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: Today is Friday the 7th of June, 2018, I’m with Trenna Mahney. Tren, tell me a bit about, you had been living at Craig House whilst you were at school until third year high school. What happened then?
THM: Well I was in 3rd year and Craig House was going to close in 1972. I don’t know why, we assumed they had run out of money.
The food had definitely become … Read the rest ... “The 18th of 24 Kitchen Tapes”
Recorded 5 June 2018
GM: OK, today is the 5th of June, 2018. I’m here with Trenna Mahney with her recollections.
Tren, last time we were talking about your high school days, after we turned off the recorder you mentioned several particular incidents. Perhaps you’d like to go to a few of those.
THM: Well, I think I spoke about the various classes I was in, and I couldn’t remember the names of … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes No. 17”
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”
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””
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”
GM: OK, today is the 19th of April 2018, with Trenna Mahney. Tren, can you tell me whatever you can think of about Craig House.
THM: Well, Craig House was quite posh in some ways. It was formal in that we had to dress for dinner each night.
In the large dining area there were three tables, one very big jarrah, which would have seated one at each end and about 5 … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes #7”
Below is the the eulogy delivered by Trenna’s friend, Helen Rice at the celebration of Trenna’s life.
I met Trenna in October 1967 when I moved to Craig House a hostel for Legacy children.We bonded instantly as we were the youngest at Craig House at that time. She became my closest friend very quickly, so much so that I remember not wanting to go on a visit with my mother … Read the rest ... “Eulogy Part 3”
[GM: As the title suggests, this was the fourth of 24 recordings done at our kitchen bench in Kensington, Western Australia. As part of the preparation for putting it on this website, in February 2022, I asked our friend Helen to read through this transcript and the one from 7 June 2018. Below you will find some of Helen’s comments interspersed. My thanks to Helen for doing that.]
GM: OK, so it’s the … Read the rest ... “The Fourth Kitchen Tape”
GM: This is a recording of Trenna Mahney made on the 12th of April, 2018. Tren, let’s talk about the time you lived down near the Old Mill.
THM: Alright, OK, well that was 1975. I was heading to being 17, 18. I had been living previously with some of the girls I had met from GFS. I eventually had to move because my friend Rose’s mum … Read the rest ... “The Third Kitchen Tape”
Trenna always liked to tell a story. She knew that her life story was interesting and that some people could find comfort in hearing how she coped with what life threw at her.
We had talked about it for a long time and in April 2018 Trenna asked if we could record her tales. We didn’t have a firm view on what we would do with them. A … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes”