....when he was 13. I like the 'a-' for every aspect of oral English and in particular the almost prophetic comment of his English teacher. I'm happy to see he got top marks for French - so presumably he really loved it.
A friend of mine who has read my full version of his diaries has just read my posts on them on 365 and comments -
"the excerpts from your dad’s diaries make his life then seem real."
She has a similar memory to mine about a toy she had as a child -
"I too remember a toy that a German prisoner working at a farm in Tivetshall (Norfolk) made for me. It was a pram made from wood and painted khaki with light coloured fret work patterns on the sides. It just got thrown away. How interested people would be if I still had it."
What a wonderfully predictive comment. These men's stories hopefully will be passed down through the generations. Is your father still with us? Do you have someone to pass the story onto? I have no children so I hope my nephews will be interested in our family history but they are in Australia.....will it mean anything to them I wonder?
@creativeamateur When I first had these reports after my dad died I was a bit stunned to read that comment by the teacher,! He certainly made a good job of it - and didn't have to invent anything!
@Cherrill My father died in 1998; my younger sister 2 years before him; our mother in 1986, So perhaps that's part of the reason I am so keen to document everything as I am the only one left to tell the tale. I have everything on the computer, on CD and also printed versions. We have 2 children, also a niece and nephew from my sister and brother-in-law, all grown-up. I do think in general we have to be a certain age before we are interested in, or can cope with, some of our family history.
@quietpurplehaze How very true and then sometimes its too late to ask the questions. Thank you for sharing your family. I have been researching my family history since the '70's and I am now a probate genealogist.......it's totally absorbing.
@Cherrill I would imagine that is a very interesting profession, also demanding and exacting? Re it being too late to ask the questions, I've often wished I had asked some sooner but am also fortunate in still having Betty, my father's younger sister, who has a terrific memory.
@tishpics Yes he did use it to converse with some French PoWs, also in one camp lessons were given in French and German by a Sgt who was fluent in both languages and my dad attended those.
Hazel until about 6 months ago my orphaned brother and I only knew of about 5 uncles and aunts. Our grandparents died before our birth and we were our only family. Now with the Internet, genealogy software and projects by archives around the world to digitize information, the profession is being replaced by interested amateurs with a computer. Last night I found a relative by marriage who was a harpooner on a whaler in 1824. He was killed at sea off of Indonesia. If you have an interest - there are ways.
@doblaine David you certainly have some very interesting ancestors. A friend researched my family history for me and I know I am of peasant stock (no problems!) Most of my male ancestors were
ag labs (agricultural labourers) the most interesting being a thatcher. Ray had one grandfather who was a gamekeeper and the other was a chimney sweep. We found that this grandfather went to live with his uncle joining him as a chimney sweep including changing his name to the uncle's name = Jones. So we are really not Spencer and only recently found out. it seems to me that not much is ever what it seems!!! And I also like to think we are who we are - if that makes any sense at all.
May 31st, 2012
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ag labs (agricultural labourers) the most interesting being a thatcher. Ray had one grandfather who was a gamekeeper and the other was a chimney sweep. We found that this grandfather went to live with his uncle joining him as a chimney sweep including changing his name to the uncle's name = Jones. So we are really not Spencer and only recently found out. it seems to me that not much is ever what it seems!!! And I also like to think we are who we are - if that makes any sense at all.