Tag: Family History

A Spanner In The Works

I've given this photo the title "Albert and the Giant Spanner". As far as I can be certain, that is my father, Albert, on the left, which would mean that the photograph was taken about 1930 when he was a young apprentice in Bradford. I'm not sure what the giant spanner was used for, but … Continue reading A Spanner In The Works

Gladys, Albert And Cat

There is, of course, a famous 1971 Hockney painting entitled "Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy". My photograph predates that by a good 35 years and is entitled "Mr and Mrs Burnett and Cat". The two main subjects are my parents, and the photo was probably taken in Bradford in about 1936. Coincidentally, Hockney was … Continue reading Gladys, Albert And Cat

History Out Of Focus

Gladys At The Seaside

This photograph of my mother at the seaside was taken eleven years before I was born. A scribbled caption on the reverse of the small print says "Shanklin, Isle of Wight, 1937". Looking at the photograph now, 86 years after it was taken, it is almost like reaching back through time and watching the prequel … Continue reading Gladys At The Seaside

Wilson And Clara Ann Go To Totnes

There was a danger yesterday that I might have been heading in the direction of order and structure in my pointless daily jottings, so I have taken swift action today to avoid such a lamentable conclusion. The swift action comes in the form of two of my favourite people, Wilson and Clara Ann Fieldhouse. Wilson … Continue reading Wilson And Clara Ann Go To Totnes

Kate

This is a photograph of my grandmother, Kate Kellam, which must have been taken sometime around 1900, a few years before she married my grandfather, Albert Beanland. Catherine, who was always known as Kate, was born in the small town of Morcott, in Rutland in March 1877, to Albert and Catherine Kellam, and whilst she … Continue reading Kate

Albert And His Car

Mirth And Enjoyment

Entrance to the Grand Pier at Weston-Super-Mare (Frank Fieldhouse and Miriam Burnett) (F1c) The entrance to the Grand Pier at Weston-Super-Mare in England. The photo dates from the mid 1930s, and the couple standing in front of the "Mirth" sign are my Uncle and Aunt, Frank and Miriam Fieldhouse. The miserable chap who is the … Continue reading Mirth And Enjoyment

On Two Wheels Through The Thirties

My parents, Albert and Gladys Burnett, spent much of the 1930s on two wheels. They started on a tandem, and then at some point they progressed to a motorbike. At times they flirted with three wheels, but such experiments were short-lived. Once, my father bought a Morgan Super Sports three wheeled car - it had … Continue reading On Two Wheels Through The Thirties