11/04/2022
Take pictures! Even of the mundane days, for those are the days you'll miss the most. 💙
'𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧'
As a child of about ten in the 1970's my mother bought me my first camera, a 127 Brownie.
It was already an old camera then, and I envied my friends with their little, modern (indeed newly introduced) 110's - only later would I come to realise just how superior 127 was to 110 thanks to its larger negative size.
Back then my films were developed via my local Chemist/pharmacy - who sent them away to a faceless laboratory somewhere.
Every time I collected my prints I was served by 'Mrs P' a delightful, elderly, Jewish woman from Poland and every time she would smile and say to me 'It is important that we remember the past for ever'
At the time I had no idea what she was referring to - but I remember three things about her, that often repeated statement, her wide smile, and the very amateur looking tattoo on her forearm - much like the one shown.
It was only in later life I came to understand the significance of both that statement and that tattoo.
So why share this memory again now?
My mother, who gave me that camera, who gave me a lifelong passion for photography, and who gave me so much more, died on Tuesday.
Thanks for everything mum and as Mrs. P used to say...
'𝙄𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧'
