There's no point having a web-site... if you
don't "parade yourself" a bit... this is not done for fame and fortune (some
chance!!)... but rather, just for the record...
My young mum - and me (as far as I know - my first
appearance) - no dates - but I was born 10th November 1943 - so I'd guess World
War 2 was still raging outside the photography studio, who's details are stamped
on the back of one of these photies... "Wakefields, 21 The Mall, Ealing Broadway
Tele: EALing 1000 & 2323" - 13 years later I was to spend 4 enjoyable years in
Ealing - at school.

Now these 3 (one of
which is notated "Glenis and Michael" - so sorry - don't remember Glenis. ) and
another ..."9 months, 6th August 1944 'Our Michael'", so I'm guessing these may
have got sent to dad - warring in North Africa. Have to say my mum likes that
necklace!!
There are 3 copies of
this piccie - which I presume is me, outside the front door of 81 Cecil Rd,
Acton or is it?? See below). In my mum's handwriting on the backs..."S/14728610
Pte T Curley R2/RE, GHQ D2E, CMF" and then in different hand (some unreadable)..
"G. Los?. Young 1, 5, Walmer Terrace, Purley Road West, Lorox" - so maybe I'm
outside 5 Walmer Terrace??? Didn't Uncle Bert and Auntie Nell live near Purley??
we're back to Wakefields in Ealing again - for these - what a chubby
little chap!!
What do you think...??
Must be about 4 or 5?? Would still have been at Cecil Rod, although I think we
moved to 71 Hurstfield Crescent, Hayes when I was 5.... If its still Cecil Road
- is this Billy Bombshell??
No idea - when, where -
who the little girl is...... must be my first overcoat though...??
This I know..... Don
Pavey and Nin's wedding - I was a page-boy - was so proud - loved my silky
outfit - white top maroon trousers - great day!! I think this was where I met
Vera for the first time - instant - love!! But - no idea of dates (I look to be
about 10??) - also cannot remember where the wedding took place... useless!!
Reckon we would still have been living at Hurstfield Crescent, Hayes - so that
means this is before 1955.
And now - we're at 95
North Hyde Road, Hayes - mum was very keen on her roses - top left was my
bedroom. Do you like the shorts?? Trendsetter even then - I called them
"Bermuda's"!!
Mug-shots - at North Hyde Road - around 12 years of age..
me and mum visiting
Auntie Flo and Uncle John at 19 Laurel Avenue, Wickford, Essex - my first pair
of long-trousers?? For some reason I'm brandishing a small hammer... photo taken
by Peter Olney - one of the first colour snaps!! Do you like mum's pose??
Ealing Tech school
uniform puts this at 1957 or later... aged about 13/14.
Ealing Tech school
uniform again - groovy hair-style - a quiff!! This has a notation on the back
"To Dorothy, with tons of love, Mick xxxx" - what an old Romeo I was - Dorothy I
remember was a girl we used to see on the train to and from Ealing Broadway -
she used to get on at West Drayton and went to school..... dunno... I think I
took her to the pictures once - knew then how to show a lady a good time!!
These 2 could be a year apart... Dad had died (around late 1960 early
1961).. and as a member of the Cinematograph Trades Benevolent Fund his
surviving family got (I think) 2 summer holidays and one winter/Christmas
holiday at CTBF owned establishments.... this one was a sort of hotel on the
Morecambe Bay front - whilst the winter place was a lovely old stately home in
Basingstoke or thereabouts... I reckon I'm about 16/17. met up with Linda
and Lesley ??? and their mother - they lived in Hammersmith and had also
recently lost their dad.
dunno.. must be about
18....
Back garden at North Hyde Road and (I think) Ealing Tech College car
park... the clothes - especially the lovat green suit were given to me by John
Flower (son of Jack and May Flower) - I was one of the best dressed pupils at
the college!!
I think this must be
during my early years working at ICT Putney - on shift. I think this was a
lovely warm summer - and I may have been on evening or night shift and was
trying to get a sun-tan plus a good night's sleep (in the garden). Gangly is the
word - I think?? 19/20 years old...?
Sweety the cat
This looks like 95
North Hyde Road - so that would mean I'd be about 19/20/21??

These 2 were just presented to me by Mike Waller whilst we were on our skiing
holiday with Brian Stoate in March 2008. I reckon this was just after Wal and I
had been on (my first) our skiing holiday to Zell am See (Feb, 1970) and 1900
Programming had been challenged to a soccer match by some unsuspecting group -
they didn't know we had a Polatch!! Anyway - here you see the full range of my
skills from throw-ins (no the ball on the ground is not the one I was
throwing-in!!), to right and left footed dexterity, whilst directing opposing
and my own team players with secretive hand signals...
And now a big jump....... South Africa time....
I certainly had that
goatee beard end 1969 early 1970 - Polatch at 1900 Programming UK used to call
me "the 3 armpits" (just imagine the view if I'd raised both arms up) - most
uncharitable!! so this has to be about March 1970 - aged about 27.
Amazingly... I have no
idea who the other bloke is, or where the piccie was taken etc... But it looks
to be bright weather - something you get in South Africa - and rarely in the UK
- so the assumption is.. South Africa around 1970/1971....
What a hero!! I
remember this... it was in the Drakensburg Mountains - possibly at Van Reenen's
Pass - either Fred Boulton or Almuth took the piccie, around 1971.
In the back garden of
131 Tilehouse Way, Denham - a couple of days before marriage on 15th Sept 1971
Wedding Day - Registry
Office - Slough - Mum's got the confetti!!
back in South Africa,
Almuth was working as a photographer in Stella Nova studios Randburg and she
took this early one morning - I was into Christian Dior ties at the time..
In the rain-forest at
Victoria Falls around 4th or 5th March 1972
This one - we have
annotated exactly... "May 1972 - Just leaving Robin & Jenny's house to take them
to the airport" - we house-sat for them for a couple of weeks. Do you like the
polo-necked jumper (again) - Suede Jacket - bought in Rhodesia and the Prince of
Wales-checked flares...??
Full annotation on this
one too... "Taken at Robin & Jenny's whilst they were in UK & USA during May &
June 1972, and we were looking after the place, taken by ourselves". I remember
they had 2 dogs Labrador and Alsatian - the latter was unable to keep food down
(problematic) - also this was a cold time of year - Slasto floors, gaping gaps
under doors (draughts) and the only heating was the oven in the kitchen!!
- Dunno...
Walking on the ice on
Steinhude Meer - That could be Ingo in the background pulling Britta in a sled -
this could be winter 1973.
1995/04/14 - Colin and Yvette
Newbury came to visit in Hong Kong - they were on their round the world trip -
which eventually decided them to go live in Belize. This was up Sai Kung way I
think and we'd just got well drenched which settled whether we'd walk back - or
boat-it!!
December 2000 - Brittsy and I (Inga
took the piccie) at the "lookout" in Blue Mountains - Australia
31st December, 2000 Brittsy and
I just about to dive the Great Barrier Reef - fantastic - and New Year's Eve
too!!
May 2002 - Inga came into
Singapore on her way back from Oz and NZ - that bike got stolen outside a
Singapore Library!!
2006 at
the Insomnia disco in Chijmes Singapore at the BritPack evening (British
Expatriates get togethers).
say no more......
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