & Memoirs”. It was created in March 2014, and last modified on 1 October 2018 – a few months after the last of … Read the rest ... “Trenna’s Rough Notes on Craig House”
Notes by Trenna, Intro by Greg
This is the first of a small number of these “Rough Notes” that I will be publishing from time to time.
As regular readers might expect they come from Trenna’s iPad. This document was headed “1970s” and it lists some key points and changes in Trenna’s life in the 1970s.
I think she has compiled it to remind herself of the interesting journey she has taken, but also to … Read the rest ... “Trenna’s Rough Notes on the 1970s”
[ GM: This was one of the longest recordings at 1 hour and 6 minutes. In it Trenna sounded less tired than she had in other recordings, especially in the ones that were to follow. To see why this one was a bit different I looked at Trenna’s diary for this date and was surprised to see that she was not at all well, and had not slept much the night … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 19”
GM: Today is Friday the 7th of June, 2018, I’m with Trenna Mahney. Tren, tell me a bit about, you had been living at Craig House whilst you were at school until third year high school. What happened then?
THM: Well I was in 3rd year and Craig House was going to close in 1972. I don’t know why, we assumed they had run out of money.
The food had definitely become … Read the rest ... “The 18th of 24 Kitchen Tapes”
Recorded 5 June 2018
GM: OK, today is the 5th of June, 2018. I’m here with Trenna Mahney with her recollections.
Tren, last time we were talking about your high school days, after we turned off the recorder you mentioned several particular incidents. Perhaps you’d like to go to a few of those.
THM: Well, I think I spoke about the various classes I was in, and I couldn’t remember the names of … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 17”
GM: OK. Today’s date is the 1st of June 2018. We are with Trenna Mahney.
Tren, you started to tell us about high school before, can you tell us a bit more about your high school time?
THM: Well in the 70s I think there was a much less regimented approach to teaching. I don’t recall having any outstanding teachers.
People knew that I came … Read the rest ... “No. 16 in the Kitchen Tape Series”
GM: OK, We’re here today with Trenna Mahney. Today is Thursday, the 24th of May, 2018.
Tren, we’ve done a lot on your primary school, could you start now by telling us a bit about what you remember about High School?
THM: High School was at the start of a new decade, it was 1970. Everything in the world had changed in 1970.
I was going to Kent Street Senior High School, … Read the rest ... “The 15th Kitchen Tape”
GM: OK. Today is Saturday, the 12th of May. We are with Trenna Mahney, talking about her memories of her childhood, at this stage.
Tren, there were a number of things we were just talking about before we started recording. They were things that happened mainly at your primary school.
Would you like to tell us some of those things?
THM: Before Helen came I was a pretty meke, … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 14”
One of the heart warming aspects of putting this website together is to learn that there are a number of people who are reading everything that I put up. I’m also happy with the comments I am getting on individual posts.
One such person is Trenna’s only brother Colin Seckington, who for many years has lived in Europe. I received a message from him a couple of days ago, and I have … Read the rest ... ““Dead at 27 and Never To Marry””
[GM: I found this perhaps the hardest transcript (as well as the hardest recording), both because of the sad content, and it shows how Trenna blocked out a few years from when her dad died until she went to Craig House. I don’t think when we started the conversation that either I or Trenna had any idea where it would lead.]
GM: Today is Saturday, 5th of May 2018. We’re talking with Trenna Mahney.… Read the rest ... “The Twelfth Kitchen Tape”
GM: OK, today is Saturday, 21st of April, 2018 and I’m with Trenna Mahney. Tren, you were going to tell us a bit more about Craig House, I think?
THM: Alright. The main house – I was talking about the kitchen and the back enclosed… well, I guess, in a way it was a bit of a pantry, where it had the fruit cupboard, and all that.
That leads into … Read the rest ... “Number Nine, Number Nine…”
[GM: Before we start. Also see the post “Floor 7 1/2” as it contains a player to hear “Tape 8 from the Kitchen” spoken in Trenna’s own words.]
GM: OK, today it is Friday the 20th of April, 2018. Tren, yesterday we were talking about Craig House and meals. Tell us a bit more about Craig House.
THM: Having talked about meals, there was something I haven’t mentioned, and that … Read the rest ... “Tape 8 from the Kitchen”