Making Pictures

These blocks were in Killerton House, Devon.  I used to have some the same when I was little.  They make up six different pictures.

A letter opener

This letter opener was made by Dad. He also made pokers suing the same technique of putting washers on a metal bar and then fashioning them into squares.

Col and Ethel's wedding

At Easter 1938 Mum and Dad's friends Col and Ethel were married and Mum was the bridesmaid, Dad the best man.

Dad looked handsome and...

Mum looked beautiful.    . Don't they scrub up well!

Mum's necklace

Jo and I sorted through the family jewellery recently and one of my main disappointments was being unable to find photos of the items with their original wearers.

This is one exception.

It shows Mum at the age of 12 in 1921 wearing a coral necklace. Prior to finding the photo I had imagined the necklace was Victorian. However, I now suspect that it was Mum's. I think someone posing for a studio photo at that time would more likely have worn their own favourite piece of jewellery rather than a 'hand-me-down' from a mother or aunt.

A Certificate

My Mother always reckoned that Nana was a better artist than she was. Sadly I've never seen any works of art that Nana did to be able to take a judgement on the issue. Nana did however, at the age of 20, receive this certificate from the grandly titled Society of Science, Letters and Art of London.

Regrettably, upon investigation I find that the Society whilst sounding grand seems to have been fairly transitory and created primarily for the aggrandisment of its members. It seems that it hoped to have itself confused with the Society of Arts and similar august bodies so that anyone describing themsles as a Fellow of the Society of Science, Letters and Art might be mistaken for a member of one of the more genuine bodies.

I cannot imagine that Nana would have sent off an oil painting to such a body unless she had thought it genuine so it is quite possible that it presented itself to the general public as a valid judge of paintings - possibly even charging a fee for such judgement. It seems quite ironic that Nana kept this certificate all her life and yet not a single painting of hers survives.