The Past

In view of recent events I have started to research my family tree. Apart from distant cousins, there is just me and an elderly aunt and uncle who have no children.

I started to wonder what I would be able to tell Oliver when he grows up as there are so many gaps and things that were not spoken about. I have wondered if I had relatives in the 1st world war and why my maternal Grandad was able to hand down the freedom of York to me.

This is the wedding photo of my maternal grandparents taken in 1933. Its not a great copy, but something I have never seen before. They celebrated their golden wedding in 1993, my grandad died 2 years later. My Grandma live to the fantastic age of 97.
I adored them as I grew up and spent all my school holidays with them, so to have tbis photo is very special for me.

There are things I have found out that have really shocked me, and made me sad - but several family myths have not been confirmed yet. I've found I have 3 relatives who lost their lives in the war, all buried in northern France, plus a really sad story about my maternal great grandad being gassed in the war and finally hanging himself.

It will certainly make this years commemorations much more poignent for me. I am planning a trip to France as no one has been over to pay their respects so I will be taking my aunt.