I guess that my mother Doreen must have taken this photograph when I was on holiday with my family in the summer of 1960. At least - I have deduced that it's 1960. It could have been 1959. We have pulled up by the roadside and we have all piled out of the car in order to snap a family picture with Balmoral Castle as the backdrop.
From left to right there's my surviving brother Robin - born in February 1951 so he would have been nine and half years old. Next, that's Simon who died last year. He was born in March, 1956 so he would have been four and a half. Third in the line up is me. I would have been two months short of my seventh birthday. Fourth along, looking towards the castle is my oldest brother Paul who died in 2010. He was born in August 1947 so the picture was taken around the time of his thirteenth birthday. Last of all, it's our father Philip who shared his birthday with Paul. He died in 1979 and was born in 1914 so he would have just turned forty six when mum pressed the camera button.
Our beloved queen Elizabeth the Great died in Balmoral Castle on September 8th last year. For her, the place held many special family memories and it was her preferred summer residence. Balmoral was also much loved by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who put many thousands of pounds into developing the estate and extending the castle buildings.
And here's another family photo that I scanned from a colour slide. This time I suspect that it was my brother Paul who squeezed the button. We often went on holiday to Cornwall and that's where I think this picture must have been taken - very probably in the summer of 1961. The three brothers look a little older. Dad is wearing the same holiday shirt and our mum - just turned forty has her essential handbag slung over her arm. It contained essentials like her purse, a notebook and pen, plasters, bank book, nail file, scissors, lipstick and bags of confectionery or salted peanuts. She would have been forty at the time.
We were lucky to have been raised by two such wonderful parents who loved us and never mistreated us. Mum had a penchant about fairness and treating us all equally even though there were big differences between us. How she and Dad too would have loved to meet Phoebe and Margot and Zach, comforted by the realisation that their genes had travelled into a future that was not theirs to grasp.
Very noticeable as to how clean and well groomed you were . And this is at the beach.
ReplyDeletePerhaps we had taken a summer evening drive along the coast from our caravan in Pentewan near St Austell.
DeleteIt's wonderful that we have these family pictures to look back on.
ReplyDeletePictures from a very different life. Our ancestors only had memories.
DeleteHappy family snaps to bring back memories. I'd love to see Balmoral Castle one day.
ReplyDeleteAnd I am sure Balmoral Castle would love to see you too!
DeleteGorgeous family pictures Mr Pudding. Thank you. Janx
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Jan.
DeleteYour Mum and Dad were decent folk, they knew what raising children is all about - you are proof of that, and you and Shirley have been equally loving and fair with your own children.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I am one of the fortunate ones who grew up surrounded by love and encouragement. Such family photos trigger a lot of memories, don't they.
Is Robin the musician? I remember you posting a picture of him, all absorbed in his music, and the face looks very much like an older version of the little boy in the photo.
No. The musician was Paul whose face is turned away from the camera in the top picture.
DeleteNaughty boy! Looking in your mother's handbag.
ReplyDeleteDown at the bottom there were other things, lady things.
DeleteFor the time, your parents got started really late having children.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Ed and I believe that was because of World War II.
DeleteFabulous family photos and in colour. I don't like looking at my family photos and most of them are black-and-white white. Yours are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThat's because of colour slide technology Dave.
DeleteYou are fortunate to still have those old family snaps to look back on.
ReplyDeleteMy mother took all of ours with her when she left so I have to rely on memories, or a few that my sister has copied from Mum's social media profile.
I remember you mentioning this before and my heart goes out to you. I cannot entirely imagine what something like that does to someone's mental well-being - even after decades have passed by.
DeleteIt's funny that not only your dad but also Robin, Simon and possibly you all seem to be wearing the same shirts in both photos! Your parents were a bit older when they started having a family. I think that's a good thing -- more maturity and stability with which to nurture kids. Anyway, these are great slides. Keep 'em coming! (You know how I love old pictures!)
ReplyDeleteOn his 33rd birthday Dad received the gift of a baby boy - Paul. Mum would have been 26. I am sure that many British couples of child-rearing age had to put their family dreams on hold because of World War Two. And when you think about it, it's the reason I never got to meet three of my grandparents. The repercussions of a war can be subtle and long-lasting.
DeleteGreat old photos, I scanned all of my father's slides, shared them with my siblings, and https://89-yearsoflove.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThanks. I will go and check that link very soon.
DeleteYou are indeed very lucky to have come from a loving home. I cannot bear to look back at old family photos from when I was a child. I remember so well the true story behind the faces.
ReplyDeleteYes. I was lucky. When I was a boy I imagined that everyone had parents like that - making a safe harbour for their children.
DeleteOld photos are so helpful - keeping happy memories for us to see.
ReplyDeleteAs Mary and JayCee say above - not everyone's family photos bring back smiles and happy memories.
DeleteI enjoyed looking at your family photos. I can tell that you were born into a loving family just by looking at those photos.
ReplyDeleteThe camera never lies though I notice there is very little physical contact in those two pictures.
DeleteI love the photos. What a gift your parents gave you. Your mom was beautiful.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. I have the same kind of old photos. It's sad to think our grandchildren won't have old photo albums to look through.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos YP, what a photogenic family you were.
ReplyDelete