The theme for Week 22 is 'Reunion', and a family reunion, large or small, can be a wonderful source of information, family stories and photographs for the family historian.
For whatever the reason - birthdays, weddings, funerals or other special occasions, a major family reunion can be a huge undertaking, especially when the family is large and widespread. Smaller family reunions, especially with family members visiting from distant locations, can be more intimate and just as special as a huge gathering.
I have been fortunate to have attended a few family gatherings over the years. Given my early interest in family history, I usually arrived armed with notebook and pen, ready to jot down any interesting stories or unknown facts that came to light during the event.
I also have a number of photographs in my collection from various family gatherings, some of which took place before I was born. I have commented before that my father was one of 10 children, and that I have only one (somewhat blurry) photograph of all 10 siblings together.
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The above photo was taken c1965 and show my father and his brothers and sisters gathered around their father. And yes, second eldest Ernest (Squib) is standing with a beer bottle balanced on his head, something which always impressed me as a child.
On my mother's side of the family, among my treasured photos are a pair dating from 1947.
Divided into the male and female sides, my mother is 5 years old and standing at the front of the group, with my grandmother Gladys on one side and grandmother Priscilla on the other.
The male group, again featuring matriarch Priscilla, has my grandfather William standing directly behind her. For many of my aunts and uncles, these are the only images I have of them, so they are precious to me indeed.
A wonderful legacy of a family reunion.
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