Photos are very much front of mind at the moment.
The Cat's Mother has removed all the normal photos and ornaments to make way for the Christmas decorations for the festive season. She carefully put them downstairs in the basement room...its got a Moroccan theme to it, and is I guess the room favoured for parties. When we went to bed last night The Cat mentioned to her mum that she thought she could hear an alarm, and later I mentioned I thought I could too. We were both reassured that we were hearing things.
All hell broke loose this morning...there was an alarm going - it was the flood alarm in the basement - as it turned out, a drain had blocked meaning that the damp that is constantly pumped out was flooding back in. Straight into the the box of photographs. Most of the frames are damaged beyond repair...the photos themselves are mostly drying out and we'll see how many can be saved...some definitely cannot be as the ink has run, some may be, some are just irreplaceable. That's quite heartbreaking...it's amazing just how valuable pictures are...absolute treasures. Which bring me round to other treasured pictures.
I whinged to Grandma in Cyprus that I don't have any photos from THE PAST...and like the good mother she is, she has sent me a pile. These are the ones I was going to put up on Friday...I guess the snow addled my brain. Anyway, here some of them are. I find old pictures absolutely fascinating, and in particular seeing what people used to look like in days gone by I've tasked Grandma in Cyprus with filling in the blanks where I don't know or can't remember the people.
PS - Grandma in Cyprus has ridden to the rescue so all the blanks filled in!
I hope the interweb will keep them safe and secure for ever...

This may be a Freemason's do - Grandma in Cyprus with her mum and Dad and my Dad

Her wedding Day

Same day

Oh my! Grandma in Cyprus used to race cars on a dirt track

She's still smiling as she crashes (again)

Perhaps from Grandma's time working at the zoo

My brother's first wedding

Did she beat him with the golf club?

Grandma in Cyprus as bridesmaid...to the girl she lived with during the war - she was evacuated there

I never knew these two - Auntie Lilly and Uncle Tom

Grandma in Cyprus' wedding day..

This picture is 72 years old! From the left: my grandfather holding a puppy, Uncle Stan, my Grandmother, Uncle Jack, Uncle Sam, Auntie Lilly Uncle Tom...and Dick, the cousin (where's Harry?!). Next row: Auntie Grace, David, Kathleen, Mr Completely Unknown!, Auntie Kate..cousin Dorothy's Mum. Bottom row: Betty (Dorothy's sister), Grandma in Cyprus, Marjorie

Ha ha! I didn't know this was Grandma in Cyprus

Grandma in Cyprus' childhood dog

Cutting the cake

That's me on the left...three generations together

Well I know that's Grandma in Cyprus on the right, and this is the same Yorkshie wedding

Wedding pic

Grandad in Cyprus used to have a band...and very good it was too!

I have a step sister...her wedding day

Blimey I was blonde!

21st birthday for Grandma in Cyprus

On the far right are my Grandmother and Grandfather, and on the left, looking very grand in a Victorian kind of way my Great Grandfather and Mother

I guessed a few of these before Grandma helped me - from the left: Uncle Charles and his wife Margaret, my Grandfather and grandmother, David, Auntie Grace, Cherry and Jack (who's still going strong!); next row: Uncle Tom, Autnie Lilly, Grandma in Cyprus, my Great Grandmother and Uncle Sam (married to Auntie Grace); front row: Jackie, Muriel, Alan, Maori and finally Derek

I see four monkeys...

The brothers

...a little bit older...

I got my degree...Economic and Political Development from the University of Exeter. I was top of the class!