Enoch & Betty

A date stamp on the reverse of this studio portrait of my grandfather, Enoch Burnett, gives me a precise date - the 18th November 1928. At the time, Enoch will have been 51 years old and working as a window cleaner in Great Horton, Bradford. He is joined in this portrait by his dog, Betty, … Continue reading Enoch & Betty

Kids Those Days

The photograph dates from 1948 and was taken outside our house in Great Horton, Bradford. My brother, Roger, is the one just below the letter box and I am not sure about the identity of the others. I was just about arriving in the world at the time the photo was taken. My question relates … Continue reading Kids Those Days

The Cuppa Stop

Most car journeys of my youth would involve stopping for a cup of tea. If it was a short journey - one of the regular weekend "runs" around West Yorkshire - there would be a flask of milky tea. Longer journeys - those day trips to Bridlington of Blackpool - might necessitate a Camping Gas … Continue reading The Cuppa Stop

With Best Love

Sometimes I choose the subjects for my daily desktop calendar, other times they choose themselves. This redoubtable character chose herself. It might be my Great Aunt Ruth-Annie or her sister Miriam or it might be any of a half dozen sisters from a different branch of the family. Whoever she is, she sent her portrait … Continue reading With Best Love

JOHN THE MATE

The time must be somewhere around the late 1920s. The place will have been Bradford. The man on the left is my Uncle John, who was a wagon drivers' mate. Not sure who the wagon driver - the one with the cap - was. The star of the photo shoot, however, must surely have been … Continue reading JOHN THE MATE

Walking Around Egypt

Until we ventured to France in the 1960s, it was my understanding that my father had only ever been abroad once - and that was a day trip to Calais in the 1930s. Thus initially I was surprised to see in his diary for this week in 1934 that he had gone walking around Egypt! … Continue reading Walking Around Egypt

Just Three Generations

I remember asking my father about this photograph of his father - Enoch Burnett sat at the front of this group - and he said that it was taken at the time of the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Enoch was in a reserve group of volunteers and he never got further than a training camp … Continue reading Just Three Generations

The Visual Date-Stamp

My parents, Albert and Gladys. The photograph dates from around 1934 or 35, a year or two before they were married. My father was a keen cyclist and my mother was a less keen passenger on the back of their tandem. A great photo, but the bonus is the couple walking in the background providing … Continue reading The Visual Date-Stamp