The local parish would, in former times, be a common and reliable channel for folks to keep abreast of significant social life events in villages, towns and cities, far more than rumours and hearsay. Church attendance being a fundamental religious practice for the vast majority, especially on Sundays, due announcement would be made of impending marriages, the so-called banns, making the most of the occasion; the names of recently departed parishioners were likewise announced, and the day and time when masses were to be offered for them; and believe it or not, moral assessment of all films screened in community venues and cinemas was posted on the church door. (more…)
I was born and bred in a rural environment, as a fully integrated member of an agricultural community, and within a typical three-generational family structure of grandparents, parents and children. Our parents would spend their days farming and tending to livestock around the farmstead, so we were often in the care of our grandparents. They would teach us how to look after the smaller animals on the farm, to carry out simple chores out in the cultivated fields, to create our own toys, to pray, to sing, to play cards, and even more, they would delight us with their stories and wonderful tales, which we listened to in awe. (more…)