In my family, we do enjoy our gatherings. Most of us have always got on well together. I still find them enjoyable, good fun occasions. But this one took place more than 60 years ago. Just two of the people on the photo are still with us.
The oldest person there is the lady on the left, my Granny Ware. Actually, she was a step grandmother and had proved herself not to be very capable of looking after her step children. But for me that was ancient history. As a kid she seemed OK to me. I’m the little lad at front left. Next to me is my cousin Anne. She’s the other current survivor. Next to her is my brother, Robin. He was but 18months older than me but died back in 1980. Behind him is my mum who died in 1967 – the first of these people to go. Next to her is her sister, my Aunty Vera – mother of cousin Anne and in front of Vera is my sister, Paula.
This would have been a rare get together in 1952. My family were just coming out of total financial hardship back then. My father’s life, like many a man of his age, had been seriously disrupted by World War II. When demobbed from his role in the army, he decided he’d get fully educated and became a university student. It was in 1952 that he graduated and started to earn a bit of money. We didn’t travel much for travel meant rail fares. They were to be avoided.
I can’t identify the location for this photo but I’m guessing this was a rare visit to Tonbridge for us. But wherever it was, it is a nice record to have.