October 1965

I'm linking up to Sepia Saturday with this post which is a photo of my late father (whose birthday would have been today) as a fresh-faced twenty five year old. I only know this detail because - helpfully - the date is printed on the white border of the original print. I think that the vehicle he's standing in front of could be a Humber of some description - a Sceptre or a Super Snipe perhaps but I'm not totally sure.

The sorts of cars we had were of the work horse, practical, not terribly exciting variety: Morris Traveller, Ford Escort Estate, Hillman Avenger Estate - that sort of thing. For my dad, cars were just a means of getting from A to B. He had little interest in what they looked like or how they worked and would certainly never have spent a weekend afternoon tinkering with the engine or buffing up the paintwork.

I'm guessing that the photograph was taken by one of my brothers and I wonder if my dad's just got back or whether he's about to leave? If it's the former, he might be returning home after spending his working week in the city. For those five days mum stayed in the country with my three older siblings. But this version of family life despite suiting one of my parents, was less idyllic for the other and they later swapped the hills and fields of Herefordshire for life in the urban sprawl and a shorter commute to the office.