A Blast From The Past

Peter and Gordon, a photo by Dunstabelle

Peter and Gordon were a British pop duo, comprising Peter Asher and Gordon Waller, who achieved international fame in 1964 with their first single, the million-selling transatlantic No.1 smash "A World Without Love". Started in 1964 split up then came back together in 2005, until the death of: Gordon in 2009 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_and_Gordon Photograph from photoplay August 1964.

Ollie Vee's

Ollie Vees is a vintage and Retro emporium in Leighton Buzzard.  It is a lovely little shop which I love going in. It's popularity I feel is because it doesn't just sell clothes like some retro shops in the areas, it sells anything and everything vintage, it is a mini emporium.  You can rummage through draws of buttons, lace, stockings, bags, belts, records, newspapers and magazines, etc you get the picture I am sure.  They have a juke box in the corner of the room playing all the hits of the day. They have recently put in a little counter and table and chairs, so while your browsing you can stop for a cup of tea and some cake.  Kev and I often go in and while he looks at the old records and Magazines, I enjoy looking at the dresses.  They do sell new ready made retro dresses, as well as some original items.  It is not just a shop, and they don't just have an interest in the past, It is a real labour of love and you know it from the minute you walk through the doors and get a warm welcome from the owners.  They also have a basement where they have started playing life music. There is always something different happening there, and I wish them all the best for the future.  If your ever in Leighton Buzzard, then pop in and say hi.  Make sure you take some money with you because you will not leave empty handed,  have fun browsing this delightful little shop. They are on Facebook and they have their own web address  http://www.ollievees.com/.

Quick Catch Up

Hi again haven't been around for a while been busy with life. I have taken lots of pics and picked up a few more interests during this time away, so will hopefully start sharing them with you.  I had my son's wedding in April, and met up with my brothers and sisters who I haven't seen for years.  We had a brilliant time, although I will not be putting up pictures of the wedding it was in Leek Staffordshire and I have some wonderful pictures of the surrounding areas, not forgetting leek itself. 

 

I have started researching my family tree I have actually been doing it for sometime now, but since last year we have started to travel to key places, and visit cemeteries and buildings if they are still there. I have started contact with a few distant cousins who I didn't know existed so it  has been great fun.  This photograph is the family of my Great Grandfather born in Ireland in 1854.  His parents John Hill and Johanna Brennan where married in Cork in February 1854, it is virtually impossible to go further back.  However they moved to Oxford, and had 5 more children there.  Robert married Jane Sophia griffin and this is their family portrait. They ran a book shop for the Jesuit priests in Woodstock Road Oxford, the shop was partially in front of the Catholic Church St Aloysius.

Standing: Francis, Kathleen, my Grandfather Ernest William,
Sitting: Mary Ellen My Great Grandfather Robert,
 My Great Grandmother Jane Sophia Griffin, Celia Jane and
Agnes Winifred dated early 20th century.

Flickr is going well and I am now also on Ipernity  another photo sharing site.  While trawling around graveyards I decided to put some up on Flickr and was introduced to an American based web site called find a grave, the numbed  of graves and graveyards there have listed on there is amazing so I have joined that as well and I am putting up gravestones. We have several churches with graveyards and a large cemetery.  

Most graveyards seem to be ignoring the older and more interesting graves and keeping the newer graves tidy, which is fair enough, I suppose, but it is sad to see them turned into a nature reserve, or just ignored.  There are large expanses of green in between where the headstones have gone and over the years the grass has grown even, some stones are worn and damaged, but it is still interesting to read them, as you have to remember when they where laid to rest they where somebodies loved ones, and the headstone would have cost them a lot of money, to buy at the time.  

I am still hard at work, feeling old and achy, and being told that my retirement age is 66, it is a bitter pill to swallow.  I would actually like to spend sometime retired, but giving the hard work and emotional stress that care work can be, I will be surprised if I am in any fit state to enjoy it.  Never mind eh, I still go to the gym a couple of times a week to swim and do some Zumba fitness, I don't do much more than that as I fit it in around work, but it has made a huge difference to me, so I will definitely be keeping it up, and with all the walking I do as well I don't do so bad. Well that's enough for now, will post some more soon.

Me and my family out for a post wedding ramble.