Wednesday 25 August 2010

Unexpected pleasures

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

One of the good things about tidying up is that you stumble across evocative old photographs. (I suppose the tidying is in itself a good thing, although it makes me mad with rage, mostly at myself, for letting things get in such a muddle in the first place.)

My sister is number one on the compound list today, because she saved me with chairs. Years ago, I rather rashly bought some beautiful 19th century French dining chairs, but they are so delicate that every time someone threw back their head with laughter (as so often happens at my dining table, of course) a fatal crack could be heard, and now they are all on their literal last legs, wobbly and entirely unsafe. I had terrible visions of Sarah tumbling to the floor in the most undignified manner. By outrageous good fortune, the lovely sister has some pretty limed chairs she no longer wants, so I am to collect them tomorrow and we shall all eat in safety.

So here is a little homage to my dear sister.

Just look at the sweetness:

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Here she is with our grandmother, looking rather chic in her excellent green cardigan:

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With older niece, as a baby:

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And as a grown-up:

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I also found this adorable one of my older brother, on the beach:

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My dad, riding in a hurdle race, some time in the late fifties or early sixties:

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My younger brother, at Hickstead, with the exact same expression of mad determination on his face:

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And who is this Posy Posington? Yes, it is I. Look at me with my hat and my tennis racket. What on earth was I doing?

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Here is my mum, doing her Grace Kelly thing:

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How elegant she was. Take a look at this profile:

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And there is my dad, all rakish in his flat cap:

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Well, that's enough of the memory lane. I have miles to go before I sleep.

While I was rummaging about upstairs, trying to conjure order from chaos, someone decided it was time to check if the spare bed was all in order:

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It appears to be up to her exacting standards:

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Which is a tremendous relief all round.

6 comments:

  1. What a gloriously upper-class childhood you seem to have had. The photos are all much more glamorous than the ones from my younger days!

    I love the wallpaper in the spare bedroom.

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  2. I love looking at old photos, no matter who they belong to. They hold a great facination for me and these are lovely. One of my summer jobs (I work in a school) was to get all the boxes of photos down from the loft and scan them all in to the pc. Needless to say that hasn't happened!

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  3. As I currently struggle with getting a new season of tennis coaching organised, I am utterly inspired by the equestrian tennis rig out. Sort of Smith's Lawn meets the All England.

    I think a few of my members have ponies...................

    Oh, and if I may digress slightly to yesterday's discourse on the value of wood chip paper.

    I suggest it must have been invented by someone with a house and plaster as old and crumbly as mine, but without the resources or energy to re plaster.

    I am sure that it was all done in very good taste in someone's eyes.

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  4. Beautiful pictures Tania. You have a very elegant and glamorous looking family. And you look adorable in the riding hat xx

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  5. Simply stunning. I just love old photographs, and the one with the horses is so powerful. Great post!
    This week and last I've been thinking a lot about simple pleasures, so this was a joy to read.

    xo M

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  6. I love old photos. Digital just isn't the same. Lovely post.

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