Family Stories

Knowing that my nan has lots of old photos and family stories I asked her to have a think about a few stories that she has photos to compliment. I then went round to her house to find that she had written seven different stories which she had written on envelopes that had photos inside. So we sat down and went through the stories to see what she had come up with. Here are a few of the stories she has given me...


Story 1:

"Mother and I on one of her visits to Mrs Bowden, whom she gave me to when I was 10 days old. Though she had to take me back when my Dad came home on leave. Some one told him what was going on and he filed for divorce and I was put into care at the age of three"


Story 2:

"Mother and I ages about three and just before she put me into St Annes, having been made a ward of court and actually given to my fathers custody, but he being in the army, agree to have me put away. He then abandoned me. At least my mother kept in touch, she didn't want me, but didn't want anyone else to have me. My cousin, Gino, told me , she'd planned to leave me there till I died, which happened to some of the girls, if their family didn't come to take them home. Some only went home when they were 14 and old enough to work and giving in another wage to the house and I know some who were sexually and physically abused by their fathers. Others put into service to scivvy for the rich and Dr family. Some, to escape became nuns. And perhaps to dish out the abuse, they themselves had received. Where I was left until I was about 17 years old, was where the word "care" did not exist"

My nan, with her mother. Aged three

Story 5:

"My mother and I, taken in Trafalgar Square. I was 18 years old and although you can't see them, she made me wear boys shoes and long grey boys socks and you can see, she still made me wear ribbons in my hair, this was before she took me to an Italian barber and told him in Italian, to give me short back and sides, I came out looking like a boy. She hated me and was jealous of me or maybe my youth and kept me dressed as a child while I lived that one year with her. I think my stepfather, Cescene was afraid of her, he left her 6 months after he made her take me out of St Annes, he was 12 or 14 years younger than her. Many times I heard her beating him up in her bedroom. Not very happy in this picture." 

My nan, with her mother and aunties. Aged 18