Of Bonnets, boaters and hats............when to wear them and......when not!

Dear All

Phew - just over another week has flown by.  I have to confess I have been very unwell so I have to ask you all to excuse my lateness in updating my blog on St. Hils.  However, although my energy levels are not up to doing great photoshoots again yet (although they are steadily improving.......) I fancied taking you all down memory lane again as I remember times past in St. Hils.  Isn't it typical that you ALWAYS want to find a photo or photographs that you can't find?  Well that was my position the other day as I mused on this latest blog idea.  I wanted to find the photos I know I used for my very first Easter day page on St. Hils because I had put most of my "girls" in "Easter bonnets" for the occasion.  Could I find them?  NO - I checked my back up drive and no folder was present for Easter Day in 2004 which was our first full year in St. Hils.

However today, whilst feeling brighter, I decided to check out our old PC which still works most of the time.  I just hoped and prayed that it would turn on when I pressed the "start" button because that is the main problem with it and why we finally had to replace it.........ie.....the switching mechanism is duff and some days it refused to come on at all.  However it has given us a few funny surprises when, suddenly and out of the blue, it switches itself on! 

Fortunately I found a copy of the website which I backed up in 2004 after Easter - hooray!  You can see one of the photos here with Clara sporting a pink bonnet and holding a lily.  Sadly I have failed to find the original sized photos or the folder in which they are stored but at least I do have a reduced copy which was originally on the site so all is not lost.  I am sure they are about........SOMEWHERE!    My computers reflect me sadly...........very disorganised.

I sadly rather love this Easter photo from my very first Easter page.  That chick is SO big it really doesn't fit the scene does it?  I have to chuckle at this one though because I so remember that I used REAL chocolate eggs here.  Not sure quite WHAT kind they were..........they may have been Cadbury's creme eggs but something tells me that they are not quite big enough...  Whatever the case - I do feel they are rather too big for the occasion.  I am not sure either what the children were meant to do with them as I am sure their parents would rather they didn't eat them all in one sitting.........

Here above you can see Emily. (the old Emily before she had her hair done!)

I rather like this one above of Poppy and Amelia......they look so grown up!

I expect you all know that ladies are traditionally expected to wear hats in church but conversely, men are not allowed to have their heads covered.  I have to say this convention did worry me in the early days of St. Hils and certain photos I have taken reflect that as you can see here with both Tom and Ben again, on Easter Sunday in 2004.

I no longer worry because I firmly believe churches need to move with the times and anyway I have never liked wearing hats anywhere let alone church.  The above photo is included in our original wedding page before poor Esther had her bridegroom arrive.

 I set it up as a Pentecost wedding and so, as Pentecost IS an up and coming festival in the church, felt it appropriate to show off a photo or two from that original page.

Miss Esther is STILL awaiting her bridegroom as she reaches the altar............poor Miss Esther!

I like this one as it gives you some perspective on the size. and you can see the wedding flowers which I did commission.  Sadly the lady, Angie, of A J Miniatures, who created them, no longer has a live website so I am unable to provide you a link to her work which is such a shame as she put so much effort into the work.  She made me my bride's bridal bouquet, headdress and all the church flowers including the one on the altar.

I hope you all have enjoyed my walk down memory lane here.  I hope, as my energy levels improve, to do more in the days to come but the doctor has said it will be  a few weeks yet before I am up to strength again.

Thanks to those who have offered me their best wishes and prayers for my recovery...they are very much appreciated.

Till the next time