Looking back to 1999

 

This photograph of my parents taken outside our family home In Ballyronan during August 1999 was posted on Facebook this week by Ardboe Galleries.  A lovely surprise as neither my sisters nor I had ever seen it before.  I rarely bother with Facebook but this time I enjoyed reading all the comments and seeing the list of familiar names who ‘liked’ the photograph.  I’m pleased to see they have not been forgotten.  My mother was the village postmistress for over 35 years and when this was taken she had just retired. The photograph was taken by Pat Grimes who was in the village that day taking pictures for a magazine called Loughshore News. I contacted him and he has kindly sent me copies of the photographs and given me permission to use them here. His website features many other old photographs including some from the local newspaper. I found one of myself pictured with my Girl Guide group when I was about 12. 

Later that same year in October my daughter Kate was born so next week she’ll turn 21.  We’ve had to bring forward the celebrations as she’s at university in Sheffield which is in Tier 3 measures from today.  So on Thursday night we met her and her boyfriend in a pub/restaurant in Hathersage, a short drive from Sheffield in the Derbyshire Dales.  We had to sit at separate tables to keep within the rules but nevertheless had a lovely evening.  Here she is with her cake.  I think her grandparents would be very proud of her if they were here today.