Vintage rose

Because of their age, I rather flatteringly photographed them from above.

Returning from school and after a delicious swim with Callum, home smelt of the gorgeous flowers picked from a neighbour's garden by the couple's mother, who, with her husband, has been painstakingly restoring the post war house on an almost daily basis. I remember two years ago looking through the home whilst it was being sold to this same young couple and finding black and whites scattered upon the floors whilst potential buyers and nosy neighbours such as me inspected the rooms. I felt saddened that 80 year old photos, babies sitting posed in studio sets, had been thus discarded, that feet were carelessly trampling upon them. I picked them up and handed the collection to the deceased owner's daughter who must have been in her 60s and was chain smoking to extraordinary lengths whilst holding them. Memories collected by the former owner, bequeathed to her own daughter whom it appeared did not share an interest in them and did not respect their irreplaceable value.

From the neighbour's estate sale, I bought a few cousins of these roses to fill my garden but I seem to have lost all skills in the gardening department, despite my love of flowers and especially old roses. I should really renew them as my own memories of my garden in London are of staying out in the dark attending to the tiny patch of garden I had to the back, finding great pleasure and relaxation after my working days in the city.

What a joyful gift presented in a neat little bunch by the lady with the gardening gloves and shears this morning! And what an incredible old rose fragrance. Perhaps in return I should make a print of this for her.

The boys were asleep all afternoon so I had a potter and finished the images from yesterday which will make a lovely story book for the boys of our day Down by the beach...

Made in Aperture and loving being reunited with the 85mm after a hiatus.