By Bernie Bell

I was having an exchange with a chum, about……….. families, memories, photos, times changing.  He mentioned how much he likes to sit with his family ( he now has Great-grandchildren!)  and share photos – handing them round, discussing, remembering.

I agreed with him now different it is now, when a lot of people – I think maybe most people – put their photos on their computer, and that’s that.  So, what happens in the years ahead, when there are no ‘hard copy’ photos to hand round and look at together?

We’d just had this exchange, when I was prompted to look in an old photo album, (1995) for a picture to send to friend Hannah, and that particular album, proved to be full of life – an Aunt & Uncle’s Golden Wedding anniversary ‘do’, a Christening, a couple of holidays, my oldest friends 40^th birthday party, including photos of our other closest friend, who passed from this life in the year 2000. A friend’s child’s second birthday party – and this was someone who had been told she couldn’t have children, due to a medical condition – the medics were wrong!  Pictures taken of snowy scenes, looking from the house we lived in then.  You get the idea – these memories, are all there, in a book, to look at again and again, and to share. I scanned some of them, and sent them to the relevant people. That’s where the electronic element does come in handy, but, I believe that just putting photos on the computer,  is no substitute for putting them in an album, then being able to hold that album, maybe with someone sitting next to you – sharing the memories.

And so, I thought I’d write a short piece, just suggesting the idea, that folks might like to step back a bit in time, and print out some photos – maybe just the most evocative ones – to keep in an album.  We do this, and the younger generations think it’s me being funny old Auntie Bernie.  These albums are often full of life though – weddings, christenings, birthdays, holidays.  Photos from friends who are far away – it can be lovely, to look through them.

Here are the pics which got me searching through the 1995 album – me, clambering through Men An Tol in Cornwall – when my hair was still actually red!

Hannah had sent me this https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2019/dec/14/ancient-wonders-five-little-known-archaeological-sites-uk ,

so I told her the tale – there always a tale…..

“Years ago, we had a holiday in Cornwall – which we loved. We went to Men An Tol, and  did something which, at the time, seemed inexplicable.   Usually, we go round things/through things, three times, clockwise – for some reason, we each went through Men An Tol,  through the hole, three times, anti-clockwise. (I’m glad I did so then, as I wouldn’t be able to that now, with the bad back an‘ all). After we’d done so, we realised that we’d gone anti-clockwise, and thought – Oh shit, that’s the wrong way to do it.   Then, years later, I read that traditionally, folk went through, passed babies through etc  Men An Tol – anti-clockwise! We‘d got it right –  instinctively?

Have you ever been to Cornwall?  Wonder-full place – Rocky Valley and the Bronze Age(?) labyrinth carvings there.

https://www.britainexpress.com/counties/cornwall/ancient/rock-valley-labyrinths.htm

Wow, this brings back so many memories.”

And writing this piece, prompted me to get out the most recent album, which starts in October 2017, and which isn’t full yet, and that contains……………Mike’s work visit to Java – with beautiful tropical flowers.  The funeral notice for a good friend – our first friend, on Orkney.  A family who are now living in Spain, not sure when we’ll see them again. Our holiday to the Western Isles ( as reported in TON!). The Moon in Stromness!!!

Two of my Great-nieces and nephews, and two of Mike’s Great-nieces and nephews – they’ll like to see these, when they’re older.  A Neolithic Feast!  And – most up to date – this year’s Christmas time photos from friends who live in New Zealand – when will we see them again?

And that’s why I put photos in an album.