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”
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””
[GM: I found this perhaps the hardest transcript (as well as the hardest recording), both because of the sad content, and it shows how Trenna blocked out a few years from when her dad died until she went to Craig House. I don’t think when we started the conversation that either I or Trenna had any idea where it would lead.]
GM: Today is Saturday, 5th of May 2018. We’re talking with Trenna Mahney.… Read the rest ... “The Twelfth Kitchen Tape”
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”
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”
GM: OK, today is Sunday, the 15th of April 2018, I’m with Trenna Mahney, and she’s going to continue telling us about her memories of her past. Tren, last time we were talking with you you were on your way to school …
THM: I was talking about that slightly in the future, when Helen had arrived, I think. But I should go back to when I first came to Craig … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes # 6”
GM: OK, so we’re here with Trenna Mahney. It’s the 14th of April, 2018. Tren, you were going to tell me about when you left Mofflyn Homes and went off to Craig House.
THM: Alright. It is a blurr. That time in my life was lost to me a little. I was well… I thought I only went to grade 1 when I was aged six at East Victoria Park Primary School, but apparently not. I … Read the rest ... “The Kitchen Tapes #5”