Sunday 2 September 2012

Storytelling Sunday - September

Sian hosts Storytelling Sunday here. She is the perfect hostess, welcoming and attentive, so you can join in. There are lots of great stories being told every month so pop on over. With a cup of something.

Well this photo of me was taken just last year…oh, no, it wasn't, was it the year before? Well maybe not, but certainly it feels like recently.
That is Jo there, up at the top right playing with her ponytail……Jo, she has beautiful auburn hair, a lovely diffident smile and I see her around quite often and she doesn't look a day older.
Tracey is gurning, her with the froth of gorgeous blond curls…..which of course she detested as our hair had to be straight and we didn't have straighteners. Of course it is beautiful hair and she still has it like that now. I don't think this whole post is going to be about hair. I don't think. Oh man, she could play a mean Wing Attack to my Centre at netball.
Rob looks just like he always did, he couldn't wait to be out of school, his family farmed on the edge of Exmoor and he loved it and therefore begrudged school, especially in the summer.
Clare now chooses to spend her days teaching in Ilfracombe, though she teaches the littlies at the Infants. Now Ali has left I shall miss seeing her regularly. Her daughter is the image of her actually looking at this, especially now that she is only a little younger than Clare was here. We were 16. 16. 16! Clare is and was very, very sweet.
Now then, Chris, the copper topped one, he was a boyfriend. But not yet. Not for another 18 months or so. Fun and sweet. He is in Australia now, but due to the boyfriend situation I still see his family now and then, I adore them and find out his news.
Jonny with his back to us, one of my very best friends, he lived around the corner and we used to walk to school together and hang out and do lots together, always as friends though. He lives a couple of streets away now, married one of our other friends and is bringing up his family.
Not sure who that is bending down? Sorry, school-friend.
Cath, Cathy, Jenks. She had the misfortune (as she saw it) to be the daughter of our year head. Her Mum was F.A.B. and we had a great year group so it could have been worse for her. Another friend not pictured was the Head's daughter as well. She was our year head for all 5 years, which was great, our teachers all knew us so well. She was our Goal Shoot, she had an excellent laugh, she was tall, she had a lust for life. I saw her recently, she had been mainly surfing in South Africa but met a fellow surfer and came back to Woolacombe (our local surf village, where she grew up) and is having babies.
Me? I can remember my shirt, the feel of it, the way it had to be so big to make sure the correct amount of shirt could be 'bagged' out over the trousers (see Jo, she had it nailed :D). Prefect badge for being Head of House-Sport. Proud to get it, we were a bit conscious of it not being too cool but we did have a great year group with little negativity or bullying so it was a good thing to wear. Cath had one for being Head of Sport for one of the, ahem, lesser houses :D Tracey had one for being, I cannot remember what!  I felt just how I look, happy and content.
The photo was taken towards the end of the Summer Term before we left……I was very lucky, my school days were full of fun and enjoyment and I was sad to see them end. Although, of course, I was over-excited for the next bit. Sixth Form, cars, less structure, a step nearer adulthood. Oh and a step nearer that boyfriend.


I include QR codes quite often in my project life from a genius idea from a fellow project lifer, I talk about it here. I thought that rather than write this post out again, I would add a code to the layout to bring me here. The kids love this feature of my scrapping so I love to include it to keep them interested.
Finally, I used a sketch made by Sue, who is excellent at this, here it is. The original layout she lifted it from was by Laura and is beautiful, of course it helps that her beautiful baby son is in it.

20 comments:

  1. wow, lOVE this layout... postal brown, pink and butterflies are all some of my favorite things... :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes a fab LO, Jen and, as always, I love to read your stories. When will you start that book?
    Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh and I should have said thank you for saying nice things about my sketches. :o)
    Sue xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. There you go, that should be your link up and running now :)

    This brought such a smile to me face because I've been thinking back this week - it only seems like yesterday! My son is starting his last year at school and when I said to my Mum she said - "it's no time since that was you, and then I remeber thinking it seemed like yesterday for me too!". Lovingly, beautifully remembered - and a great idea. You have made me want to get out some pictures and try to describe each friend in a few sentences. Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great LO and fun to find out a little bit about each person pictured, including you.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh I loved reading your story especially so since my school days were not so fun and I left at 15 to get away from bullies. I so wish I hadn't - wish I'd stayed on and gone to art school! BUT my very best friend and I are still best friends after all these years even though we are now at opposite ends of the country ;)

    Am now off to check out your barcode post!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a trip down your school memory lane with the aid of a photograph. Terrific! Love your lay-out and colours, especially the wooden effect behind the photograph. Irene

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh Jen,you sounded like it was great fun.. I wasn't quite so happy at school, liked it more in sixth form when the people you spent time with were all of a kind.. you write this all so nicely and with such humour and fondness.. and haven't youbeenprolific this weekend, those reducedhiurs sure suit you! Xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think it's amazing that so many of the people in this picture still live loacally!
    Alison xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great layout and wonderful that you know what happened o so many of your school friends :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm with you I'm sure we were all only 16 last year.... My kids are now older than Wookie & I were when we met, how strange!

    Love the QR code idea and all the bits of ribbon and paper along the top. So pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love your story telling Jen, you tell it in such a fun way. Gorgeous page too, love the strips especially the lace.

    ReplyDelete
  13. You have a wonderful memory, Jen! I can recall names, or faces of school friends, but not always connecting one to the other! It is lovely that some of your friends still live nearby, and that you keep in touch with those who moved away through their family. A lovely memory of when you were all 16.

    ReplyDelete
  14. a fab layout and such lovely memories. I wish i had more photos like these from my school days.

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL! Great photo - oh the memories that must hold. I didn't enjoy school and looking back at photos now sometimes makes me twitch a bit so you are really lucky. PS: My scrapbooking classes were with Shimelle! I realised I hadn't explained my love of learning is for any class anywhere, not just with the OU. Shame though, I would have loved that too!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such memories! I loved the story and the photo says it all quite nicely.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love this and I really need to get putting these QR codes into my project lift...will re look at yr instructions!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is such a pretty layout - and adding QR codes is genius :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Love your layout, and will "steal" the idea of the QR code in layouts! Such a great idea!!

    ReplyDelete

Aren't you lovely, you have made me smile =)