Great shot of your Dad, very dapper! The slipway jutting out to the left with the other cyclist on is still there, so the exact spot where he's stood is easy to find.
I was one of the ones who got the free Clarks shoes, I loved the ones with the compass built into the sole and the moulded animal tracks, Wayfinders I think they were called. There were also Clarks Commando shoes, probably even cooler, considering so many kids in Exmouth, including myself, were military brats of real Royal Marine Commandos serving up the road at Lympstone's CTCRM base!
That tenuous military connection I had with your dad and his RAF service meant we always had something to talk about, usually whilst proping up the bar at Rolle College!! Great memories!
Thank you Stu - I was especially jealous of the shoes with the compass in! He always had a soft spot for you maybe because (apart from being an excellent man) you didn't take his grumpiness too seriously and that military connection. I'm going to have a look for that spot next time I'm nearby
The worlds that exist in these old black and white prints... I tried to coax a few words from Mum last week about her time before meeting Dad. We were watching TV and a cheap ITV gameshow segued into Planet Of The Apes, and suddenly she mentioned a boyfriend before Dad, and then a date, at the cinema, to watch the new Charlton Heston film, but in black and white, not colour... and that's all she was prepared to let go... Maybe just a little of these stories allows us to freely finish painting the rest in the loving and loyal image we have of them all.
A precious image that's clearly well worth framing and spending time in the open rather than tucked away in a box, Mark - says he with box-loads of photographs to sort out after my father-in-law passed away.
As the generations gradually take their leave, one thing's for sure. Those old photos need labelling and documenting. Otherwise, it's all too easy to lose track of our families' past. I have a photograph of a family group that includes my great grandfather, but no-one knows which of the eight children he is.
On the other hand, my paternal grandfather is all too easy to spot amongst the images that document his life. Although I never met him, his life in photos tells a tale. From the navy to the Flying Squad and then life behind the bar in pubs across the land. A man with 'hands like shovels', yet my nan, I think, ruled the roost!
Thanks Ken. I think you are right. I have a stack of photos from when he died of which at least half are of people I can’t identify. Connections so easily lost as you say
Great shot of your Dad, very dapper! The slipway jutting out to the left with the other cyclist on is still there, so the exact spot where he's stood is easy to find.
I was one of the ones who got the free Clarks shoes, I loved the ones with the compass built into the sole and the moulded animal tracks, Wayfinders I think they were called. There were also Clarks Commando shoes, probably even cooler, considering so many kids in Exmouth, including myself, were military brats of real Royal Marine Commandos serving up the road at Lympstone's CTCRM base!
That tenuous military connection I had with your dad and his RAF service meant we always had something to talk about, usually whilst proping up the bar at Rolle College!! Great memories!
Thank you Stu - I was especially jealous of the shoes with the compass in! He always had a soft spot for you maybe because (apart from being an excellent man) you didn't take his grumpiness too seriously and that military connection. I'm going to have a look for that spot next time I'm nearby
The worlds that exist in these old black and white prints... I tried to coax a few words from Mum last week about her time before meeting Dad. We were watching TV and a cheap ITV gameshow segued into Planet Of The Apes, and suddenly she mentioned a boyfriend before Dad, and then a date, at the cinema, to watch the new Charlton Heston film, but in black and white, not colour... and that's all she was prepared to let go... Maybe just a little of these stories allows us to freely finish painting the rest in the loving and loyal image we have of them all.
A half told story/picture often says more doesn’t it. Man, I loved Planet of the Apes!
A precious image that's clearly well worth framing and spending time in the open rather than tucked away in a box, Mark - says he with box-loads of photographs to sort out after my father-in-law passed away.
As the generations gradually take their leave, one thing's for sure. Those old photos need labelling and documenting. Otherwise, it's all too easy to lose track of our families' past. I have a photograph of a family group that includes my great grandfather, but no-one knows which of the eight children he is.
On the other hand, my paternal grandfather is all too easy to spot amongst the images that document his life. Although I never met him, his life in photos tells a tale. From the navy to the Flying Squad and then life behind the bar in pubs across the land. A man with 'hands like shovels', yet my nan, I think, ruled the roost!
Thanks Ken. I think you are right. I have a stack of photos from when he died of which at least half are of people I can’t identify. Connections so easily lost as you say
I can see you in his eyes.x
I catch a glimpse of him in the mirror now and again x
Such a very cool pic. Beautiful words x
Thank you
Great blog. I’m really glad you’ve restarted this side of things.
Thank you - that means a lot