When We Were Young

 For Family and Friends

My sis in law and brother Tony and Rainy brought with them a small bag of old photos. Many were those I had sent home over the years. Fortunately I had scribbled the names on the back. Some names fade into the ether. 

I got out my bag of old photos too. There were a lot of old black and white photos from our childhood and school years. 

I wish I had shown them to older brother Paul when he was here last month. It's fascinating seeing old faces and hearing what's happened to them. 

Tony and Rainy still live in the area where we all went to school. I have 3 brothers and we all went to Te Puke Primary School and then onto Te Puke High. My sis in law Rainy also grew up in the same area and attended Te Puke High. Another 2 sis-in-laws also grew up in The Bay, went to the same school. The Bay, that's the Bay of Plenty.  Hi Joan and Bev.

The School Anthem..... 

Aim High

In the battle of life 

Aim high

Do not shrink from the strife

When at home or at work

Never falter or shirk

Plus Ultra

Aim high...... 

How on earth did I remember that!  It's been 55 years. 

We had a wonderful time. Reminiscing. Not at school. 

So many have passed on, so many they still know well. We needed brothers Richard and Paul to fill in the gaps. 

Here are some of the photos. 

K and I 

1980 I think. On the terrace of our 6th floor flat in Piraeus

Paul and Karen on the same terrace in 1980

We were both pregnant with our first children, Elli and Stephen

Again, with Paul and Karen

On the island of Naxos

My father and mother with K

Eating stewed snails

On the island of Crete where we lived for 3 years

K and Rainy bbqing in our back yard down in Crete.

Rainy pregnant with Samuel John

We lived in an 80 year old house in the village of Mournies.  When it rained the bathroom leaked badly and there were big cracks in the floor boards.  Amongst other things.  Memories are made of this

Richard and Joan

1990

Island of Salamina 

Eating offal soup after the midnight Orthodox Easter service

The little Greek girls on their first visit to NZ

Pukehina beach 1986

Elli, Tony, Danae

The swinging 70's

Me on the left with 2 girls I flatted with when studying in Wellington

Around 1972

And the surfing 70's

Long haired surfing brothers

Richard and Tony

Boards stacked on their Ford surf wagon

Classic surfing photo.