Memories

I have been sitting here thinking of what I could do with my next blog as an extension of the previous one. The next episode of my life was school. Not the most inspiring time of my life but I did get to know some good friends.
I think I learnt more about life after I had left school though it did give me the basics of reading and writing. I went to a boarding school which was more like an institution and the only fun part was trying to buck the system.
As I sit here and ponder on my life, I realize it has been a varied journey with highlights along the way. I seemed to go along for a period in a routine way and then there was a sudden change which takes one on an adventure. My early years were one and then the next adventure was from about 16 to my mid thirties. It seems that whenever I took life too seriously, life became monotonous and when I didn’t take things to seriously my windows of opportunity opened. Here are a couple of memories of my life.

Another of my early years, in what looks like the workshop.

This transformed into a fully fledged house and garden.

That’s not a horse with my little sister it is a great dane. He was a gentle dog but terrified people with his size.

This was my first car and being a youngster, l loved cars and driving fast. When I think back, I cringe and wonder how I survived some of the situations I got myself into. I had always wanted to build a hotrod and used to pore over the magazines we used to get from America. I came up with a unique solution by stripping off the mudguards, cutting off the roof and throwing the exhaust pipe off an old Austin. I would then drive as fast as I could go on the many farm tracks. Often I would end up in the bushes. Darren, the dog was my faithful companion and he used to like the jaunts but it’s a wonder he never fell out. That’s my little sister going for a ride. If she had been a little older and wiser she would have been a bit more wary. Fortunately there were no mishaps. I did build a bright orange beach buggy a few years later but unfortunately I have no photos of it.

My father loved Jaguars and this was the second one that he bought. Although it wasn’t really practical for the dirt roads we had, it was certainly fun to drive. I think he would have refused to lend me the car if he knew how I had put it through its paces. Though I think he must have known. He was young once. It was the ideal car for when I went courting.

Just to show you how health conscious we were, here is my mother and sisters doing some yoga of sorts in the garden. My mother is on the left and my eldest sister is on the right. I am sure she would give anything to look like that again. My youngest sister in the middle looks as if she has given up.

And finally this cutie is my youngest sister posing. I am sure that was not her hat and she is a lot older now.