The Baynhams

Tonight we had a visitor for tea, my cousin from Mitchelstown in Ireland who is travelling around Australia. My cousins in Mitchelstown are my second family. They live on a dairy farm originally run by my Grandad, then taken over by my Uncle and now in the very capable hands of one of his sons.

When I was growing up I spent many holidays on the farm. A city child thrown into wellie boots and let out to play in the fields with cousins, building cubby houses, avoiding cow pats and helping out nervously in the milking parlour.

When I changed from child into teenager I relished getting away from the city I was growing up in, a city where the clothes you wore and the school you attended defined you. The farm was a place where you wore a pair of hand me down overalls that blended in, no-one knew your school when you spoke of it and you were defined by your words and actions not your clothes. I found it a relief at times to escape down there.

When I left home and started nursing I found myself doing night duty where I would work 7 nights straight and then get 7 days off afterwards. I grew to love those weeks off. I often went from my last shift at the hospital to the big bus station in Dublin and slept on the coach to Mitchelstown. My Aunt was always there waiting for me. Waving and with a big grin from ear to ear. A big hug. Always telling me I looked a million dollars no matter how dishevelled I knew I really was.

My Aunt told me I would marry a farmer. She never had a particular one in mind. She just thought I suited the country way of life. A year later I went to a Greek Island, met a handsome Welsh man, not a farmer but a computer whizz kid. Life has a funny way of running in its own direction.

Last night was so good. Hearing my cousin tell stories of his time in Australia in his broad accent that brought a whirlwind of great memories tumbling through my head. I love taking photos but I was so busy catching up with my cousin that I didn't take many of him. I did however run outside for a minute to take photos of his great car, a 34 year old yellow Toyota Celica. A beautiful car with perhaps as many wonderful old stories and memories hidden under it's bonnet as are currently swimming around my head!