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Thursday 10 April 2008

Terms of Endearment

'Tilly Mint'.

I was recently asked by fellow blogger Thud, if, I knew the origin of the name 'Tilly Mint'. On researching this question I discovered that, it alludes to a female Scouser, (Liverpool lass), who, has ideas above her station.
Ironically, my father used to address me by this 'term of endearment', when, I was a stroppy teenager, and 'looked down' my imperious nose, upon his advice, and observations, regarding my general lifestyle, and demeanour.
On reflection, I was, a bit of a 'Tilly Mint'.

For heavens sake, I was a wild child of the Sixties.

We invented everything, including, Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll, The Beatles, Flower Power, The Beach Boys, Surfing at Woolacombe Beach.
I Didn't indulge in all of these things. Not telling you which I did indulge in, either !

Real Teenagers didn't exist until then, believe me.

My sister, who is eight years older than me, was a demure, Snub-Nosed 'Paragon of Perfection', according to my mis-guided parents. Hmm... how little they knew.
She was a teenager in the fifties ,and liked all the soppy crooners of that time, including Johnny Ray, Frankie Lane, Pat Boone,and 'Ol Blue Eyes', himself, Frank Sinatra.
I know Bill Hailey and the Comets, and then, Elvis were around, but I could never have imagined her jiving in the aisles of the local flea-pit to 'Rock around the Clock' and ripping out the seats.
...Oh dearie me, no. That would be more likely her naughty little sister, Moi, indulging in such wayward behaviour, had I been old enough.....Tilly Mint..Indeed !

I set about shattering this conception, as soon as I hit sixteen ,( and not so sweet).

I 'dropped out' of Education and rebelled. (more stories to follow at a later date)!

For my punishment, I was levered into a respectable job in Lloyds Bank Trust Company.. where 'Miss Goody two Shoes', worked.

The Parents probably thought she would be able to 'keep an eye on me'.

Thankfully, 'Big Sister', married and moved to Worcestershire, so, I was able to be my own person in the workplace, without being talked down to, and generally, being bossed about.

Don't get me wrong, I get along fine with my Sister, but through my parents blatant favouring of her, always made me feel, that, I lived constantly in her shadow.
Actually, when standing next to her now, I do, literally, 'stand in her shadow' She's a very large lady and I believe, weighs a good deal more than I do.
Now, I ain't no lightweight, some may say 'cuddly', but I do try to keep a check on my weight , diet, etc.
My sister lives in Brittany N.W. France, which is an absolute gourmets' delight. Needless to say, she enjoys the delicious local fare, with relish. Unfortunately she is diebetic, and really shouldn't eat half the stuff she does. C'est la vie!

I sometimes think my sister is locked in a 'fifties', time warp. She still finds it difficult to speak to me as the mature person that I am , not the teenage sister, of many years gone by.....Tilly Mint..indeed !

24 comments:

  1. Interesting Trubes. Reminds me of that great Beverly Sisters hit of the 1950s entitled Sisters - and which I am sure you will recall!I still have lots of my records from the late 50s and early 60s which I play from time to time. So much better, by which I mean tuneful, able to understand the lyrics, and make you want to get up and dance, than much of what one hears today methinks - although that is just my opinion (and as I said elsewhere, I am of the I know what I like brigade!).

    I must admit I had never heard of Tilly Mint, so I suppose it must have been a very localised expression. Sounds a bit like Silly Bint in cockney. You will know of course that Bint means "daughter of" in Arabic.

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  2. Tilly Mint- Mint goes good with moijitos. As a Child of the 60's I bid you ,Welcome to the Space Cadet Club.

    So many uses for Mint. I am sure that your father was referring to the freshness you brought to his life every day. that it was a term of endear"mint".

    I wrote in my early blogs about my time in Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, Woodstock just to name a few. It was indeed" the best and worst of times."

    Have a great weekend.

    don

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  3. Superb blog, Trubes!

    Maybe your best yet?

    I do remember surfing at Woolacombe beach in 1967 (when I was 7 years old.) Were you there as well? You should have waved!

    I can remember the hotel we stayed in - The Narracott Grand...which I believe is still in business.

    Happy days, eh?

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  4. Lovely piece, Trubes- of course we invented everything, didn't we?!! I feel "caught" between the 50s and 60s myself - I felt "safe" in the 50s and got a bit lost in the later era , but didn't we all??

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  5. PS: I never heard of "Tilly Mint" before either!

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  6. Trubes!

    60's were great for being told the world was your oyster!

    I must have crammed quite a lot into those years without realising it too.

    Why, I can even remember Wayne Fontana's record 'Um um um um um'! D'ya remember the guitar bit right at the front, when they actually cocked up a note, but it was still recorded!

    Like a bit of reminiscing though, you may have started me off on a reverie...

    What was that pub in New Kings Rd on a double bend where the resident band could play Fleetwood Mac to perfection...

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  7. Thanks Trubes!

    You're up there with the Goddesses...!

    I really was stuck for something to do...

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  8. Tarf - that "mint" bit made me laugh out loud!

    However, our host was complaining that she suffered from harrassmint rather than prefermint, I think!?

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  9. GG- Wait a mint-it. I get it now. LOL

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  10. Grandad said to me "The problem with your generation is that you think you invented sex."
    I replied, "So you took granny up the bum and gave her a pearl necklace, did you, Grandad ?"

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  11. Great post Trubes! What a creative time that was..It is strange how sisters can be so very different isn't it? Elby, (56) has the same thing with his big brother, althought they get along great...it is as if he belongs to the generation before...

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  12. Thanks for the mention..I need to keep looking in here!...my sister in california just called her new puppy tilly mint...much to the bemusement of Californian friends.

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  13. Thud: For the purposes of this thread, the correct spelling is bemusemint.

    I wonder where Trubes has gone - no responses from her. Maybe disappointmint at our poor attempts at humour (or she's still high on the banned substances!)

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  14. Hello GG...Sorry for my late reply to your comments.. I've beeen rather busy with Family stuff etc.
    I do remember the Beverly Sisters. Didn't one of them marry the England Footballer Billy Wright ?
    I am amused at your and Tarfs humourous comments re 'mint', very funny, indeed.

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  15. Old Tarf: 'Endear-mint' I like it...very funny. Hope you are having fun with Mermaid..

    Love too all

    Di. xx

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  16. A Resident of The lake district said...

    'The Naracott Grand Hotel'.
    DT and I went to Woolacombe about 8years ago and the hotel was still there, albeit operating in some shabby resplendence I too learned to surf on Woolacombe Beach. I stayed Ilfracombe with some girl friends. We were very popular with the boys as we came from Liverpool and of course , there was all the wonderful songs of the 60's around.
    We were all in the Church choir so we would sing , at the request of the other holiday makers many Beatles Songs , Beach Boys and Good old Cilla, oh and not forgetting The Stones 'Let`s spend the night together'.
    For my 'party piece' i used to get on stage and belt out, Cilla's 'You're my World'.. What larks...

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  17. Scroblene Thanks for your kind comments.. Nostalgia...Golden Days.... The sun always seemed to shine then...Glad I've inspired you to write, will vsit your Blog later.
    I can't recall the Wayne Fontana record but used to see him a lot around Liverpool in those days.
    You know Liverpool has that same buzzy feel about it again. There is so much going on, it's hard to keep up !

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  18. Hello Welshcakes. sorry I'm late in replying.
    I loved the 60's the most...70's wern't bad musically but I thought the music of the 80's was dire.
    My Grandpa used to refer to my sister as 'Miss Moss' and on researhing this , I believe she was a character in one of Katherine Mansfield's short Stories. She's described as a 'resting actress, who was always behind with her rent, as she was unable to get any work.
    I have just purchased a bookof Katherine Mansfield's Short Stories and a Biography of her.
    so more about that later... Isn't amazing where this 'blogging stuff' takes us all.
    Love to you and Simi,

    Di.xx

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  19. Kevin : You are very naughty talking about your Grandads's sexual proclivities, on this very respectable site.
    This your second warning, One more strike and you're out. He he !

    GG will be horrified....

    You are a 'Tinker' but you, do make DT and I laugh.

    Di.xx

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  20. Hi Lilith:
    My Sister and I are worlds apart.
    She really seems to live in that 50's time-warp.

    When she was younger she was very pretty almost Italian looking. Small and dark with the family blue eyes, whereas Iam Medium height and blondish (enhanced), but with the blue eyes !
    Funny how we are all different, isn't it?

    Hmm.. I believe my Parents had an Italian lodger, during WW2. Hmm...

    Glad you are still visiting my Blog and I am making a special effort to write more!

    Love to you and darling Elby and Daughter too..Oh, and of course,
    Darling Pig Pup.

    Di.xx

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  21. Hi Thud, Thanks for looking in. I love your Site too. We seem to have similar ideals.
    I have mentioned in a previos reply to one of y bogging chums about how 'buzzyliverpool is again, remimscent of the 'headt 60's.
    The City can't go wrong now, particularly with the New Liverpool One Project, and the Capital of Culture 2008.
    Or can it ? With the feuding Lib dems in charge. I wonder..
    Why we have an ill-educated Fireman in charge of the City Council is a total misnomer to me.
    I truly hope, we can get a few Conservatives on the council this time around, to give a fair representation, of the real hard working and highly educated people of this fine City...In my Dreams or maybe not..I pray .

    Di.

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  22. Trubes 4.11 : Just to assure you that GG is a very broad minded broad..... (and a regular visitor chez Kev who still has some way to go to "horrify" me!)

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  23. GG Said...
    I know you are broad minded gg, I just like to tease Kevin.
    He'll probably hit back with something even ruder !
    Watch this space.....

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  24. I also used to get called Tilly Mint by my mum but being from Chester, not too far from Liverpool it makes sense. I also used to get called Chuckle Butty. lol

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I usually like to reply to your comments but for some reason when i do post a reply it just diappears, any advice would be most welcome,Thanks Di x

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