Lament

Post by **AnneM** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:14 pm

Lament

Some day when you are old and grey
Or scattered forth, or laid in clay
Your greats and grands, now little toties,
Will fall upon your box of photies
And greet with unrestrained glee
This trove of family history
But soon their joy will turn to pain
As hopelessly they stress and strain
And rack their brains and scratch their heads
Identifying nameless deads
They’ll shriek with happiness to see
A physog that familiar be
And try their very bestest guesses
To date the pictures from the dresses
Just now and then a date they’ll find
The only clue that’s left behind
Who was around just then? they’ll sigh
Tempted to give up and cry
The merest likeness they will bless
With over-eager hopefulness
Aside at last their task they’ll toss
Their heads will ache; their eyes will cross
As aunt, best friend, employer, mother
Come to resemble one another
Till it’s impossible to start
Each family to tell apart

So spare some pity, friends, for me
And listen to my heartfelt plea
Take heed of this, my tale of woe
And NAME YOUR PICTURES ere you go!!!!!

Anne

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:20 pm

Excellent, Anne

Regards

Catriona

Post by **AnneM** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:31 pm

Thanks Catriona

At present it's a cri de coeur!

Anne

fmackay · Post by **fmackay** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:51 pm

Hi Anne

So true!
I now put the name on the back of every photo i take and I'm slowly getting through the huge amount of photos from my parents,grandparents etc.
It's great fun especially when you can put a name to the face although I have made a few mistakes and thankfully have been corrected by my aunt. She must get tired of me contantly asking her names , dates etc when she picks up the phone

instead of asking her how she is!!

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:57 pm

Hi Anne
Don't you just wish they could speak?

We have several results of "nae names oan the back" here!
http://www.talkingscot.com/gallery/thum ... p?album=60

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **Jean Jeanie** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:14 pm

Hi Anne

My mother was geat at writing on the backs of photos. Names, places and dates.

However, I have found out that a lot of them are completely wrong

As I go through them I try to rectify what I can. She even got the date wrong for her father's death and that was in 1965

I know the date as it is etched on my brain...........I loved him so much.

Jean

Post by **Ina** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:38 pm

Hi Anne,

That was brilliant.

I write names on the back of every photo.

A few years ago my dads uncle sent me a shoe box full of profession photographs....all taken at the same studio in Greenock, and not a name on any of them....... He said all he knew was that they were all the Moran family. Through some of the older Moran's I've been able to identify a few of them.

Ina

Post by **AnneM** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:14 pm

Hi again

Just to prove that some things do indeed run in families here is a little ditty I found among the nameless rellies: It is dated 24/7/1945 and written by my oldest Aunt

De-mobbing

Some day I'll waken up to find
The day for which I've pined--
Has dawned and that 'they' "find it meet"
That I return to "civvie street"

Then what a rushing to and fro
From SHQ to SMO
Who'll tap my chest and test my brain
To see if it has stood the strain

They'll ask my weight, when I was born
Details of birthmarks, bunions, corns
Where I intend to spend my leave
So that my pay I will receive

They'll give me bags of gen galore
On what to hand in to the store
Then-- having got rid of my kit
I'll start off with my 'clearance chit'

Next round and round the camp I'll run
Each section saying "I'm last but one"
And finally "upon my knees"
I'm ready for the PDC!

And now with joy- tinged with regret
At leaving all the friends I've met
I stagger off-- the transport's late
And finally "I'm through the gate"

The depot's reached, it's like a maze
I'm in and out huts in a daze
At last-- formalities complete
I'm on my way to civvie street

No longer corporal- just plain miss
I'm off to my idea of bliss
A feather bed-- no queues for meals
No more parades and blistered heels

And yet-- when all is said and done
I really did have lots of fun
And when of freedom's cup I quaff
Will I wish I were still a WAAF?

There are few really nice photos of WAAFs and ground staff at Linton on Ouse and particularly Holme on Spalding Moor so if anyone had a rellie there let me know and I'm sure I could come up with a copy.

Anne

davran · Post by **davran** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 12:26 pm

That was great, Anne, and how I wish my late father-in-law had followed your advice. Towards the end of his life he refused even to look at the boxes and boxes of old photos he had as he said they made him feel sad.

Having said that, at least there is the possibility of finding out who they were. On my side of the family we have very, very few photos and those all of the same people.

Post by **joette** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 11:04 am

Many years ago I started putting names(full)& d.o.b. on photos plus dates& even how they relate to each other in some instances!I know i am obsessed but I keep them in a metal box after my then 3 year old nephew set my bedroom on fire!
My photos were slightly singed but because of the metal box not too badly.
The Polaroid ones melted around the edges.
It has been good that I have been able to identify some of them from their names & my research.Now I know that the Tina Gibson in the flapper dress who looks just like me is in fact my Grandfather's sister daughter-my Grandfather was the last to marry in his family at the grand old age of 48.So my Father's cousins are a generation older than he was.