I love a bit of synchronicity, a coincidence, a story that blends beautifully into another. I hope I’m not the only one to get excited when you hear one interesting fact only to have not only a second one, but one that overlaps the first.
Whilst working at the Bolton session I met a donor who had the middle name Ruth and the surname Ellis. I commented to a colleague that I’d just seen a Ruth Ellis and she looked blankly back. I explained that Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be hanged in England and received an, “Oh,” in reply. Thankfully, Jeff knew who I was referring to. I decided then I would ask random donors to see who had heard of the infamous murderess. I didn’t get to ask more than one.
I took a needle out of a woman in her thirties and I asked her if she recognised the name. She knew she had heard it but couldn’t think why, when I enlightened her she did a mental facepalm. It was then she told me her interesting story that speared mine so beautifully. Her grandad had found out he was related to Albert Pierrepoint and so by association so was she.
Pierrepoint was Yorkshireman who went into the family business, as a hangman. He was the last hangman and, for a wonderful little moment of synchronicity, he hanged Ruth Ellis. He said, “I have seen some brave men die, but nobody braver than her.”
Although it all rather macabre, it was a wonderful moment of stories of separation just coming together seamlessly. I’m now going to try and link the rest of this blog to the story just to keep the synchronicity flowing, although it will be more patchwork than seamless.
Pierrepoint was born in Yorkshire and before we started the session Dan made tea and coffees for the team. We recently had Yorkshire tea bags (whether we still have them I don’t know…hopefully not as I find it too strong…but it is a tenuous link that I like) and, bingo, I continue the thread.
Dan was a good host and Ruth Ellis moved to London in 1941 to become a hostess in a nightclub. Ellis met the man she was to end up shooting, David Blakely, and he moved into her flat even though he was engaged to a Mary Dawson. Dan’s surname is Dawson, but he’s no relation as far as I know.
Another member of the team, my friend Sue, was also working on the Bolton session. Sue used to work in a hairdressers and Ruth Ellis’s daughter, Georgina, had her hair done there. Sometimes connections just get spookier and spookier.
To continue the Yorkshire theme I stepped into the white rose county today. I went for a walk around Dovestones Reservoir.
It was beautiful there. I went with Pat and we bumped up our step count as we walked round.
Okay…that’s enough connections as the links are very loose now. The walk was lovely, it was perfect for breaking in my new boots and…….(oh, just one more)….
….it’s always a laugh hanging out with Pat.
need2bleed 