ENCHANTING MEMORIES

History is about to be made tomorrow with another royal wedding taking place in England. It seemed fitting to post a special image with its own enchanting story today. Meet Betty & Jack who had a lovely life in rural NSW and later Sydney. With their own businesses in the country, eight children and fourteen grandchildren, their life certainly was busier than most of us can ever imagine. Dont you just love the old glamour of 1940's black & white photography

Sadly Jack passed away suddenly of a heart attack on 26th July 1964 leaving behind Betty and their eight children (the eldest was 14 years and the youngest 11months). After a lifetime spent bringing up the children and welcoming the grandchildren into her life Betty went on to travel the world and was delighted by the simple pleasures of life. Her life is a testament to those universal time old traditions of loyalty, trust & honour.

I have often found that true love sometimes surpasses all levels of reason in life. Betty passed away in 1998 and as fate would have it...on the same day as her husband Jack just 35 years later. As the first grandchild of Betty & Jack I was duly spoilt by all of their eight children growing up. Betty was my best friend, the first person I travelled to America with in 1981 (a place I would come to frequent many times since for work) and she loved the royal family. My memories of our times together as a child & adult are vast. I was with her the first time we met Princess Diana and she was in essence my own Queen Mum. Who would have known that on the other side of the harbour my future husband would be photographing her for some Australian magazines later that day.....fate x (My love for black & white film was shared on our own glamourous shot pictured above in 2001.)