Well Yer Gorra Laf!

I’m sure the old saying about being able to choose your friends and not your relations applies to us all. I refer to the above story about my pipe smoking intelligent grandmother. She was born in Ireland and before her marriage was Alicia Dunleavy she then lived in England to the ripe old age of 92 years before going off to heaven with her rosary beads and a lifelong faith in the Lord… Some who read my story referring to the likeness of her and myself appeared quite amused and the story and pictures lifted us out of the present climate. That was on my mother’s side of the family and now I am switching over to the Rawlinson’s of my father’s family. If the continuation by birth of family genes applies as some members have suggested no wonder I have a love for horses if you read this cutting from a local Burnley newspaper. Here’s a snap from the family album and I am sure I don’t look like my Gt Gt grandfather although he was quite a handsome fella I suppose in those days. He’s on the right with another scoundrel by his side…

If you or anyone in your family bears a striking resemblance to family members past and present, we’d love to see them. Send your pics to https://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/contribute/

Former Daily Mirror photographer and Northern Life columnist Eddy Rawlinson shares his take on a few of his more humorous snaps – here’s a bunch of funny stuff to put a smile on yer chops.

If you or anyone in your family bears a striking resemblance to family members past and present, we’d love to see them. Send your pics to https://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/contribute/

Mini skirt fashion was coming under lots of criticism from a certain section of Mirror women readers. The office asked me to find a good picture to go with a feature about the row. Burnley was having a French week so I stayed at home instead of going into Manchester and took this picture at the wine tasting. It was used big of this poor unsuspecting man with an expression that suited the way the reporter was writing the story. It was only the day after when the picture was published did I think of the possibility the poor chap could be in for some criticism himself from a wife who was of the same opinion as some of our readers.

He was probably thinking whether he should have another…. and there rests the case for his defence.

Family Ties

For my friends Karen Shaw and Chris Pearson, my family and anyone else who agrees with them… It started when I published a photograph of my grandmother with her four daughters and son celebrating her birthday when in her mid-eighties. The allegation by the above mentioned was… it was me in drag which I thought not very complimentary but I laughed with them. Today as the news becomes more depressing day by day I thought I would share our little laugh to brighten up the end of another depressing week …and here it is… we are photographed at a similar age… I am on the right…

Just a note about my Nain (Grandmother) she was born in 1870 in a fishing village near Sligo in Ireland, could not read nor write and signed anything legal with an X. She came to England in 1890 with my grandfather a British soldier and lived the rest of her life in Burnley. She could back horses with the best of backers and smoked a clay pipe two of her grandchildren, one a girl, won State Scholarships and went to university in the early fifties and her great grandson was Clerk of the Privy Council of Canada until recently.

If ever there was a time for a good laugh it’s NOW… so I have brought out again one of our regular two ladies (who never fail to make me chuckle) with a new kid on the block to make you smile. No need to tell some of you who that Rawly poly baby is I’m sure. Like him, clap your hands and have a laugh for it will help drive away the horrible daily world news… and the baby? As they say in Parliament the “eyes” have it!

I’m sure the old saying about being able to choose your friends and not your relations applies to us all. I refer to the above story about my pipe smoking intelligent grandmother. She was born in Ireland and before her marriage was Alicia Dunleavy she then lived in England to the ripe old age of 92 years before going off to heaven with her rosary beads and a lifelong faith in the Lord… Some who read my story referring to the likeness of her and myself appeared quite amused and the story and pictures lifted us out of the present climate. That was on my mother’s side of the family and now I am switching over to the Rawlinson’s of my father’s family. If the continuation by birth of family genes applies as some members have suggested no wonder I have a love for horses if you read this cutting from a local Burnley newspaper. Here’s a snap from the family album and I am sure I don’t look like my Gt Gt grandfather although he was quite a handsome fella I suppose in those days. He’s on the right with another scoundrel by his side…

If you or anyone in your family bears a striking resemblance to family members past and present, we’d love to see them. Send your pics to https://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/contribute/