365/132 Unforgettable..

..the 'unforgettable' things which come to mind when I consider a story and picture for this day are generally some event or another, fairly simple* occasions with food and family and a feel good atmosphere.  I have already blogged those which have taken place since the blog began, but I thought I'd mention my in-laws Golden Wedding weekend which took place over August Bank Holiday weekend 2008.  I only began blogging a short while after this so the event was never quite 'covered' from a blogging / reminiscent point of view... and that is something I should start putting right..(be prepared for some recent nostalgia in coming weeks!)

Col's Mum and Dad were raised in Liverpool and both had quite tough upbringings and they had worked hard to make good lives for the two boys. Ken had been unwell in his younger days, and when attending a Silver wedding party when still engaged Jean said that she wondered if she would ever have her own 25th Anniversary.

Well, their Silver Wedding came and went, they moved to Cornwall in 1985 , celebrated a 40th in 1998 just after we all started living here together and in the run up to the 50th when Jean was unwell it always perked her up to plan her Golden Wedding weekend. 

Plans started for a big meal, but who to invite, where to eat etc etc, and eventually we decided on our favourite.. a Ceam Tea afternoon.. but not just cream teas, just about every cake or dessert you can imagine.  Family came from up north and Jean's brother, the now famous (in my blog) Uncle Bill travelled over from the USA and all their pals from local bowls and village socials came to join the celebration.

Lisa had had Lilly a month previous but she was young enough to just enjoy being held, so she pitched in too and us girls loved running the tea rooms!  The boys did their bit, the infrastructure: gazebos if it rained (or in fact if the sun was too much) and plenty of tables and chairs..it was like a Village Tea Party ..

 Over the whole weekend we also did loads of other things with the closest family, a family fishing trip to give Ken an outing as he was generally so committed to being there for Jean, plenty of 'cupso'tea' visits to friends and in the evening of the party a big fish & chip supper. (* Suddenly on  rereading this I reconsider how 'simple' an event the weekend it was..!)

My scrapbooking had been kick started in earnest for the event as I started classes just before I began an album for their Anniversary.  I had a few great evenings with Jean & Ken looking back through the tin box of photos, big and small which charted the family's history from the early days in Anfield, through the several house renovations to where we were then.

It's evenings like those, with no great plan, but which when they are reflected on are what looking after your elders is all about.. just being there, asking who this one is or that one.. 'you know, the one with the beehive hairdo and the mini skirt'!, sucking up the stories and letting them remember and talk about how it used to be..just like I do now I guess!! 

We gave them the album the day before the party, during a barbecue and outside fire evening with all the visiting relatives and friends, it was so cool.  We photocopied the scrap pages so they could be displayed at the cream tea and I was / still am really proud of it.. as ever for our best days, photos courtesy of Uncle Bill..

(oh dear, this recent nostalgia trip has me not quite able to see the keys..I love these days, these pictures..amazing how in the few short years since then so many people have left us, both our mums and so many of their friends..but boy, great memories..)