An old photograph sees the light of a new day. It is a family Christmas many years ago. You can tell it is Christmas because of the fake tree, the After Eight mints, the bottle of QC Sherry and the smile on the Good Lady Wife's face. But this was a good few years before she became the GLW and she was probably having to experience a Burnett Christmas for the first time. The weather is miserable today so I have been scanning old negatives. All together now :
"Scan though your heart is aching
Scan even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by
If you scan through your fear and sorrow
Scan and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through for you"
We had that tree! As we are of an age GLW could have been me. I remember being just as underwhelmed too. Where were the fruit jellies and the dates with ‘Eat Me’ on the box? The Egg Flip/Advocaat which was only put on the sideboard at Christmas and the bowl of nuts with a useless nutcracker.
ReplyDeleteYou didn't mention the 'period' wallpaper.
ReplyDeleteThese old photos are so interesting, but scanning them is such a pain! it's been a nice sunny day here and I've been out in the garden pulling up a no-good loganberry and some invasive mint, and getting rid of about a ton of nasty dusty soil. Now all I have to do is.... er..... help! blimey....
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great photo! Everything in it except the wallpaper I remember well. I even had my hair exactly like her's. :-)
ReplyDeleteShe was beautiful...I don't remember that time too well as I was a little girl...
ReplyDeleteWow! That is some wild wallpaper! I don't think I've ever seen that print before. Great shot, Alan.
ReplyDeleteSeems we had that tree also, maybe a little taller. I think I have a photo of it some where. I really love your blog, hope you will come follow me and check mine out also.
ReplyDeletehttp://thebranchesonourtree.blogspot.com
sweet bit of time travel! i had a similar do in the late 60s - it was the twiggy do!!
ReplyDeletewith a few comments which mentioned the wallpaper i took another look at it and i swear my grandparents had wallpaper that looked like that which was another reason this pic really took me back in time.....
ReplyDeleteThat wallpaper really is familiar, but I don't remember it as wallpaper. I'm thinking maybe standard lamp shade?? Definitely something!!
ReplyDeleteA time capsule here. That wallpaper is often found in fabrics of that era, as well, and the carved wooden lamp with plastic on the shade, along with the embroidered tea cloth (?) seem almost quintessential to that time period. Your not yet Mrs. seems less than enthusiastic, but I'm sure later years improved her outlook toward holidays at the in-laws.
ReplyDeleteLove your title and sing-a-long.
"Whisper just while you cuddle near me!" I don't know where that came from, maybe my brain scan...
ReplyDeleteAlan you will have to lay off the compliments on our photos for a while otherwise our heads will swell...
My wife wore the same length of short skirts and had the same haircut when I married her. I have never see the wallpaper before no. It's different. Great post and I wonder if you had eaten spam for lunch that it could have gone into that song too.
ReplyDeleteYes, you can add me to the list of those who swear they recognise the wallpaper. You captured the GLW very nicely.
ReplyDeleteI feel like that about Christmas - well, certainly in November, I do. As for the smile, maybe it was 6.20in the morning?
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Alan, I have that song stuck in my head now.....GLW was a striking person!
ReplyDeleteSomebody caught her in a moment of misery or sadness.
ReplyDeleteI remember the clock in the photo. It was a 240 volt mains electric. By the way, a Burnett Christmas was never dull with me around to stir up family arguments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with kim...twiggy! She's adorable! awwww.
ReplyDeleteGreat song..and it brought back memories for me too..I had that same haircut and those same gorgeous legs back in 1967 or thereabouts. Scan away! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's the bottle of tomato ketchup on the sideboard that confuses me!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to bed with a smile on my face tonight, Alan. Your posts often make me laugh and I love to read them before bed. I'm certain a laugh helps ensure a good night's sleep. (Poor your Good Lady Wife. Maybe it was a hard Christmas that year.)
ReplyDeleteThat's a fantastic photo.
ReplyDeleteMichael and Hanna:
ReplyDeleteThose words (or nearly those words) came from a very early 1930's song 'Whispering' which was a huge hit for the Roy Fox Orchestra - a long time before this photograph was taken, I think.
I remember that wallpaper, too. My friend June's house ... the geometric square were orange and brown in that case. What is Christmas without After Eights and sherry, I ask you!
ReplyDeleteHappy scanning! That is a wonderful photo!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could see what she is looking at.
ReplyDelete(As Jimmy Savile Might Have Said)Scantastic!!!.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed this before! Love it. We used the discarded silver trees to make our own ornaments - peace and life signs! Great photo and I love the poem. Makes we anxious to warm up the scanner.
ReplyDelete