Flickr: latium

Born in Sedgley, which was then part of Staffordshire as was Wolverhampton, Walsall, Willenhall, West Brom and a lot more of the Black Country towns.

Lived primarily in Portobello and then on the Lucknow estate with my parents, but every so often when money was tight I was despatched to the Royal Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire to live with my paternal grandfather.

After school I started off as a white collar worker in insurance, yawn, but soon became bored with that, and adopted a more nomadic life style, Army, working in the Middle East, long distance lorry driving all over the UK etc .

Then after years of being foot loose and fancy free I returned to being a white collar worker, but this time in logistics management where I met my wife who then made an honest man of me.

We settled down in Willenhall (Humpshire) for five years and then in Essington, Staffs for thirteen years.

We decided to spend the 21st century away from the bustle and commotion of the Black Country, and took a bit of a flyer to move to the forest of my childhood in December 1999.

I started uploading our collection of family snaps for when my nephew, Oliver, is old enough to appreciate them.

Unexpectedly I found it being used by distant members of both our families and interested strangers, some who have become firm friends, which has been wonderful for all concerned.

The images are a record of both our families going back to the first one in 1878, plus photo's of odds and ends handed down from the past in case the original item is lost or destroyed, as often happens.

Originally we only had a Nokia camera phone, and that was by mistake, for we ordered a cheap mobile off the internet, it was only when it arrived that we discovered it had a camera too!

Maybe one day when funds allow we will invest in a real camera, but in the meantime our incredibly kind friend, Wadey, and his wife Lynn, have most generously given us their 'old' Nikon camera, after they had a new one for Christmas (2010).

So now the workman can no longer blame his camera/phone, not that he ever did actually, and to be fair if the Nokia never takes another photie we will have had our moneys worth out of it.

As with all grand designs that are impulsive the idea of building up a collection of our family images is constantly being modified with changing moods and happenings.

All I can say is that at present we are also using it as a diary of our life and the natural world in the forest where we live.

Lord knows what direction it will be going next, I believe the technical term is developing organically... yeah right!

So if your interested then enjoy it, whoever you are, but please remember it is a family affair, please don't be that bloke, you know the one I mean!

Thanks.

NB for security, unless you are designated a friend you will not see all of the images, but feel free to ask, however be aware I will only consider extending my friendship if your name and details are filled in on your profile.

Oh, one last thing, whilst I am under no illusion as to the level of my photographic skills, if you did mark one of my photie's as a fave, well, it would be very nice if you made a comment too!

Cheers.

-----///\\------Please
----///--\\\----put this
---|||----|||---on your
---|||-- -|||---profile if
---|||-- -|||---you know
----\\\--///----someone
-----\\\///-----who is living with, survived
------///\-----or has passed away from
-----///\\\----cancer.
----///--\\\---Thank you

Click here to help, it's free!
www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2