Cape Breton's Magazine

AliTia MacDonald • A War Bride in West Mabou Interviewed by Her Grandson, Leonard MacLellan, of Judique Well, let's see, my mother and fa? ther were married in Stanley, County Durham, England, in August 1913. My mother's name was Sarah Elizabeth (Claxton). She was born on December 12, 1892, in Job- son Terrace, Stan? ley, County Dur? ham, England, and she died during childbirth on De? cember 6, 1936: she was only 43 when she died. The baby boy died too. My father's name was Neuber Hodges, and he was born on October 11, 1889, in Castleford, Yorkshire, England. He died on February 25, 1988, pretty near 100 he was. My father was a fan blast man, he put air in? to the coal mines, and gave the men detona? tors and powder, for to go down to the mines with. Tallyman, timekeeper, those were his jobs, saw them into the mines and saw them out. Not mines like they have here, they walked down the mines.... There were twelve- inch seams in those mines at West Roddymoor. My father was in the Great War, with the 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry in France. He never talked about it, just about the rain and the mud. My father and a few more men were in the field; they weren't out of camp I guess for a long time. They couldn't get out, couldn't get leave. So King George V came in, I guess, he was with his horse and every? thing. They told him this pitiful story, how they couldn't get out. He wrote them a pass on paper, I think it was cigarette paper or something he had. They got a twenty-four hour pass each. (Laughter.) Yeah, that was one of my father's proudest days was that. Later he was caught by a sniper in the right hand and that's all that happened to Shhh.Jisten,.. The splashing and singing of pilot whales as they play in the haribour. The call of the fiddle, luring us to the dance floor at a Saturday night ceilrdh. The tranquil sound of silence as we watch the sun setting over the warmest waters north of the Carolinas. The sounds are magical come hear them for yourself in Inverness County, Cape Breton Island, Call 1-800-567-2400 Now for Information on the Sounds & Sights of Inverness County you heart ''??llll' ImemessiComry EHscover the Magicdnnri tl' Mastenji?<' '