An Up & End Boat, plus More Happy Couples - Sepia Saturday .

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt image  show a happy couple  in a leafy setting,   sitting in front of an "up on end" boat - an ideal match from me with memories of my father’s childhood, plus some more happy couples. 

Among my uncle Fred Weston's collection was this photograph of Tommy Rogers of Ironbridge, Shropshire, the place often cited  as the birthplace of England's Industrial Revolution, and Tommy was a coracle maker.

 The world's first iron bridge, with  its 100 feet span  was built in 1779-1781 across the gorge of the River Severn.  However many local people  objected to paying the tolls, so they used coracles to cross the river instead.  

You might be wondering, where is the boat ? Well, it is on Tommy's back,  a loosely woven frame traditionally covered in animal hide, but in more recent times calico, canvas,  and coated with a substance such as bitumen.    

Tommy was a well known local character,  known as a poacher and the local newspaper regularly reported his appearance in court on poaching charges. He also helped to build the new police cells and court room in Ironbridge  - only to be one of the first people to appear there.  

My father, John Weston, grew up in Broseley  the other side of the river from Ironbridge.  He had very fond memories of his childhood there with his parents, Albert Ernest Weston and Mary Barbara Matthews, brothers Fred and Charles, and sister Madge.  My grandfather had a 35minute walk (one way), crossing the bridge to Coalbrookdale where he worked in the Power House.  

 

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More Happy Couples

                                      

A leafy background for this photograph of me with my father, taken in August 1965, shortly before I left home to work in the USA for a year. 

 

                   

                       My parents on their wedding day, 1938 

 

 

                                           

 

My parents a photograph taken 1965 on the day of my graduation from university.  I was the first member of the family to go to university, followed later by my brother - and they were so proud of us.  

 

 

                          

 Mum and Dad  with the telegram from the late Queen to mark their 60th wedding anniversary in  1998.  Sadly my mother died shortly afterwards.

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Sepia Saturday gives an opportunity for genealogy bloggers  

to share their family history and memories through photographs

 

                                                                                       

Click  HERE  to see  posts from other Sepia Saturday bloggers.

 

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