Saturday 19 December 2009

Smile, please!

I have an album which comes out at this time of year. It's full of every Christmas photo I possess of the family, and begins with Christmas 1962:







Wow, just look at that fab kitchenette. I wish I still had it. I remember there was a turkey in the oven! The Santa sack was made of very thick paper and was great for sack races about three hours after we'd opened all our presents.

Christmas 1962 was spent at my grandparents' flat and was kept quite simple (well, there wasn't a lot of money around). Look at those vintage baubles. I've been a hoarder ever since I can remember, but sadly the habit hadn't kicked in when this photo was taken otherwise I'm convinced I'd own those baubles now:



My dad used to work part time as a photographer, otherwise I don't think we'd have these precious two photos of that Christmas. I think he was the only one in the family who owned a camera. My mum had a Box Brownie which was hardly ever used.

How different things are today, with CCTV cameras everywhere we go, mobile phones that can take pictures and computers that can send the images across the world in seconds. Our descendants will be swamped with photos of great-great-grandma. Wouldn't it have been wonderful if the ancient Egyptians had managed to invent the camera so that we could have had thousands of years worth of images?

My daughter recently took part in a show with her drama group. She was one of the first performers, in the first act, in the first show EVER in the brand new theatre. Parents were instructed NOT to take photos and to report anyone they saw in the audience taking photos as this was not allowed under health and safety regulations.

So no parent has any personal photographic record of their son or daughter taking part in this local historic event which, as you can imagine, was very disappointing for us all. What made me angry though, was the fact that a member of the Press and a theatre archivist - complete strangers to us - WERE allowed to take photos of our children. Twisted principles indeed.

Blessings,

Andi xx

6 comments:

  1. You've brought back lovely memories with those photos of Christmas's past.I recall my sister and I had something like that kitchenette,which I'd forgotten until I saw your picture!
    The 'no photos allowed' thing has really got out of hand in my opinion.As you say strangers were allowed to take pics....crazy!

    Bellaboo

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  2. I just love the kitchenette. I believe 99% of little girls had one of those :0) So many happy times were spent preparing special meals for the dolls that waited patiently...sigh...beautiful memories.

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  3. I love your photos..and the kitchenette!
    Yes,the whole photo thing is crazy...I was wandering around with my camera yesterday,in Totnes and someone remarked that I should be careful...how crazy is that!
    ;-)

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  4. These photo rules are crazy & in fact are over exaggerated & there is actually no law that prohits people from taking photos of children.

    Jayne

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  5. What lovely old photos and I am with Sal on loving that kitchenette! Glorious! It really is a shame re taking of photographs. I recently wanted to take some pictures of an old carousel with horses, but daren't in case someone approached me re the fact that there were children on them and that I shouldn't be taking snaps!

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  6. Did you get any photos from the professional photographer?
    The world has gone crazy. I wish we could turn back time 30 years or so (I'd only be 11, nearly 12, but life seemed so much simpler then!)

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