50 year Old Memories

I've known this slide box for almost 50 years.  A beautiful, wooden box with lids top and bottom so you can store twice as many slides.  Nearly all of the images are from the period from 1964-1970.  

One of my first memories was jogged by one slide of my birthday in 1964 when I was taken down to Henley-upon-Thames by Mom and Dad, joined by Uncle Al and Auntie Win.  

My birthday present was a rocket, which you fired up into the air using a strong rubber catapult.  As it reached the highest altitude it would deploy a parachute and float back down to earth.  I was so excited; I so wanted to have a go myself, but the men were in charge.  Up it went, down it came, once, twice, three and four times.  'When can I have a go?".  "Next time" I was told.  

Well it wasn't to be.  The rocket flew higher than before, but no parachute came out and by the time we ran over to it after it returned to earth, there wasn't much left intact.  I was so upset, so much so that Dad hired a motor boat and allowed me to 'drive', sat on his lap, with him still firmly in control.

Looking through those images you could tell that the camera came out mainly for holidays and special occasions.  Nearly all were of family holidays in Cornwall, Devon and Brittany.  Happy memories.  I'm really going to have to scan them all in.