More For The Slideshow

Another wet and blustery day sent me to my photographic archives.

Louisa has asked me whether I took photographs at her cousin Laura’s wedding. I didn’t think I had, but, since my daughter was a bridesmaid, I promised to investigate. This meant searching through from 1997 to the beginning of 2000. I was using negative films at that time but have unearthed non of these.

A trawl though eight albums of the size Frank holds in one of the pictures below confirmed that I have no photographs of the wedding, but did find some others that Louisa would welcome. There follows a selection of those scanned from prints this afternoon.

Here, Louisa participates in a dress rehearsal for a teenage performance of ‘Hiawatha’ on stage at Newark in May 1997. She is the first fringed outfitted young lady on the left of the first picture, That should enable her to be identified in the others.

If I look scared in these photographs of me addressing a Somali Community Event on 1st July 1997 it is probably because I was.

The next batch are prospective additions to Louisa’s slide show in memory of her mother.

These two pictures were taken at Jane Keeler’s 40th Birthday party on 25th January 1997. In the first, Oliver Keeler stands behind Jessica as she walks in with the cake; in the second she is reflected in a hall mirror.

I produced this portrait on 12th April 1998;

Two days later, shortly before she began her cancer treatment which would cause her to lose her hair, her friend, Jane preempted the fall out by taking the clippers to it.

I’m not sure what I said to Jessica prompting her reaction at Maureen and Moss’s wedding soon afterwards. Perhaps she was amused after all.

Here she is attempting to lead Emily into the water during an Instow holiday that August,

and, in January 1999, presenting our friend Frank with his friendship certificate as we said farewell to him and Pansy before their departure for retirement in Jamaica.

In September 1999 I photographed her in the garden of Lindum House,

and she reciprocated.

Later, I e-mailed Louisa those images of Jessica for her slideshow.

One of the delights of Indian food is its rich and varied colour. This is certainly true of Jackie’s

spicy chicken jalfrezi, and rice flavoured with turmeric and home-grown coriander, which we enjoyed for dinner this evening. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Pomeral.

62 comments

  2. Beautiful photos and God bless you and your family.
    The food looks amazing, I haven’t tried spicy chicken jalfrezi yet. Is it extremely spicy ?

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          1. When did you move to the UK. 2012? Surely admitting that means you forfeit citizenship? What about Jackie? If you both didnt then your cover is blown. You are sleeper invaders from Betelgeuse ..

  6. Wonderful photos and memories, Derrick. I particularly like the beach shot, leading Emily into the water.
    I have a craving for Indian food–we might get Indian take-out on Sunday for Father’s Day.

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    1. Thanks very much Ttootlepedal. The prints and slides are all labelled and in date order; negatives not always so – I think I left some behind in Newark

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  12. Great bunch of photos. Perhaps in part because they are so used to being the subjects of your photographs, your friends and family rarely display the self-consciousness most of us exhibit when having our pictures taken. But that mirror shot—brilliant technique, by the way—really captured a pure and beautiful expression of emotion.

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  13. Sometimes, we wonder why in God’s name we haven’t captured images of the times when they were there for being taken.

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  15. I’m impressed by both the quality of the photos and of your scanning ability, they have come up admirably.

    It’s very easy to see the (male) family lineage from your less hirsute portrait Derrick! 😉

    That is one top-looking jalfrezi! – it looks like you had enough to share a little around – no?? :-p

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    1. Enough for quite a few more, Bob. Thanks very much. You are right about the lineage. I once made a framed set for each of the boys going back to my paternal grandfather and forward to my grandson Oliver. Thanks very much

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  16. Those photos with you and a microphone – I thought they’d been taken at a karaoke evening! If they had been, what would you have been singing?

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  18. Such poignant pictures! Wonderful to have them and to share. Also, love, love, love seeing pictures of Jackie’s fabulous food. Wow! What a way to start the day.

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  21. Beautiful people! Wonderful photos and memories! I don’t even know any of the people and they brought tears to my eyes. Especially beautiful Jessica!
    The “old” photos are the best photos. Today a lot of people’s photos are just selfies and they are too posed, filtered, photo-shopped, etc. 🙂
    HUGS!!! to you and Jackie!!!
    PS…I thought maybe you were singing a solo! 😉

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  22. Wonderful selection of family photographs, Derrick. I am so impressed with your organization of old photos that allows you to retrieve them by request. Jackie’s colorful and supremely appetizing chicken jalfrezi has inspired me to try making it in my Instant Pot. If I succeed, you’ll see a post.

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  25. Ah, Such a touching post, Derrick. I can just imagine the emotions at the time – but all Jessica has is smiles. I love the photo of her hands clasped together and the one of her braving the ocean. Just wonderful. And Jackie’s cooking looks amazing!

    Reply

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