Figure 1.--.

I always regret that we were not the sort of family who had a camera. Even my grandparents and cousins up in Yorkshire didn't have one which is a shame as we went out to some nice places up there and would be wearing all sorts of different clothes. The only family photos I can remember were taken by someone outside of the family - the ones of me in Germany or my school passport one. My grandparents had one of my uncle when he was in the Army and one of my Mum in nurse's uniform on their sideboard but none of them as children which is a shame as my grandmother used to make them clothes and they would be unique. My Uncle did sometimes tell me and my cousin about these clothes when we were complaining about clothes our gran bought us and he said we were lucky compared to him and my Mum! I used to use this to try and make my Mum understand why I didn't like some of the clothes she or gran wanted me to wear but she denied that she had ever complained as a girl though my Uncle insisted that she had!

Our Family

Unfortuntely, I don't have a lot of photographs to illustrate my account. I always regret that we were not the sort of family who had a camera. A factor I think is that mum raised us alone and dads often are the parent most involved with photography, at least when I was a boy. Even my grandparents and cousins up in Yorkshire didn't have one which is a shame as we went out to some nice places up there and would be wearing all sorts of different clothes. The only family photos I can remember were taken by someone outside of the family - the ones of me in Germany or my school passport one.

My Grandparents

My grandparents had one of my uncle when he was in the Army and one of my Mum in nurse's uniform on their sideboard but none of them as children which is a shame as my grandmother used to make them clothes and they would be unique. My Uncle did sometimes tell me and my cousin about these clothes when we were complaining about clothes our gran bought us and he said we were lucky compared to him and my Mum! I used to use this to try and make my Mum understand why I didn't like some of the clothes she or gran wanted me to wear but she denied that she had ever complained as a girl though my Uncle insisted that she had! If he came down to Leeds I'd bring this up and then they'd have a friendly argument about it and my gran would tell them off and I got a picture of what they'd been like as kids. Then my gran would tell me to stop causing trouble and threaten to tell my grandad (who I was a bit scared of).

My Uncle

my Uncle would tell me it was best not to complain too much up there so I didn't as I would listen to him. Because he had been in the Army he always looked smart so Mum could use him as an example when she wanted me to look smart even when we were back in London. On the other hand he agreed with my Mum that I shouldn't have to join the cubs or the scouts if I didn't want to although my grandfather thought all boys should be in them (and then do two years of National Service!).

Our Photographs

The only photo I have of me with my brothers is the one I sent you of us on holiday and even in that I am not wearing typical holiday clothes as I'd been ill - but they are. That was taken by someone else too - someone my Mum got talking to on the seafront. He posted it to our address in London some weeks later and it was quite a novelty for us to see ourselves in a photo.

School Portraits

Of course we had portraits taken at school each year So I have some of those portraits saved. And I have one informal photograph at school. I am a bit better in the after school photo than I was in the German photographs. Here Mum was around to supervise and although I refused to have my photo taken with my brother she did instruct me to go and stand still or else (and to make sure that I didn't get ice cream all over my clothes as I nearly did before remembering to hold it aside).

Germany

I do have a few school portraits and our relztives in Yorkshore have some photographs. Curiously, some of the few photographs I have come from Germany. A family I stayed with there took some photographs. Actually, I didn't like having my photograph taken as a boy. I notice a boy on HBC that reminded me of byself as a boy. I noticed that the elder boy in the suit page seemed uncomfortable having his photograph taken while the younger boy and the seated girl seemed quite happy to pose. The elder brother in the snap shot is obviously trying to keep still with his hands behind his back just can't help trying to look "cool" by crossing his legs and is obviously itching to get the photo done and run off to play! I can identify with that and the German Mother had to hold me still for some of the photos! That reminded me of how I hated posing for the photographs in Germany and it was probably because I wasn't used to it. Even seated I couldn't sit still and pose - I sat back and crossed my legs too in one of the German photograpgs. That is why the elder boy in the suit reminded me of myself at that age (as well as him looking a bit like me).With him it may have been self-consiousness about wearing the suit but I was wearing my normal school clothes (mainly) yet I was still embarrassed!.I wonder if it is just an age thing? I have already commented on some of the other German photos--the photography with the Mother where she had to hold me still and squeeze me to make me smile. Thre is also the bird's eye view photograph where I got bored and rubbed my eye. And there is the photograph with the father. He wanted us to put our arms around each other even though the German boy was much taller than me. That explains my clenched fist. And best of all the photograph where I had just about had enough and was just waiting for the camera to go off so I could jump up and make my escape. Anyhow it's just as well I didn't have to pose for photographs too often I suppose but the again it would be nice to have had some more for the memories (even the embarrassing ones!).

Self Consciousness

Some boys seem to be happy to pose for photographs. I noticed this wedding photograph. if I had been at a wedding Mum would not have thought sandals appropriate (the same as with Sunday School) and she'd have ironed the shorts a lot more crisply but perhaps that's just the material? Whether she could have got me to pose nicely like this boy though is another matter!

Bill