mother

50

15/03/201308/04/2015 By shendyNo Comments

This is a long way from the best photo in the collection, although the fact that my dad is in it means it's not his fault. It's also the only photo I have of my mum and dad on their wedding day - and today would have been their 50th wedding anniversary. ...

Mother, 1975

06/07/201208/04/2015 By shendyNo Comments

Three photos of Mother from 1975. A standard position, backstage at the Masque Theatre, probably prompting. And a couple of portraits....

Family, 1974

04/06/201208/04/2015 By shendy1 Comment

And to wrap up 1974, here is the section that the family will have been dreading - the most interesting photos of them from the year. We'll start with Mother, looking surprisingly cool in her shades and the evening sun - she's watching the Caswell Ladies Cricket Team. Me at the Borough Show in Abington Park, tucking into a hot dog. I think this is The Brother with my father on the dodgems. One from London - cousin Chris, me and The Brother. What's that? The hair? Yes, I know - you have to remember it was the 1970s. Me at Midsummer Meadows outdoor swimming pool. Those of you from Northampton who are old enough to remember it will probably have the same memories as me - that water was always bloody cold. No idea where this was taken, but I'm guessing that the heat of the top that Mother had knitted got too much and I needed cooling down a bit......

Auntie Susan’s Wedding

10/12/201112/04/2020 By shendyNo Comments

The wedding of my Auntie Susan (a title by which she *never* goes) to Peter in February 1972 - which means their 40th anniversary must be coming up soon! And also a bit of a rarity - a photo of all four of us! Not all in focus, and not all looking at the camera, but it exists!...

More childhood cuteness

03/04/201108/04/2015 By shendyNo Comments

Me at the age of about 12 months18 months old. Cute aren't I?Me and The BrotherThis is us riding on the miniature train that used to be on some land just next to Delapre Abbey in Northampton.I'm behind, with Mother, while The Brother is in front with her mother.Postscript: Good grief, they're still there - Northampton Society of Model Engineers Ltd....

I’m here!

03/04/201112/04/2020 By shendyNo Comments

Ah, August 1968 and I've arrived.This is the one of the first handful of photos of me, and look at that gesture!Me and The Brother.Ahhh......

Drunk and disorderly

26/12/201012/04/2020 By shendyNo Comments

Back in this post, I mentioned someone getting drunk at their sister's wedding - Mother at her sister's wedding in October 1966. The bride. A proper working class party - a keg of beer, and a bottle of Dubonnet for the ladies. The is Mother at the wrong end of presumably a few Dubonnets - her getting very drunk at her younger sister's wedding is a well-told story in the family. What's particularly ironic about her inability to stand up is this picture of The Brother, taken earlier in the day. This is actually him standing up on his own for the first time. I happened to mention at lunch today that I was sorting out photos of this wedding (my aunt is coming to lunch tomorrow), and Mother asked if there was a shot of The Brother standing up, mentioning the significance of it - which I hadn't realised. The Brother commented on the irony of him standing up and her not being able to......

Not what I thought

26/12/201012/04/2020 By shendyNo Comments

I saw this one and thought it must have been from a Halloween party, and that Mother just needed the broomstick before heading out for the night. Unfortunately it turns out that it's Hospital Ball from early 1965 - she worked there before The Brother arrived. On the subject of Halloween, SWMBO a) Persuaded her grandfather to make a proper broomstick for Mother. and b) rang Mother on the 31st October hoping to catch her before she went out for the night. Amazingly, Mother still talks to her!...

Aw, ikkums…

18/09/201012/04/2020 By shendy2 Comments

I suspect that the reason for the major holiday in 1964 is explained in these photos - offspring #1, born in November 1965 This is the very first photo of him. Four generations I love this one - considering he's only a few weeks old, it's a fabulous expression. "Yes?" There is a card you can get that says "Life would be so much better if only Mother would stop knitting"... And just to prove that I'm not just picking out the less flattering ones... Now, dear brother, how much is it worth not to send a link to this post to your colleagues? I'm sure he never looks at this blog, so he'll never see these ;-) When we get to my arrival, at least I get to choose all flattering shots!...

28/08/201012/04/2020 By shendy1 Comment

A couple of Mother from 1964. Not really sure what's going on in this one - it looks like she might be taking some medicine. She still pulls faces like that if you feed her cheap red wine. A look, she's using a mangle. A mangle! I thought they went out in the 1800s. I know she's old, but even I didn't think she was that old....