Intro by Greg, Lyrics by Trenna
Trenna had quite a nice study desk when I first met her in 1987. It was very solid, and had one of those inlays on the desk top that look like green leather. It has three drawers on either side, and it is solid.
It was one she bought new, so it is no antique, but it is still a nice piece. It made it’s way … Read the rest ... “The Mill Point Road Song Lyrics”
Note: The recordings I refer to in this piece formed The Kitchen Tapes series. It starts HERE.
The ABC is Australia’s national media and broadcasting service. And on the ABC Radio National station on weekday mornings the Life Matters show has been running an interesting segment entitled Life in 500 Words.
I have listened to quite a few and there are some fascinating stories … Read the rest ... “Trenna’s iPad”
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”
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”
By Greg and by Trenna
This series of transcripts starts here.
The Post The 1973 Diary – Part 12 contains the last of the daily entries in Trenna’s hand written diary.
However, towards the back there is a section for “Accounts” where Trenna has put some figures down. I don’t know for sure, but I suspect it is an attempt at budgeting.
Good on her for trying when she was just 15 … Read the rest ... “The 1973 Diary, Extra Bits”
By Greg
I recently published Part 5 of The 1973 Diary. In the Comments section, at the bottom of the post our friend Helen has written “I think once Tren met the Gibson sisters and moved into Bey Apartments her life changed dramatically and she had to grow up quickly“.
The Gibson sisters were “the Twinnies” (Sharon and Joyce), and their older sister Rose. In the Kitchen Tape recordings Trenna … Read the rest ... “Why She Left Bey Apartments”
This series of transcripts starts here.
Got up at 7.00 had a shower and breakfast then I met Julie and Sue at 8.30.
BC was the same as usual. I met Julie and Sue at 4.15 we talked then I walked Sue to her bus stop, we were really being stupid.
I got home at 5.15. There was a message for me to ring … Read the rest ... “The 1973 Diary, Part 5”
This series of transcripts starts here.
Got up at 7.00 had a shower and breakfast. Left for BC at 8.15. Met Julie and Sue at 8.40.
BC was the same as usual. Met Sue at 4.20 after waiting for about 15 minutes. She said Julie had to leave BC early, and she had just seen Murray Benton and was hiding from him.
We went and had … Read the rest ... “The 1973 Diary, Part 4”
When I woke up my eye was still blind and I could have cried
This series of transcripts starts here.
When I woke up my eye was still blind and I could have cried.
BC was pretty well the same as yesterday. I hurried home and put my Levi’s on and then went out.
“with your looks and my money we could do things”
It was the first day of Business College. I got up at 7 and Uncle Frank drove me in to town. I got there fairly early and went straight to the office.
I had to fill in a form, then I was given my timetable.
9-11am – Bookkeeping
11-1pm – Typing
2-4pm – Shorthand
My bookkeeping … Read the rest ... “The 1973 Diary, Part 2”
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”
A brief intro and rave from Greg, then a transcript of Trenna’s first diary.
In the Kitchen Tapes Trenna mentions that she kept a diary for the first time in 1973. As it turned out there were many days she didn’t diarise and the 1973 Diary was the last she did regularly until until 2006.
Trenna and I partly transcribed the 1973 Diary when our interest was … Read the rest ... “The 1973 Diary, Part 1”
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 recording talks a lot about Trenna’s time at Girl’s Friendly Society (GFS), where she moved after Craig House closed down. The year was 1973, which was the only year in that period of her life that she kept a diary. Later, in 2018, Trenna with my assistance transcribed that diary and it is worth reading in relation to this recording. One point Trenna was surprised to find was that she started business college, and … Read the rest ... “Kitchen Tape No. 24 – but not the end”
GM: Today is Wednesday the 20th of June 2018. Trenna Mahney will be speaking.
Tren, we’ve talked a bit about your time at Girls’ Friendly Society in Adelaide Terrace? It sounds like an interesting period to do a bit more discussion.
[GM: phone call interrupts us]
I think we should look a bit more at this time at Girls’ Friendly Society. The sort of things you did. If we get … Read the rest ... “The 23rd Kitchen Tape”
GM: Today is Thursday the 14th of June, 2018. Trenna Mahney is telling us of her memories. I reckon we ought to talk a little bit more about your time at Girls’ Friendly Society, in Adelaide Terrace in Perth.
THM: Just to place it a bit better… I remember that it’s at 122 Adelaide Terrace. And across the road a little bit was the Sheraton Hotel. [GM: Now the Pan Pacific Hotel… Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes #22”
GM: Today is the 12th of June 2018, it’s a Tuesday. Trenna Mahney is here talking about her memories of her life.
Tren, we were talking yesterday about when you first moved into Girls’ Friendly Society. You described the accommodation there, and a little bit about what you did. Tell us a bit more about that era of your life.
THM: I really enjoyed my time at Key Personnel. It made me grow up … Read the rest ... “No. 21 in the Kitchen Tapes Series”
GM: We are continuing our recordings with Trenna Mahney. Today is Monday, the 11th of June 2018. Tren, we’ve talked a lot about Craig House. Eventually you moved out to Girls’ Friendly Society. I think you were 15, it was 1973. Tell me about that era.
THM: Well I turned 15 in September 1972, and that was the final year of Craig House. I spent the … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes # 20”