New Milk, and Fresh Eggs

June 25, 2023 – Arnside, England

I have a fixation with this photograph that borders on an obsession. 

The black and white photo is from our family collection.  The “Mrs. Fallows” referred to on the side of the van is our maternal great grandmother Grace (Brockbank) Fallows.  All of the people in the photo are related to her.

Even if the subjects of the photo weren’t family, it is an intriguing image.  The three boys are cute as hell, with their short pants, outgrown jackets, highland socks, and milk buckets.

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I spent the better part of two years researching the photo, the people in it, and the background context.  I compiled a comprehensive Ancestry.ca file going back 14 generations.  I know who all of the people in the photo are and how they are related to us.  I know something about the personal circumstances of each individual and the family branch they belong to.  I also know exactly where and when the photo was taken, including the time of day, and who the photographer was.

I even know what each of the boys had for breakfast that morning!

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I compiled all the information gathered over two years and scribbled it into a lengthy blog format.  I was about to publish it on the website today, but before I hit the “post” button I read the piece one more time using Grandma Fallows’ point of view as the perspective. 

About halfway through I heard Grandma’s voice.  She said to me, clearly and in a stern tone:

“Are you trying to bore these people to death?”

I realized Grandma was right.  Only someone who shares my deep obsession with family history and folklore will be able to navigate through all the genealogical and historical data I have gathered.  I am happy to share it with anyone who asks, but I won’t subject you to it here.

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I have made one exception.  For those of you interested in what the boys had for breakfast, my best guess is…

… New Milk, and Fresh Eggs.

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