A lovely weekend

Hazel and I flew down to Nelson for the weekend to visit my aunt and cousins. Our family has been out at Stoke since at least the early 1900s and my cousin owns the house my great-grandfather built. Although I don't get to visit as often as I'd like, I always feel this strong connection with the place when I do. It seemed even stronger this time around as I was having to add on extra greats when telling Hazel about these relations of hers and who had built what and worked where and so-on.  I had a quick troll through some of the old family photographs out there and then of course had to have a look at a few I'd scanned several years ago and never got around to doing anything with (much to my shame). I can't find the notes attached to each scan so I can't give the dates for sure but here are a few of my favourites:

My grandparents Violet and Andrew worked in the orchards so there are several photos of them together as a courting couple (though apparently my great-grandfather thought my grandfather was coming to visit him!) and with friends. I think these would date to about 1928-9. My great-grandfather must have been a bit dense if he didn't realise these two were keen on each other!

Tea break. My grandmother is second from left. Look at the shoes she's wearing! The two girls on either side of her look to have light tennis shoes on but she and the older lady at the right are picking apples in style!  Actually they both have long duster-type coats on, maybe they were doing something else?

And one of my absolute favourites - she's beautiful, he's handsome...  Violet died long before I was born and I think I was two or three the only time I met Andrew before he died when I was 5, so I didn't know either of them but looking at these photos and reading some of Violet's letters I feel like perhaps I do a little bit anyways.

Normal crafting posts will resume shortly!