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."

Friday 18 September 2015

Hanging on the Line


If there’s something vaguely familiar about the above picture, let me refer you to ‘A Boyhood Backyard’ which featured my father’s painting of this scene and the story of how it came to be the subject of his picture. At the time of posting, in March last year, I only had the painting; the photograph subsequently came to light whilst scanning my parents’ albums. Please do take a look back at that updated post to learn more.

The Sepia Saturday prompt this week is washing on the line and the only image I can find in my own albums is this one of my children playing in our pocket-hanky sized back garden in our RAF Married Quarters in High Wycombe.  We had just moved in and hadn’t even managed to do anything with the ‘borders’, but with two young children there was always laundry to be done. My son looks grumpily from his playpen whilst my daughter takes the opportunity to jump in the empty laundry basket.



Join us for more images and words inspired by the prompt below.


16 comments:

  1. The painting your father did of his childhood home is quite good.

    With two young children of my own (2.5 year old twin boys) I know what you mean about never-ending laundry.

    Nice post.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your Dad's painting is great. I see you washed and ironed your husband's shirts...plus you had the two little ones who needed attention. Must have been a very busy time of life. Your daughter enjoying herself in the basket is adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like both the photograph with the bright laundry and your fathers painting.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ah, my old RAF shirts, and our daughter's romper suit with stripy feet hanging on the line. That was the smallest "garden" we ever had.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Boy, those red shirts just JUMP out, don't they? What a great photo this is! I went back to see your father's version -- I wonder why he changed what was hanging on the line...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh goodness, she can command anything from her basket-space-ship! I just adore it. Fun times they sure were for all. I do recall that photo, your father was a remarkable painter.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh my -- I have a picture of my daughter in the laundry basket too. I just remembered that.

    I remember your dad's painting. It had to be a thrill to find the photo too.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Well I was looking for a picture of my cat in a washing basket but I couldn't find it....love that painting your father did....

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's a great connection to male between photo and painting. I imagine the atmosphere of coal fires in past times meant soot was a problem for drying laundry on the line. Children in a basket is timeless.

    ReplyDelete
  10. When I saw your picture this morning, my dream came back to me. I saw a wonderful line of wash on the line and asked my daughter to take a photo on her phone because I didn't have my camera and wash on the line was the prompt for Sepia Saturday this week I wish I could have brought that photo back from my dream!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Isn't it odd how the family laundry turns up in so many family photographs and memories?

    ReplyDelete
  12. I tried to comment earlier but it doesn't seem to have appeared. Playpens are not 'in' any more, I don't think, but they were certainly useful in keeping littlies out of harm!s way! We had a similar sized back yard when we first rented in Sydney, and our first child was a few months old.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The painting is wonderful. How great to have the photo he probably used.

    Perhaps your son was thinking, "When I get big enough I get to move to that round playpen!"

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm admiring that toy pram... looks a perfect Sasha size! :) Lovely painting by your Dad, really like his style, he was obviously very talented.
    Kids seem to have a fascination with laundry baskets - I've a few photos of my mine sitting happily in one. The cat likes them too!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes, I always think playpens should have been called playprisons! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Yes, I always think playpens should have been called playprisons! :)

    ReplyDelete

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.