Every Picture Tells a Story (Part II) - Glimpses of Happy Family Days

We have inherited 100s of photos in some albums belonging to Joe and Sarah (my husband's grandparents). Their family wrote on the back of dozens of the photos. I discovered many little comments that are unique to them and yet so like millions of other families. Not simply names and places but jokes, affectionate comments, nicknames - things that make photos that were taken many decades ago (and indeed in many cases over 100 years ago) still resonate with families today!

"Dad says she look as if she's on a week's notice!"

"Just had lunch"

 

This lady is a family member but I don't know who she is. She is in several photos and is possibly an aunt of Joe or Sarah, or maybe related to one of Sarah's brothers in law. It's a lovely little witticism  - comparing her to the home help, although I doubt it would have improved her mood if she knew that she was being compared to the servant of the house! I have to say, she does have a pretty grim scowl in most of the photos that she is in!

"What do I look like!"

 

I think this is Sarah's sister, Doris and her daughter, Elsie. I am assuming Doris did not like this photo of herself, hence the exclamation mark ending the rhetorical question! I really relate to this - how many of us have looked at a photo of ourselves and hated it! She looks a bit stressed on her day out to the beach! Am guessing it is the late 1920s.

The Duke and Duchess of Walton at their Town House"

 

I know that this is taken at 277 Queen's Drive Liverpool because that is the address of Sarah's sister, Lilian and her husband Tom for many years and I can make out the number 277 on the door! . If it is the day they moved in, then I know that the year would be 1931 because in 1930 they were at a different address. They were married in 1923. Clearly, this is an affectionate comment by a member of the family. Presumably the couple are really proud of the house (which was rented). I have seen photos of the house and the front has changed little. Was it considered a step up from a previous address? They certainly look very proud of it! I love their obvious pride and happiness.

"Jay got too close to the sweet peas

Ken is selling clothes pegs!

Bet can see the joke

Our back garden"

 

I am still trying to find out who these three children are; they appear in several photos linked to Joe and Sarah. It's just a lovely description of the children - we can recognise who is who because of the little story that is attached to each name! We know it's a back garden - but not whose! Really frustrating. I will keep trying to identify them as they appear in a lot of the photos. This is a lovely, happy moment captured in time.

"The triplets"

 

See previous photo! I really need to find out who they are. Another really lovely family photo. Clearly they were really close, hence the nickname!

"This one is for Edgar from Betty

(Eve Tempting Adam!)

 

Edgar is Joe and Sarah's son. Once again, Betty turns up in a photo! Who is she!!? It's a rather cheeky comment! I actually thought at first that this was a cricket ball, but  maybe it is indeed an apple. I suspect both Betty and Edgar were a bit embarrassed by the comment!

 

"In our back garden, supposed to be the lawn

but no neighbours possess a lawn mower, so it's more like a field!" 

 

Ken again - the story is self explanatory  - no mowers in the street means a scruffy back garden!

 

"Nanna and Duggie eating lumps of sugar off the tea tray!"

 

Nanna turns up a lot in photos - often an early "photo bomber" appearing in the background! Duggie is also in several - again, I'm not sure who either of them are but they were in Sarah's photo album so must be related. I didn't notice the sugar lump until I turned the photo over and read the back! I then notice the sugar and tea cups -just the job for a day on the beach!

 

And finally, another happy photo and a happy Lilian! (seated, 2nd right) at Holcombe Hill

"Lily says, note how nice she looks!"

 

And she does!

"Every Picture Tells or Story" or always check the back of a photo... (Part I)

I started this blog after finding 100s of photos,medals,postcards,autographs and more in my mother in law's wardrobe following her death in 2020. I recently discovered some writing on the back of one of the photos that told the story of the photo... and decided to have a look to see if there were any other stories or messages that have come to us across the years.  Memories of times gone forever, but still with us! I was delighted to find that there were.  I also discovered a lovely sense of humour, much affection and a real sense of the personalities of the subjects and the writers in just a few words! The family, whose stories can be read on my other blog posts, came from Bootle and Walton.

"Nona in the background, looking to America"

 

I don't know who "nona" is but Joe emigrated to the US as did  his two brothers (much earlier than Joe - I have traced one who enlisted in the US army in WW1). Also, one of Sarah's sisters Doris ("Non") was married to a man whose two brothers also emigrated! Has a member of one of the families surmised she is thinking of her boys and written that? I can't think why such a specific, wistful comment would have been written on the back unless thinking of this.

"Doris & Elsie on the sands at St Anne's. I am offering you a sweet"

 

My main blog is about Joe and Sarah and their family. This is Sarah's sister and her daughter. This short comment tells such a lot - who is in the photo, where it is and what is happening! I think Doris wrote the words addressing them to whoever took the photo. Incidentally, plus ca change - whoever did take the photo managed to cut the top part of Doris's head off - haven't we all seen truncated family snaps! Makes them seem very much like us, even though I think this was taken way back 100 years, in the early 1920s.

"Betty took this snap. Duggie's foot just shows in my lap.

The two girls were staying with us.

Nanna, Non, Jay, Ken & "self"

 

I am not sure who some of these people are, but "Nanna" is the lady who featured previously. She features a LOT in my mother in law's photos, often "photo bombing"! "Non" is Sarah's sister Doris but it's a bit confusing as she says that she has Duggie's foot in her lap and Betty took the photo - but also mentions "Non" which is her family nickname......hoping I might solve the mystery of these people who keep popping up one day!

"Elsie reading "Wife and Home" in the back garden"

 

Nice to know who it is, (Doris and Sam's daughter) where she is AND what she is reading! A very blurred photo - again, it resonates down the ages!

"Bert, Jay and Ken; the house in the background is where we stay

12/8/30

Minster

This road leads to the beach"

 

Such a lot of information! Date, who is in it and pointing out a specific location "the road to the beach" and that the house in the background was where they stayed. But what was "Minster"? A mystery that I solved. I knew the family stayed in Rhyl a LOT. So I put the words "Minster guest house" and "Rhyl" into a search engine. Hey Presto!  A map came up not only with the guest house on it - but it was indeed on a road that leads to the beach! So much information from the back of one photo!

"Between Rhyl and Conwy"

 

This is much earlier - possibly around 1914. I can date it because the little girl was born in 1906. Grace ("Gracie") Lived to be 112! I have blogged about her previously. This photo shows the 4 "Rich" sisters and possibly their brother, Tom, driving. 

A few more beach photos to finish!

They really did love their beach holidays! What a wonderful family. Such a privilege to have all their photos and other precious family items. A true treasure.

 And finally This also had "Rhyl" written on the back!

Part II follows soon - illustrating the family's real sense of humour!