Welcome to my blog, where I take pleasure in words and pictures, be they my own or those of others. I'm a creative individual, and the crafty side I explore on my 'other blog', Picking Up The Threads, which I hope you'll visit too. I'm sure you understand that I have sole copyright of my original work and any of my contributions, so please ask if you want to use them. A polite request is rarely refused. So, as they used to say on the BBC's 'Listen With Mother' radio programme, many years ago: "Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin."

Thursday 23 October 2014

Looking Back



I love this photo of me for so many reasons, not that I can remember it being taken of course. I’m in the arms of my much-loved grandfather as he walks towards the seashore. Who am I looking back at? My own father, who knew a photo opportunity when he saw one. This would be one of his earliest snaps of me. We were on a family holiday in 1952 and I was only a few months old. In my infant face I see my own children and grandchildren so in a sense I’m also looking forward into the present day.

We’re all looking back when we pore over old photo albums, when a sepia print prompts us to question a relative about what is happening in the photo, or a seaside postcard reminds us of a happy family holiday.


In this 1979 photo my own son can barely focus on his father; at only a few weeks old the images he saw would have been something of a blur. I’m looking back today at these treasured images but I’m looking forward to my son’s visit tomorrow. He’s bringing his wife and the twins of course; his Dad and his sister are already here and we’re going to have a great time. We don’t all get together like this very often, perhaps once or twice a year for a day at a time, so we’re going to be packing a lot into the next few days. There’ll be lots of photos to look back on and remember the happy holiday they spent with us.

Join us at Sepia Saturday this week and see how other contributors have looked back.


14 comments:

  1. Both you and your grandfather are looking back and forward at the same time, depending on which direction one considers forward or backward--toward the sea or toward the photographer.

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  2. Looking back. How clever. The policeman in the theme image is very alert to what might be going on behind him as are the babies, but in a different way, in your photos

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  3. Two much cherished photographs seeped in memories, thank you for sharing them. Thank you for sharing two such special photographs. Have a lovely time with your family, precious days indeed. Our son and his family live in Australia, so we only get to see them every couple of years or so, it’s hard being so far apart, but it makes the time spent together even more special. Barbara

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  4. Who has time to be this philosophical when the kids are coming? Go have fun! I send a virtual "high five" for this clever twist on the theme and for having two perfect photos to drive it home.

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  5. Great connection to the theme, and very poignant life-affirming topic. So enjoy your family visit and make lots more memories for all!

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  6. Knowing you, I knew, when looking at those photos, there had to be a connection to the prompt picture, but it took looking at said picture again to find it. Clever lady! And precious pictures. Have a wonderful reunion with the family.

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  7. I like your theme of looking back. It is funny how sometimes the event in a photo is forgotten and instead the memory becomes about the photo itself. My impression (which may be biased as a man) is that there are far fewer images in art of father with child than mother with child.

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  8. Very clever interpretation tied together so nicely with the family memories. The photo of your grandfather holding is very tender and lovely. Always gets to me....big men with little babies.

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  9. I like your interpretation of the theme. We have a new grandson about that age and he's just learning to smile and respond. I look at him and wonder what his life will be like, and I look for traces of genetic similarities to family members back through at least six generations.

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  10. What a great take on the theme! Well done. I love that photo of you too. All rugged up.

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  11. What an inventive "take" on the theme - I never thought of "looking back" and I have very similar photographs.

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  12. We are doing a lot of looking back while we are at my daughter's Michigan hoe for the next three weeks. Looking back is a take on the theme that I would not have thought of.

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  13. A lateral and inspired "take" on the theme...we do indeed look back over the years at our earlier lives.

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  14. I love looking back, and they are lovely photographs.

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