Intro by Greg, Lyrics by Trenna
Trenna had quite a nice study desk when I first met her in 1987. It was very solid, and had one of those inlays on the desk top that look like green leather. It has three drawers on either side, and it is solid.
It was one she bought new, so it is no antique, but it is still a nice piece. It made it’s way … Read the rest ... “The Mill Point Road Song Lyrics”
Note: The recordings I refer to in this piece formed The Kitchen Tapes series. It starts HERE.
The ABC is Australia’s national media and broadcasting service. And on the ABC Radio National station on weekday mornings the Life Matters show has been running an interesting segment entitled Life in 500 Words.
I have listened to quite a few and there are some fascinating stories … Read the rest ... “Trenna’s iPad”
By Greg
This website has now been live for six months so I thought it about time to make some comments about how it has been going, how it has evolved, and what I hope for the future.
I would greatly appreciate constructive feedback, either by commenting on this post, below, or by using the Contact Greg form.
Around the time I was starting the website I was enjoying a … Read the rest ... “Six Months of TrennaMahney.com”
By Trenna’s sister Barbara, with an introduction from Greg
In 2018 Trenna asked her sister Barb to jot down her memories of Craig House. Barb is six years older than Trenna. It was at exactly the same time as Trenna and I were recording Trenna’s stories and I have no doubt it was as part of Trenna’s research in preparation for writing her own story.
Barb subsequently sent the notes that appear below, and when … Read the rest ... “Barb’s Craig House Memories”
GM: This recording talks a lot about Trenna’s time at Girl’s Friendly Society (GFS), where she moved after Craig House closed down. The year was 1973, which was the only year in that period of her life that she kept a diary. Later, in 2018, Trenna with my assistance transcribed that diary and it is worth reading in relation to this recording. One point Trenna was surprised to find was that she started business college, and … Read the rest ... “Kitchen Tape No. 24 – but not the end”
GM: Today is Wednesday the 20th of June 2018. Trenna Mahney will be speaking.
Tren, we’ve talked a bit about your time at Girls’ Friendly Society in Adelaide Terrace? It sounds like an interesting period to do a bit more discussion.
[GM: phone call interrupts us]
I think we should look a bit more at this time at Girls’ Friendly Society. The sort of things you did. If we get … Read the rest ... “The 23rd Kitchen Tape”
GM: Today is Thursday the 14th of June, 2018. Trenna Mahney is telling us of her memories. I reckon we ought to talk a little bit more about your time at Girls’ Friendly Society, in Adelaide Terrace in Perth.
THM: Just to place it a bit better… I remember that it’s at 122 Adelaide Terrace. And across the road a little bit was the Sheraton Hotel. [GM: Now the Pan Pacific Hotel… Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes #22”
GM: Today is the 12th of June 2018, it’s a Tuesday. Trenna Mahney is here talking about her memories of her life.
Tren, we were talking yesterday about when you first moved into Girls’ Friendly Society. You described the accommodation there, and a little bit about what you did. Tell us a bit more about that era of your life.
THM: I really enjoyed my time at Key Personnel. It made me grow up … Read the rest ... “No. 21 in the Kitchen Tapes Series”
GM: We are continuing our recordings with Trenna Mahney. Today is Monday, the 11th of June 2018. Tren, we’ve talked a lot about Craig House. Eventually you moved out to Girls’ Friendly Society. I think you were 15, it was 1973. Tell me about that era.
THM: Well I turned 15 in September 1972, and that was the final year of Craig House. I spent the … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes # 20”
[ GM: This was one of the longest recordings at 1 hour and 6 minutes. In it Trenna sounded less tired than she had in other recordings, especially in the ones that were to follow. To see why this one was a bit different I looked at Trenna’s diary for this date and was surprised to see that she was not at all well, and had not slept much the night … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 19”
GM: OK. Today’s date is the 1st of June 2018. We are with Trenna Mahney.
Tren, you started to tell us about high school before, can you tell us a bit more about your high school time?
THM: Well in the 70s I think there was a much less regimented approach to teaching. I don’t recall having any outstanding teachers.
People knew that I came … Read the rest ... “No. 16 in the Kitchen Tape Series”
GM: OK, We’re here today with Trenna Mahney. Today is Thursday, the 24th of May, 2018.
Tren, we’ve done a lot on your primary school, could you start now by telling us a bit about what you remember about High School?
THM: High School was at the start of a new decade, it was 1970. Everything in the world had changed in 1970.
I was going to Kent Street Senior High School, … Read the rest ... “The 15th Kitchen Tape”
GM: OK. Today is Saturday, the 12th of May. We are with Trenna Mahney, talking about her memories of her childhood, at this stage.
Tren, there were a number of things we were just talking about before we started recording. They were things that happened mainly at your primary school.
Would you like to tell us some of those things?
THM: Before Helen came I was a pretty meke, … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 14”
[ GM: Note before we start. In these recordings of Trenna’s early years I can hear that she almost puts herself into a trance like state, as if she was channeling a very young, and a very different Trenna. She gave this whole account speaking quite fast and with almost no breaks.]
[GM: In this recording, perhaps more than others Trenna has retold stories she has already covered (although there is also new material). Trenna and … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 13”
One of the heart warming aspects of putting this website together is to learn that there are a number of people who are reading everything that I put up. I’m also happy with the comments I am getting on individual posts.
One such person is Trenna’s only brother Colin Seckington, who for many years has lived in Europe. I received a message from him a couple of days ago, and I have … Read the rest ... ““Dead at 27 and Never To Marry””
Greg’s Notes: During this recording Trenna started to remember more details about her very early life as she cast her mind further and further back. You can “hear” this is some of the sentences in this transcript. At the end she told me that it had felt like she had been talking for an hour, but in fact it was just 30 minutes (which was our usual target time).
GM: Today is … Read the rest ... “11 – Trenna’s Favourite Number”
GM: OK, today is Sunday 22nd of April, 2018. We are with Trenna Mahney. I think Tren you wanted to talk a bit more about the early years at Craig House.
THM: Right. I don’t really remember getting to Craig House. I knew I was getting excited to go to where my sisters and brother were, and when I got there I didn’t … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 10”
GM: OK, today is Saturday, 21st of April, 2018 and I’m with Trenna Mahney. Tren, you were going to tell us a bit more about Craig House, I think?
THM: Alright. The main house – I was talking about the kitchen and the back enclosed… well, I guess, in a way it was a bit of a pantry, where it had the fruit cupboard, and all that.
That leads into … Read the rest ... “Number Nine, Number Nine…”
[GM: Before we start. Also see the post “Floor 7 1/2” as it contains a player to hear “Tape 8 from the Kitchen” spoken in Trenna’s own words.]
GM: OK, today it is Friday the 20th of April, 2018. Tren, yesterday we were talking about Craig House and meals. Tell us a bit more about Craig House.
THM: Having talked about meals, there was something I haven’t mentioned, and that … Read the rest ... “Tape 8 from the Kitchen”
The popular-culturally literate among you will immediately be thinking “Being John Malkovich“.
What’s this got to do with Trenna?
Well….
I have decided that in most cases I’m NOT going to put the original sound recordings on this website – at least for now.
However, I thought I should put up at least one, to provide an idea of what the original … Read the rest ... “Floor 7 1/2”