'In later life she had a white baby grand piano in the living room, although she could not play the piano!'

'In later life she had a white baby grand piano in the living room, although she could not play the piano!'

Avril Patterson remembers the death of her mother and she reflects upon their relationship.

Avril Patterson

Trinity College Dublin

1973

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Avril Patterson

Marriage and Family

Life Story

Belfast,Northern Ireland

1970's

In February 1973 my adoptive mother died suddenly,one and a half years after my late husband. A neighbour alerted the police that she had not been seen that morning. The police broke into the house and found my mother unconscious. Pamela and I arrived at the house to find an ambulance there. I accompanied my mother in the ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital,Pamela stayed with a neighbour. My mother died on the February 1973.I remember no affection or love from my adoptive mother. She was hard with never any love shown. Any love came from my father. The lack of love has affected my whole life.I was taught few values from my mother with most of my strengths and values I have,I learnt from the church. The only emotion my adoptive mother every showed was when Pamela was born. She bought the most fantastic pram,cot and clothes ever seen. She had a love of life ' not people,with a fine eye for art,antiques and jewellery. We had very little money but she would not have missed the market and loved to pick up bits of silver,always telling me to look for the 'wee lion',the hallmark.In later life she had a white baby grand piano in the living room,although she could not play the piano!

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Irish Research Council for Arts,Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)