Naughty
My mother was a great one for singing snatches of songs when she was in a light and happy mood. It is a trait that I confess I have inherited. The songs that Mum tended to reference were from her pre-war youth here in South Yorkshire and also from World War II itself. How many times did I hear her launch into "The White Cliffs of Dover" in the kitchen? It's a song that we had played over the crematorium sound system at her funeral in 2007. She would have approved of that. In her prime, she had a strong and tuneful voice. When you have a voice like hers, it is as if you are in possession of a special musical instrument that might crack or wither if you forgot to practise playing it every few days. This week I found myself singing one of Mum's favourite songs. I had not thought about it in years. It was a music hall song and a little bit naughty. It first saw the light of day in 1913, eight years before Mum was even born. I believe it speaks of more innocent times. It i...