Including many conversations with Southendians, this title aims to recall life in their town, during the 1950s and '60s. It focuses on social change, as well as school days, work and play, transport, and entertainment. It also includes memories of the late '60s clashes between Mods and Rockers, and of the infamous Wall of Death at the Kursaal.
The bombing of Pearl Harbor, the assassination of President Kennedy, the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger: every generation has unforgettable events, the shared memory of which can create fleeting intimacy among strangers. These public memories, combined with poignant personal moments--the first day of college, a baseball game with one's father, praise from a mentor--are the critical shaping events of individual lives. Although experimental memory studies have long been part of empirical psychology, and psychotherapy has focused on repressed or traumatizing memories, relatively little attention has been paid to the inspiring, touching, amusing, or revealing moments that highlight most lives. What makes something unforgettable? How do we learn to share the significance of memories? David Pillemer's research, brought together in this gracefully written book, extends the current study of narrative and specific memory. Drawing on a variety of evidence and methods--cognitive and developmental psychology, cross-cultural study, psychotherapy case studies, autobiographies and diaries--Pillemer elaborates on five themes: the function of memory; how children learn to construct and share personal memories; memory as a complex interactive system of image, emotion, and narrative; individual and group differences in memory function and performance; and how unique events linger in memory and influence lives. A provocative last chapter, full of striking examples, considers potential variations in memory across gender, culture, and personality. Momentous Events, Vivid Memories is itself a compelling and memorable book.
From the South End's early years as an upper- and middle-class residential district to its time as an immigrant and rooming house neighborhood and then to its recent urban renewal, residents have shaped its legacy and its place within the city of Boston. Locals have worked in common to make the South End a safe and vibrant community for over two centuries. Notables such as architect Gridley J.F. Bryant, preservation advocate Arthur Howe, and pedestrian advocate Ann Hershfang contributed immensely to the built environment. Residents like settlement house leader Robert Woods, immigrant and author Mary Antin, politician and activist Mel King, urban gardener Betsy Johnson, and lawyer Harry Dow, to name a few, shaped minds and lives alike. Add to their ranks artists like Allan Rohan Crite and Kahlil Gibran, jazz club owner Joseph Walcott, longtime restaurateurs such as the Foley and Manjourides families, and bar owner and gay rights advocate Leo Motsis and a true picture of the South End's history and diversity begins to emerge.
The 1930s were a troubled era, and England was a land of contrasts. This work gives a vivid impression of growing up in a working-class family in the East End at this time. It should be of interest to anyone who remembers the interwar years, and anyone interested in London's social history.
The author of this story is the eldest daughter among her siblings who was born in the 1950s to a loving mother and father who met in London and later got married in Essex. Her father built their family home, which they fondly called 'Harali'. A source of pride and joy for the family. However, life took a tragic turn when her father passed away in 1987, leaving behind her mother and five grown-up children. Despite their struggles, the author felt compelled to write this book to honour her father's memory and provide solace to her mother. Her father was a man of high morals and integrity who always prioritized his family's well-being, even while dealing with painful Polyneuritis. Despite his struggles, he worked hard in London until his retirement and created beautiful memories for his family. We all had our lives we were leading, each having our unique circumstances. This book is for my mother, who was a widow at 52. I'm writing this book as a memoir for my mother to know just how much Dad loved her and his family. He was protective of his family and gave us all the best start in life. This book is a touching memoir that celebrates the author's father's life and legacy, and it is dedicated to her 91-year-old mother, who still lives in Sussex, UK.