OUR SHOVE FAMILY CHRISTMAS 1946

Lets head off in some different directions starting with a bit of my adopted family history, this photo kindly sent by my cousin Valerie in Australia was taken at Christmas 1946 in Eastbourne, Sussex. Valerie and my cousins Michael and Chrissie are the only people still with us.

George Eaton who would die in 1948 then my father George Spencer recently discharged from the regular army ( Kings Liverpool) due to injury sustained pre war and to his right Uncle Claude who had probably taken this with a timer on his camera. Then auntie Thelma and Auntie Olive, Olive was widowed in the war, Sam Osborne volunteered for the parachute regiment and was flown to France just before midnight to capture enemy control and communication centres as D Day got underway. He was shot coming down and survived a few days and died at Caen where he is buried. The two young men are his sons, Chris still living near Eastbourne at Pevensey and Michael between Melbourne and Beijing, professor emeritus of both universities former vice chancellor of Melbourne . To their left my cousin Sandy sadly taken away so early by cancer. We know it is 1946 as by next Christmas as cousin Ellie was born in 1947 and she isn't in the picture. Auntie Sylve  to the left of grandmother and front row Valerie next to Marion or Maisie as they knew her who would adopt me in mid 1952 after failing to have a live birth, goodness doesn't she look young here.

Well I've been busy today getting the shelving fitted to the first in the room long set of display cabinets which have already taken six days work. The next set is easier as I've drilled through the doweling supports into the next section ensuring common height and less work next time round. Still some sanding to do , I had to removed some of the caulking and replace with polyfiller for ease of sanding and shaping. Tomorrow I'm out filming but I haven't watched the weather yet to decide where, probably not too far from home.