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Author Archives: Jan
The cost of a mandarin orange in 1912
In 1912, mandarins were scarce and a single mandarin could cost you 1 shilling, or $7.25 in 2023’s money. A lot, right? Well, that was the value placed on a mandarin orange that my Great Uncle Nicholas Robert Harris picked … Continue reading
Posted in Family history
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Dangin: the town that died from thirst
Dangin, the town where my mother grew up, had water but it didn’t have alcohol and that lack contributed to its slow decline. The founder of the town, Jonah Parker, came from a devout Methodist family and according to legend, … Continue reading
Posted in Family history
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Wow! That’s my Mum
That little brown photo album I mentioned before turned up a personal treasure and gave me a real ‘OMG!’ moment when I first looked through it. There was my Mum dressed up as ‘Jill’‘ together with her friend Joe Shepherd … Continue reading
Posted in Family history, Family photos
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A little brown photo album from Dangin
My 90+ year old Aunt-M finds my family history exploration very entertaining and is always keen to add to my collection of photos and stories. She recently gave me a little brown photo album to scan created by her Aunt … Continue reading
Posted in Family history, Family photos, Genealogy
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Fishy family traits and the value of newspapers
My brother is a magician when it comes to catching fish. He just has to appear with a line in hand and the fish start to queue up to jump on his hook, biggest ones first. As kids our Dad … Continue reading
Posted in Family history, Genealogy
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Postcards as evidence of family history
Following on from a previous post about the flip sides of images, old postcards are also great sources of information. But some, like this one, just generate more questions. My paternal grandmother died before I was born and finding information … Continue reading
Posted in Family photos, Genealogy
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On the flip side of a family heritage photo
Can anyone remember 45s in the days of vinyl when the best song was sometimes on the flip side? I find that can be true of old photos as well. The front is interesting but the gold is on the … Continue reading
Posted in Family photos, Genealogy
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Scanning family 35mm slides
My darling boy only ever took slides and we ended up with a huge number of them. The collection contains everything you would expect – family events, holidays, house, garden, pets, overseas trips, and clouds – lots and lots of … Continue reading
Posted in Family photos, Uncategorized
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Photo restoration: Just because you can, should you?
Edit that is, digital cosmetic surgery on old photos. There is something about an old photo with its cracks and fading that gives it gravitas and says ‘ I am old, I am to be treated with respect, I am … Continue reading
Posted in Digital photography, Family photos
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Photos as a key to unlocking memories
I am blessed to have a 90+ year old aunt who is clear minded, sharp witted and one of the most gentle and generous souls I know. We love to sit and share stories and she is a treasure trove … Continue reading
Posted in Family photos
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Kinship Matters 