(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

My grandmother on my future employment by the diocese of Wakefield:

I've never been there myself, but my mother's uncle was drowned there, cutting a branch of palm* that was hanging over the river for his sweetheart. My mother would never have it in the house after that. [PAUSE]. So there's a definite family connection there.


* No idea. I think she said 'palm'; I'm guessing it's a dialect term I don't know, but I couldn't get a word in edgeways to ask - legionseagle?

*

Addenbrooks surgery department had knocked off for the day by the time I got hold of Lawyer. In other news, I am beginning to go into a complete panic about getting ready to move back to Cambridge - and the sermon I failed to finish this afternoon is just dire, what there is of it.

*sticks straws in hair*

Comments

[sollers]

In one village that I used to visit willows were used on Palm Sunday and were referred to as "palms". That would tie in well with leaning over a river.

[legionseagle]

I was vaguely thinking "willow" and I'm sure sollers is right about pussy willow - I'll see if there's anything useful in my Readers Digest Folklore of England book when I get home.

I've often thought that looked like a very nasty stretch of water at Wakefield when going to Leeds; people kayak on it and there's a weir.

[17catherines]

That sounds very Cold Comfort Farm, somehow.

I've got a feeling that palms are willows, but I don't know why.

[liadnan]

This: http://www.plant-lore.com/1186/goat-willow/ would also suggest some kind of willow.