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."

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Hold Hands and Stick Together

When you go out into the world, 
Watch out for traffic,
Hold Hands and stick together,
Be aware of wonder.
              Robert Fulghum


The little girl in the picture is my Mum, who is 95 years old today. She is holding hands with her brother Billy, who was just seventeen months older than her. This is about 1924 and they are standing on the Wilford Suspension Bridge, which crosses the River Trent in Nottingham.


This is the bridge scanned from one of my Dad’s slides and originally photographed in 1991. Since then, the bridge, which was completed in 1908, has had a major refurbishment. It was originally constructed to carry a water pipeline across the Trent to Wilford Hill Reservoir, and at the same time the opportunity was taken to incorporate a route for pedestrians and cyclists. It stands on a bend in the river and from it you enjoy views in both directions, right round the corner of the river. It’s the only connection between the Meadows, where Mum and her family lived, and West Bridgeford.



 I think these two pictures of Mum were taken on the same day, and I would hazard a guess that they were either taken by Great Aunt Maude, or by Billy, using his aunt’s camera.


Maude would often take the children on outings. She had no children of her own and a Sunday afternoon walk across the bridge to the fields on the other side, would have been a treat. Those fields disappeared long ago. Mum appears to be picking wild flowers, although it would appear that Billy is clutching grass. Perhaps it was for a pet rabbit.

I remember crossing that bridge myself when I was young and it used to terrify me as we clip clopped our way over to the other side. Perhaps that’s why Mum looks a little anxious, and why she needed to hold onto her big brother’s hand.

Why not cross the bridge to this week’s Sepia Saturday and see what other Sepians have made of the prompt image below.

18 comments:

  1. That is such a wonderful old picture which has within it everything I love about old photos (and therefore Sepia Saturday). Holding hands is such a natural demonstration of humanity. We hold hands as kids, hold hands as young lovers and still hold hands as we walk towards old age. If we could hold hands more we might hold grudges less.

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  2. What a wonderful old photograph, and a lovely way to celebrate your Mum's birthday and fit the Sepua Saturday prompt at the same time. Best wishes to her!

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    1. Thank you Jo. It seemed a good idea, but it meant posting a wee bit early for me :)

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  3. The photo of your mum and brother is so special. I at first thought they were on a ship but now I see it is a bridge. Great post.

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  4. Happy birthday Sue's Mum. By some coicidence today I sat and watched a very old lady having her hand held by what appeared to be her daughter as they chatted as they walked along. Three cheers for hand-holding. L ovely photos of your mother.

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    1. Sue? :) Thank you, it is rather lovely isn’t it?

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  5. The English are famous for their bridges! This one looks a bit like the Brooklyn Bridge.

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  6. Your Mum looks a little scared but determined on the bridge. It must have looked huge from her point of view.

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  7. What a great shot this first one is: I thought Billy had a birds' nest there, but I think you're right on grass...wonder what that was all about? But your mother does look a little edgy there -- big brothers were perfect for relieving that fright, weren't they?

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  8. LOvely memories of your mother and her big brother.

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  9. A beautiful photo and I add my best wishes to your mother. I especially like the photo's perspective and slight tilt that makes the man, who is also holding a small hand, seem very tall. Your opening poem is a wonderful sentiment that I will have to remember.

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    1. I’ve often wondered about that tall skinny man.

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  10. A happy birthday to your mother. I would have been a bit wary of a bridge that moved too.

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  11. I'm a tad late with good wishes for your mother, but here they are: Happy Birthday! I'm trying to imagine what was so frightening about the bridge because it certainly looks sturdy enough. Just a fear of bridges in general?

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    1. It was probably because it was a suspension bridge. If my memory serves me correctly, the pedestrian part was made up of wooden planks which moved slightly.

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  12. What brave children to cross a bridge which wobbled, and it wobbled more with the huge adult steps than it would with the kids'. Love the idea of picking wildflowers in a field by a river. Not easy to do these days! Great photos.

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