I've a passion for our family history and have become the keeper of the family album, albeit in digital form. My Mother's cousin Ieuan recently lent me his mother's old Victorian family album which contained many photographs I hadn't seen before and faces I didn't recognise. But with a bit of detective work I was able to put names to the faces in this family portrait and turned it from just another anonymous Edwardian family photograph into a vital record of real people who I can now claim as members of
"my" family. I already knew that this little girl was a cousin of my Grandmother's and recognised also the face of her mother. Then a search of the census records on line produced details of the whole family, which in turn enabled me to identify them all.
Today is Armistice Day - a day when we remember all those who have suffered and died in war, and of course I think of my Father and Grandfather who did not die but certainly suffered. Their wartime experiences affected the rest of their lives. But this year I want to remember also
Thomas Glyn Owen, the young man in these photographs. He was killed on the Somme on 21st March 1918 aged 38. He left behind his grieving wife, parents, sister and brothers. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Poizeres Memorial in France, just one of over
14,300 soldiers who simply disappeared there between March and August 1918. I can't imagine the anguish of the families who had to sit at home waiting for news that never came.
Supplies: Haute Couture Embellishment digital kit from Design by Anita at Two Peas in a Bucket
My spices are a mixture of cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and star anise crushed a bit with a pair of pliers to release their wonderful fragrance - so Christmassy, I wish you could smell it. Some old buttons, bells and felt beads add the finishing touches along with die cut felt shapes. It all came together really well so thanks so much Emily for organising the perfect swap for me. Hope we can do it again next year.
