My Father's Birthday.

I love this photograph taken of my father when he was about 21.
I think the photographer was a little heavy with the touching up... I know Pa didn't wear lip liner, and I am sure his neck was taught. But other than that it catches his good looks and the mood of the era.

His birthday was always an excuse to extend the celebrations after Christmas, where the whole family gathered at his brother's house.
My aunt & uncle came up from Devon with a huge carful of survival kit, including a kettle for hot water bottles.
The kitchen was so far away from the guest room, along nose chilling corridors, that my aunt had to improve the system. Luke warm hotties were not her thing.

We came from Rutland with various prize winning Elkhounds who had a great Christmas with my Aunt's poodles and the resident Boxer, Susie, whom my father nicknamed Sukie the Pookie as she had never been fully house trained.

They were amazing Christmasses. I was the only child in the building. There were three men with no sons to spoil, so I was given great books, air guns, and so on... Not many dolls - which was a great relief. Until I got into Sindy. That was a lapse.

Christmas always bring back memories of these amazing people. One Christmas Eve I heard them all testing out an electric train set an uncle had chosen for me. I heard loads of laughs and a whirring sound coming from a back room at about midnight.

We sadly lost my Pa when he was in his 50's. But I have so many memories. They are still fresh.
Being an only child, with no television in the house, I spent a lot of time with him, gardening, walking, and having long chats and reads by the fire.
A great memory bank. Particularly on this day.