This is how I remember growing up. Long hot summers with a bright light leaking in around the edges. Such is the power of the still photograph, I remember it only in monochrome. The first picture, taken by my Dad with a Kodak Brownie, is on top of the Iron Bridge, Ladies’ Walk in Andover.
The bridge was installed in 1843 by Taskers Ironworks and carries the walk over Micheldever Road. Taskers was the last company my maternal grandfather, Fred, worked for until his death at the age of 74. The bridge is about a half mile up the hill from where he lived with my grandmother, Florence May aka Mrs Kipper, which explains why we are there. The bunch of wildflowers was for my sister’s pressed flower project – strange what you remember.
Micheldever Road was once a busy road linking Andover with the villages and army camps to the east – to prove the point, there is the blur of a car passing beneath the bridge. The upgraded A303 now slices through the road such that it goes nowhere and has fallen silent along with Fred, Florence May, my Mum and my Dad.
Further along the walk I was handed the camera to take the second picture, inevitably from a slightly lower angle – they are all looking down on me. As is the way with little brothers, later in life I would take great pleasure in reversing this perspective on my sister.
northumbrian : light 
This is just lovely, absolutely lovely. ❤
Many thanks Malin, much appreciated ❤
One of the best post on this theme I have seen ….
It’s so nice to hear the story and it really touches our heart.
Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Have a beautiful day …
That’s very kind Sreejith, have a great day too 🙂
I agree, it’s fascinating how our memory works sometimes. It was a great trip back in time with your family. many thanks :o)
Many thanks Easy – I think the memory sticks because that’s all we seemed to be doing that summer – looking for ruddy wildflowers 😀
It is wonderful meeting your family through the “magic” of photography!
Many thanks Cate – that’s the best way to meet most of them 🙂
Lovely story, Robin…..and I’m sure you’re doing better than clinging to wreckage 🙂
Thanks Sue, glad you liked it. Most days I feel grand but then I catch my reflection in the mirror and I am not so sure 😦
Oh, crikey, can’t have you with a crisis of confidence Robin 😦
It’s just that I see my Dad staring back ….
Old photos are wonderful and I remember using my grandmother’s Brownie camera as well. Nice achievement to still be hanging around. 🙂
Very solid those old Brownies – ours was the bakelite 127 model, I wish I still had it. Major achievement considering the way I used to drive 🙂 Many thanks for the visit and kind comments.
Robin, you have such a gentle way with words. I’m a fan! 🙂
That’s very kind Jo and much appreciated 🙂
It is indeed strange the little details that we remember. No matter what, you had an interesting family and, as a result, you’re a unique, interesting gentleman. 🙂
Many thanks Julie – I don’t think I have ever been called a gentleman before 🙂 The trouble is I still think of myself as that cheeky nipper which is where all my problems begin and end 😕 . I guess we all do to some extent. Have a great weekend.
…great story and memories… lots of tenderness in it… Thank you!
Many thanks, much appreciated
Gorgeous post!
Thanks so much!
This is so lovely. Photographs can be very powerful, especially in their simplest form.
They are like time traps – even the most modest subjects grow with age. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
One of your earliest photographic achievements: this family picture that survived until today!
Many thanks, I hadn’t thought of it in that way.
Great family Photo~
Good day ^^
Many thanks KOH and thanks for stopping by – have a great day too.
Thank you so much~^^
What a lovely post. Such special memories.
Many thanks Jenny – I have spoken to my sister about those wildflowers and she agrees it was for her pressed flower project. I still remember how bored and dismissive I was about the whole endeavor – nasty things little boys 😀
Haha – boys will be boys! 🙂 It’s lovely that you are looking back on those memories and blogging about them. I think those kinds of moments are so special, but too often they are lost in the mists of time. Thanks for sharing.