I've mentioned before that I never knew my Dad, he was killed in a motorbike accident in 1954, a few months before I was born. I always knew that and there were photographs in the house but he was rarely talked about after Mum married his older brother when I was 3 years old.
Apart from photographs I only have a few bits belonging to him. He did his National Service after the war in the RAF and I believe was posted to the Isle of Man. He certainly went somewhere by boat as I have a berthing card.
The brass trivet was made when he was an engineering machinist at ICI. And somewhere around is his locker key for ICI (large paint manufacturer then based in Stowmarket, Mum worked in the testing lab there after leaving school which I suppose is how they met). I also have a set of parallel rulers of his that would have been used by a navigator in a plane.
I often wonder how different life might have been had he lived.
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One of my uncles worked for many years at the Stowmarket ICI paint factory. His house was always immaculately decorated with cheap paint from the factory.
ReplyDeleteLater, in the 70's They never had white, cream or magnolia cheap for employees, you could only get very strange colours. Probably why I had a plum bathroom in my first house!
DeleteHow hard it must have been for your Mum at the time.
ReplyDeleteMust have been such a sad time.
DeleteI was just thinking the same as Angela.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing with us Sue. So poignant, especially the photos. How devastating it must have been for family and friends, such a terrible shock.Sad for you too, not to have known him, especially as he wasn’t mentioned very often, but I think that’s how it was back in the day unfortunately . June x
ReplyDeleteI have Mum's wedding photo album too, and photos of his grave covered with flowers. Much too young to be taken
DeleteThat is very sad. So difficult for your Mum. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteIt must have been a very sad time and difficult to cope with too
DeleteA sad story, such a young age. Sad too for your mum and for you not to have known him. People behaved very differently with children back in the day, believing it was best not to mention people who had passed. I worked with a woman who had lost both parents and then her brother was adopted by another family,she was only told once he had moved on. She never saw him again.Carole R.
ReplyDeleteGoodness that is even sadder. I know of someone who was only told he had been adopted on his wedding day - it broke him and the marriage.
DeleteThere were so many secrets back then
Hi Sue, a hard a sad time indeed. Like you I find myself thinking, in the quiet times, of how things may have turned out if certain things had or had not occurred. These days I try not to dwell upon what might have been (as hard as that is at times) and focus on the now and the simple joys in my life. Not always easy but then I find baking hard as well …. ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's sometimes difficult to think of "what if" but life has to go on regardless.
DeleteThinking of you - what a terrible thing to happen. xxx
ReplyDeleteA very long time ago when the world was different.
DeleteIt’s 45 years since my Dad died suddenly on Bonfire Night and I always think about him on this day. Thank you for sharing part of your history with us today -I hope life was happy with your uncle. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this very poignant part of your family history x
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
Very sad. I wonder what impact it had on the car driver, too.
ReplyDeleteYour poor mom! Interesting that she married his brother after a while.
ReplyDeleteOh your poor mum, widowed and pregnant with you. I am glad that you have some photos and things to remember your dad by.
ReplyDelete