Katherine Mansfield

Hi Dear Folk,

I often listen to BBC Radio 4.  This week they are running a reading of five of Katherine Mansfield's short stories.

• The Stranger
• Miss Brill
• A Cup of Tea
• Poison
• The Doll's House

She is a brilliant Short Story writer and well worth reading, I love Miss Brill.

Katherine Mansfield was brought up in New Zealand; which I've always felt an affinity with, because my great grandmothers half siblings, Mary and James, who my great grandma was very close with emigrated to New Zealand the year before WWI.

A regular correspondence was kept up with them.  In fact after my grandfather died 1938 of Polio, and grandma was left a widow with four children, they invited her to migrate to New Zealand after WWII and I often wonder what that would have meant for the family had my grandmother taken them up on that.  I honestly think she personally would have had an easier life, rather than staying on in post war England.  But I digress.  Click on my New Zealand label on side bar to see some old family photos taken in New Zealand.

Katherine Mansfield 1888-1923 did not have an easy life and eventually died of tuberculosis.  She had many contemporaries and was friends with such people as Virginia Woolf, D. H. Lawrence and Elizabeth Von Arnim was a cousin.

As with many New Zealand writers she made the trek and relocated to London, on a more permanent basis in 1908, she had lived there before from age 14 to 17 as a boarder at Queen's College, Harley Street.

After her diagnoses she often lived abroad on the Continent, one place being the Montana region of Switzerland where she wrote many short stories.  The Montana Stories published by Persephone Books contains her short stories from July 1921 to her death in France, January 1923.

I ran across this lovely link to the Katherine Mansfield Society where you can read her stories.

Off down the rabbit hole now.

Christine

P.S. A quote from Virginia Woolf

"...then Morgan Forster said the Prelude and The Voyage Out were the best novels of their time, and I said damn Katherine! Why can't I be the only woman who knows how to write."  Virginia Woolf writing to Katherine Mansfield, 13 February 1921

Mr's Magic

Hi Dear Folk,

We are having a lovely long sunny autumn.  With everything that has been going on I have not got out and really enjoyed it as I should, at least a walk in the park, but such is life.  Today though is windy and a sharp frost tonight, so that may be the end of it.

Mr. B. worked his magic on this old record keeper that I bought off eBay, cleaning up the metal and polishing the wood.  He is very good at taking old furniture that looks dull and lifeless and making the wood live again.  He has done this with several pieces in our house over the years.

I am going to use this for another journal.

Rob has always been interested in bikes right from when we bought his first teenage bike he has worked on them and added parts to make them better.  A few months back he bought a second hand bike which would have cost several thousand dollars originally, and has since then been doing it up and adding his stamp on it.

Parts for this bike seem not to be found in all of the USA, so are coming in from all over the world.  Here is something that came in from New Zealand, and another part from Finland.  In fact the part that came in from Finland was hand made by this man, for this particular part that Rob wanted to replace.  A long correspondence back and forward was held on this.  He had had the same problem on his bike and had made two, one of which he sold to Rob.

Rob said the expense of buying bike parts, in ratio, is like buying parts to a Bugatti.

Christine

No Surrender by Constance E. Maud - Persephone Book

Hi Dear Folk,

My goodness now don't all fall off your perches, but I am posting and actually posting a book review.  It's not that I haven't been reading somewhat, although not as much as I would like to.  As my time for reading is valuable I don't like to waste time starting books that turn out to be awful, so quite often I will stick to a Persephone book, tried and true so to speak.  As you will remember or maybe not, I started my own rating of Persephone books as I read them.  One to five stars, five being the top.

No Surrender, by Constance E. Maud is a book of it's time period, but some social commentaries would hold true for today.  The subject is women's suffrage.  I was able to obtain this book from my local library in old shelving just love those archives.  This copy was published in 1912 by  The John Lane Company, New York, printed in Great Britain by William Brendon and Son, Ltd, Plymouth.

The opening chapters are set in the Black Country, Textile Mills of North England. Jenny Clegg is our heroine she works in a mill, she has an invalid brother Peter, a sister Liz married to an alcoholic, who sends their children away to a distant relative in Australia and Liz has no say over the matter, the law is not on her side; a father who gets drunk and takes all the household money, even the little bit her passive mother had put aside in the Co op Society.  Joe Horton is a Union leader and wants to marry Jenny, he is an up and coming star in the political arena.

Mrs Keziah Topper a neighbor and widow, mother of five children, lives next door to Mrs Clegg and experiences the need of equal pay for women, as all the women do in this neighbourhood.

Contrasted to this are the residents of Brankenhill Hall, the mill owners.  The main character of which is Mary O'Neil a cousin visiting from the Irish side of the family and has sympathy for the workers, although not a true understanding of what they go through, how could she?

Jenny, Keziah and Mary become staunch friends for the cause of women's suffrage.  Jenny and Keziah take a train along with other mill girls, in their mill dress and clogs, down to London to picket for the cause; they know that they will be imprisoned and expect this, but not for as long as the judge sends them down for.  During this stay they meet and befriend many women from all walks of life and different age groups, the Suffragette movement is the great equalizer and sisterhood.

One of the persons she meets in prison is -

Miss Chadwick, a lively, capable-looking woman of the New England type, stood side by side, getting what support they could out of the irresponsive wall.

"We don't call you 'free England,' my dear," Laughed the American lady, "we call you 'poor benighted old England.'"  Says Euphrasia Chadwick from Colorado.

"I love fairy tales, they always seems to me just the truest tales ever written," said Jenny.

One becomes privy to any number of conversations going on in the prison and it is certainly an inside view, excuse the pun, of the conversations that were going on at that time 1912.  Jenny's speech and way is appealing to her audience and she is recruited by higher ups to leave her job at the mill and work full time for the cause.

Here is an interesting commentary on the motor car, remember 1912

The motor-car had also been pressed into the service, and in working for this truly democratic measure, thereby partly atoned for some of its sins as the rich man's luxury, overrunning the country as it does, and destroying in its blind, selfish course the cottage garden and the peace and safety of the village street for children and old people.

One of the leading suffragettes was a Mrs. Wilmot who Jenny goes to stay with.

It was June.  In the heather and pine country of Surrey, which looks as though it had been sliced out of Perthshire, and dropped down within easy reach of the poor toiling Londoner, by a beneficent giant, stood Mrs. Wilmot's pleasant little bungalow ...

Jack Mrs. Wilmot's son is in love with Jenny.  Some interesting conversations with Mrs. Wilmot's cousin, who does not believe in the cause, while all are sitting in the garden partaking of afternoon tea.

"Oh yes," she laughed.  "Anarchists always have a motor ready to take them away after flinging their bombs.  I believe that's why you have one-and all Christian Scientists say they ought to be rich.  Mrs. Eddy's teaching is that poverty is only an error of mortal mind.  I think of joining the sect to see if my bills will get paid."

Later a talk with Jack on their own.

Jenny shook her head sadly.  She liked him;  he was much younger than she had thought;  she hated giving him pain.

"Oh yes, it is," said Jenny.  "It's only what we've lived through as we can feel-that's what shapes our thoughts and shapes our souls.  You must work in your class, God knows you're needed there, and I must work in mine."

Things come to a head, when Jenny, who has sort employment as a maid to gain access to a dinner party being attended by many political men, including Joe Horton.  Mary O'Neil hosts the party in the London house while her aunt is away.  It is at this time that Joe Horton is won over to the cause.

There are many interesting observations on character, jumping to near the end here is one I found very interesting, about Alice Walker who is engaged to Mary O'Neil's brother Terence.

Alice Walker was one of those young women who, while impressing their menkind with their pliability and malleability, retain intact an absolute inflexibility of character, the hardest of all natures to be influenced or convince from the outside, being fundamentally lacking in the suppleness which appears to mere man their chief charm.  To know them he has to marry them and even then such is the guilelessness of many of the self-styled superior sex, that after years of matrimony: ...

Thoughts on a women's suffrage march.

These were those who had borne the toil and heat of life's long day-working, digging, ploughing, sowing, since early womanhood.  Side by side with these marched their younger sisters, the gallant leaders of the great Social and Political Union, whose heroic courage and devotion, even to the death test, had lifted the question of Woman's enfranchisement at last into the arena of practical politics. 

I do like this passage because it gives you an insight of who was involved and many of the trades at the time.

Textile workers from Lancashire and Yorkshire in their shawls and clogs.  Swarthy, strong-limbed Welsh women from the pit's mouth;  sweated tailoresses, doing government work on sailors' and soldiers' uniforms at half men's pay;  post office clerks, who had also experienced the bitter difference between justice as meted out to those with the vote and those without;  chain-makers, jelly-makers, each bearing on a banner the emblem of their trade;  on and on they came.  ...

If one was studying this subject it would be an excellent book to read, how it would shape a picture in your mind of this time period and the suffrage movement.

Did I like this book?  Yes.  How would I rate it, out of five, two stars in the Persephone library.  It did not move me as many other Persephone books have, but still a good read.

I happened to be listening to the BBC about equal pay, today it seems the best Western country to live in for equal rights on pay is New Zealand, just a thought girls, I have still to visit there it's on my list.

Signing off.
Christy

Reluctance to Resume

Hello Dear Folk,

It seems that I have a reluctance to resume blogging.  I have been analyzing this and can only say that coming back to the reality of November in Pennsylvania must be it, I landed with a big bump.  I have been on winter vacations before but when I think about it only to the UK which is also winter, so have not had to leave an idyllic weather pattern of 85f  and sunny, for 32f drizzly and dull.  Having said this, we totally ran ourselves ragged on vacation, yes I know, I'm not one to sit and lounge on the beach for too long, I have to be out and about seeing all there is to see.

Also the perfectionist side comes out in me, can I really do this vacation justice, by my mere paltry verbiage.  Our vacation was really split almost into two vacations, the week from Saturday to Monday week spent on Oahu as an International Convention delegate and the Monday to Saturday spent on Maui.

Well everyone should visit Hawaii at least once in a life time and as it was an JW International Convention in both English and Spanish, we met a lot of delegates from South America, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and from Central America, Mexico.  As well as friends from many other countries.  As we were leaving the delegates for the second convention were coming in from Japan, New Zealand and Australia.  It was amazing to see everyone.  We were all greeted at the airport with Orange Leis, but that's a whole other story.  We wore these where ever we went, to identify each other as international delegates. 

When we arrived home we were exhausted and I was so happy that it was a short three day work week, being Thanksgiving Holiday.  The Boy came home for the week, so enjoyed that time together. 

This week I've been working on baby booties for a shower this Sunday.  So here I am two weeks back and no post.  So future posts will be with pics.

Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Christy

PS:  I did put up a new Hawaii banner, Waikiki Beach, with Diamond Head in the background.

WWI Family

The War to End all Wars, The Great War.

Above is a photo of my great grandfather, my father's, mother's father.  Who was gassed in the trenches and died of lung problems a few years after the war ended.

Let me tell you a little about him.  He was one of generations of shoe makers.  His eldest son being the last generation to make hand made shoes.  They lived in the East End of London, Hackney.  It is thought that they came over from France as Huguenots, settling in London.  They used to make hand made shoes for theatre people.  There were six children, two boys and four girls and I remember every great aunt and uncle.

Above is my great, great aunt, that is my great grandmother's half sister, my mother's, mother's, mother's half sister, Elizabeth.  Her other brother and sister emigrated to New Zealand, just before the first World War.

On the back of the photo it says she was a sister in a Manchester Hospital 1914 - 1918 War.  She died October 2nd 1965.  I do not know too much about that side of the family, except for the fact that all down the decades the family in New Zealand always kept in contact with my grandmother, unfortunately, there is only one older relative a cousin Joan, left in New Zealand.

She came to England during the sixties, for several years and lived in the Earl's Court area.  I remember her coming down to visit us at Christmas time and putting through a trunk call to New Zealand, where the operator phoned you and said your call is now connected.

There were other family members in the war who I know little about.  My grandfather's eldest brother, who died in the war on my dad's side and another great cousin, on my mother's side, who's grave I visited in Sible Hedingham, Essex.  He died of wounds about a week after the war ended.  That always seems the sadest to me.

The very day the war ended Wilfred Owen's parents found out that he had died.

Christy

Today My Smiles

Blue skies in the neighbourhood

The packaging sold me, New Zealand a country I very much want to visit.  Who in the earth would come up with New Zealand Springs Scent?

A card from Jean, what a great view of the Edinburgh Castle and City, I love it

Spring primula, always love their colours

Christy

Amber At The Faire

At the Renaissance Faire, the Amber Shop,  I think almost all the amber was from the Baltic.

I first realized what amber was when my grandmother gave me a faceted cherry amber necklace that I think had been my great grandmother's given to her half sister Mary when she went to New Zealand  and then posted back to my grandmother.  So I would say early 20th Century.

None of the amber in this shop was of a cherry colour.  They had shades of traditional brown amber, green amber and the butterscotch amber, but no cherry.

It was lovely to look at all the styles and creations

I think the amber tree is amazing.

Christy

The Book of Chowder

My other cook book from the Hospital.  The Book of Chowder.

Chowder came to North America about two and a half centuries ago.  The beginings of what may have become American chowders may have appeared first in smalll French fishing villages, possibly in Brittany.  By the early eighteenth century it had reached New Foundland, Nova Scotia, New England, and, in time, other English settlements to the south.

That chowder was born in France was first argued in the nineteenth century.  One writer traced its origin to the French chaudier, or cauldron.  Another added that in "the cabarets and guinsguette of little fishing villages along the coast of Brittany ici on fait la chaudiere is a frequent sign."

As early as the sixteenth century the words chowder and chowter, dialect variations of jowder, meaning a fish-seller, were known in Cornwall and Devonshire.  By the mid-eighteenth century, and probably well before then, the English ate chowder.  In 1762 Tobias Smollett had a character in one of his novels say, "My head sings and simmers like a pot of chowder,"

All sea dishes had to accommodate themselves as to what was at hand.  When the crew of the whaler Pacific, out of New Bedford went ashore in a quiet cove in New Zealand in 1857 they took with them potatoes, biscuits, and a piece of salt pork.  a fire was started, friendly Maoris collected mutton-fish, warreners, and limpets - all shellfish new to the crew - one man volunteered to act as cook, and all soon enjoyed an 'Excellent dinner' of chowder.

There's a lot more history on chowders, but I thought these were some interesting facts.

Christy

Sunflowers from New Zealand

I wanted to get some large placemats to protect my dining room table from everyday use.  The older tables do not have such a durable finish as the newer ones.

I went to a couple of shops and came up with one set, but I do have such a thing about everything being made in China, so bought them, but kept on looking, and yes jackpot.  I found a set made in New Zealand and slightly longer than the ones made in China, I was so happy.  Aren't they sunny?

Christy

Quite a Helping Handful

I can only say we have been going through a catharsis. I was in need of some cheering up when the above items arrived in the post. They have travelled all the way from New Zealand, from Quite A Handful. My friend mentioned to her that I was going through hard times and she sent the little scissor case as an extra, how very kind that was and Thank You.

I just love both the needle case and scissor case. Both of which I have never had before. They also seem so nice to travel with in my tapestry bag. I love them. So thank you very much to my close friend and thank you for the kindness of strangers.

Christy

P.S. When I get my link to work I'll give a link to Quite A Handful. A blog that I have followed since I began blogging.

Dunvegan Castle, Home of the Macleods

Dunvegan Castle, home of the Macleods and the Fairy Flag, rescuer of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continually inhabited castle in Scotland, sitting on a rocky outcrop, surrounded on almost all three sides by water. It must be in the folklore of all Macleods, who live in farflung places, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

When I last visited Dunvegan Castle we must have travelled the single track road, all the way from Portree. As I was told that back in the sixties that's all there was.

The above photos were taken on our Sunday afternoon walk to Coral Beach. I will post some more photos of our visit to the Castle.

The Macleods still live at the castle, occupying the upper floors. I heard they also have a flat in London and that the current Lord besides making Dunvegan Castle into a number one Isle of Skye tourist attraction,with hords of buses and ones like ourselves visiting; is also a film producer.

I wanted to refer back to 'In Search of Scotland' by H.V. Morton, who visited in the late 1920's. Back then the 23rd chief, Macleod of Macleod was in his eighties and lived in England. Twice a week the castle was open for visitors to see the Fairy Flag. A middle-aged English woman lived alone at the castle, and as Morton was guided '... through room after room completely furnished, but with the chill of loneliness over them ...' That is certainly not true now with the troop of visitors touring through.

We will re-visit Dunvegan Castle in a later post.

Christy

Coral Beach

An old abandoned croft. You have to wonder who lived here, did they leave during the land clearances? What a view they had here across Dunvegan Loch, but what a walk and how isolated. A good donkey would be of great value living here I would think. Many Highlanders emigrated to the far flung regions of the British Empire.

This evangelical preacher led his flock from the Isle of Skye to Nova Scotia, from Nova Scotia to Cape Breton, which is not too far. Not liking it there they took the long sea voyage to Australia and from there to their last stop New Zealand. Starting in 1817 to 1853. Eventually he was happy with that, or felt enough was enough at 70 years of age and having resided in half the British Empire. I found it a most interesting account. Enlarge the photo and read the whole account.

Shells picked up at Coral Beach. I had an idea of making them into jewelery, but who knows.

Christy

Crown Lynn Pottery New Zealand

Thank you Gillybean for your comment on the china. This is what I Googled and it's amazing where a piece of thrifted china can lead you.

In my previous post I wrote about finding a piece of Crown Lynn, called Green Bamboo. It seems the Crown Lynn Potteries started in 1940. During WWII, New Zealand was running out of cup and saucers, they were not being imported, so the government, realising they would soon be drinking out of jam jars, went to Grey Lynn Potteries, where they were making tiles to ask them to start making china ware. This is Tom Clark's story here. He later became Sir Thomas Edwin Clark.

The above photograph is of boy being given ‘Free replacement’ china in a shop. This photograph shows a boy being presented with some china, while Crown Lynn Assistant Sales Manager Barry Grant looks on. The sign behind reads “Free replacements.”

This was probably a publicity shot taken to promote Crown Lynn’s ‘Free replacement’ policy. The policy allowed people to have free replacements for accidental breakages of pieces in their ‘stock patterns.’ Initially there were five stock patterns: ‘Autumn splendour’, ‘Golden fall’, ‘Shasta daisy’, ‘Green bamboo’ and ‘Fashion rose’ although the number of stock patterns was soon increased. The scheme was advertised in magazines like ‘New Zealand Woman’s Weekly’, and sales skyrocketed.

New Zealand Cup & Saucer Make It Up North

I have never seen a piece of china made in New Zealand. Especially to make it up North here. I was walking around the thrift shop with my friend C., when she said look a teacup and saucer made in New Zealand, and as she didn't want it, I was thrilled to have it. Even though the saucer was somewhat faded out the cup was fine, and when would I ever run across another piece made there. Well this is my find.

In this world were almost everthing seems to be made in china, when I was a girl it was made in Japan, but now it's China. Even the old classic British china patterns are made in Indonesia and other far flung places, and you can tell the difference.

So how many china factories are or were there in New Zealand? I think I'l try and find out. Maybe some of my New Zealand readers know, or reader.

Have a lovely weekend.

Christy

My Eclectic Bedroom

I thought that I would share a few photos of our bedroom. Our bedroom set is I think from the thirties and I've always loved it, with the beautiful inlay roses, I've never seen another set like it, or even close.

I decided to collect together all our gold edged frames to give the picture gallery a more cohesive look. So this is it. I started with the large picture in the middle; which I fell in love with, with the yellows and blues and the poppy field, so typical of Tuscany.

All the pictures have been collected over time. Top left a favourite The Lady and The Lake, far left a picture by Constable. A print that went out to New Zealand, then was sent back to my grandmother and she gave it to me. Left Middle, a scene of Bamburgh Castle across the beach, love the blues. Bottom left, bluebells in the woods, bought at a Sunday car boot sale in the Lake District, for .50p. I had been looking for a bluebell picture for so long. Middle right, little birds in a line. Below that an oil painting by my grandmother, an English oak tree and cornfield with poppies and a pheasant. I treasure it. Far right an old scene of Cambridge. Far bottom right, old picture repairing wicker chairs.

This is a Tuscan scene I painted. So a lot of the pictures have the theme of blue tying them together, as well as the gold frames, it works.

My dressing table, with some family photos. Could I get another thing on it? Far left oval is my great grandfather who was in WWI, he only lived a few years after that because of mustard gas poisoning.

I have photos of both my great grandmothers. On the left is my dad's, dad's mother and on the right is my mum's, mum's mother. I have the broach that she is wearing.

Bo's tall boy and the mirror above was his mum's, and she died when he was four, We have a lovely photo of his mum and dad sitting on a couch in front of it. So very nostalgic.

Vanity dresser and my collection of poetry books, and absolute favourites. Didn't know what to do with that lovely gold fabric, so thought I would drape it and voila!

Well I always have fun looking at other peoples houses, and I thought you would too.

As we say, 'have a nice day.'

Christy

P.S. Click on any photo to enlarge it.

N.Z. RLY. Refreshment Rooms

What do you think this is?

Well if you have been following my posts on New Zealand in reference to aunt Mary, who used to work at the Railway Counter Refreshment Rooms. And if you haven't already guessed, this is a piece of an old railway cup. When the train arrived at the platform passengers would dash into the refreshment rooms, grap a cup of tea and a sandwich maybe, then take it back on the train with them. The cups would remain on the train to be redistributed back up the line. Or as sometimes happened passengers would just throw them out of the window. Thousands of cups and saucers went missing every year.

The number represents a particular station refreshment room. I will try and look it up and see which one. I found it on EBay. I have yet to receive it. But it was one of those nostalgic things that I just could not pass by. Depending what it looks like when I receive it, I may take it to the silversmiths and get it made into a pendant. Or maybe I could wire it.

Christy

The Railway Refreshent Rooms, New Zealand

Taihape Refreshment Rooms. Maybe Aunt Mary worked here, as I also have the photo of the party/picnic, which on the back says took place at Taihape. Isn't it great when things start to fit together? Well it seems logical she may have.

Paekakariki Refreshment Rooms

I thought I'd do a little research about the railway counter refreshment rooms in New Zealand, where aunt Mary worked, see my posting on this.

Well it has turned out to be a whole little history on it's own. The Railway Refreshment Rooms, began in 1917, when the dining cars; which were more for the wealthy,were done away with during WWI. There were a few privately owned refreshment rooms, but the railway took them over. Listen here when you reach the web page click on the audio; where one of the original girls who worked at the refreshment rooms relates what it was like. There are seven pages to look at on the history I found it most interesting.

Lil Bit Brit and Teatime Musing

Well I've been playing around and came up with this new header, using many photos you have seen in my Lil Bit Brit Blog. I pulled out photos which I thought fitted Teatime Musing. Views of distant relatives in far away places. A teatime picnic and tea at the railway restaurant in New Zealand. Along with some views from my home.

Bell Tea Company

What a delightful website for Bell Tea Company here in New Zealand, it appeals to me. They seem to have been in business a long while. Are they well known in New Zealand? Maybe some New Zealand readers can let me know.

An Affinity With New Zealand

Right from when I was a little girl I knew we had relatives in New Zealand, but being a child it was never explained to me how we were related. One year cousin J. came over to visit. In fact she lived in London for a year I believe. In any case over the holidays she came down to stay with us, I was a little girl then, and I remember it being quite an ordeal to put through a trunk call, as a long distance phone call was called back then, to New Zealand. If my memory serves me, we had to go through the operator, and the operator had to ring as back, which all seems so very old fashioned now. What's an operator?

As I got older and could sort out all the family relationships and ask questions. Cousin J. is my grandmother's half cousin, although nearer in age to my mum's younger sister, who also has the same name.

My great-grandmother's, (that's my mother's mother's mother's) younger half brother and sister J. and M. emigrated to New Zealand, I think just before the first World War. They were both single at the time and both married New Zealanders. In fact the brother's wife had the same name as his sister M. so that made it even more complicated to understand the family relationship. One couple never had children and the other couple just had cousin J. and cousin J. never had children so consequently the New Zealand connection ends there.

I have several things sent back from New Zealand over the years. A Maori bead necklace, an old Constable print, which I think went from England to New Zealand and back again, and a school atlas of New Zealand, which I remember looking at as a child. I always loved looking at maps and things and knowing where countries were, always good at geography, I know, a little different. Maybe that's why I love Blogland.


The photo above is of the Counter Railway Refreshment Rooms, aunt M. is at the center, she either managed the restuarant or maybe owned it, not sure, and I don't know where they were. Looks to be about 1920's era. May have been a little earlier.

The photo above looks like a picnic in the country, but aunt M. marked with an X in the center, says on the back, a Party in the Country, Taihape, North Island. Again no date, but I would say 1920's.
Aunt M. 12th December 1920 is marked on the above photo.

The photo below was taken in 1940 at 45 Uxbridge Road, Howick, Auckland, New Zealand. Aunt M. with her husband F., in their vegetable garden, overlooking the sea. Lovely garden and a beautiful view.


I only have a few photos but thought ones might be interested, especially in New Zealand, which one day I hope to visit.


Christy