The Beloved Country

Isn't life funny? 



Before I was coerced into writing a set of "content" (I'm sure,  like me,  you despise that word in this context)? I hadn't written a blog in years.  It's just so 90's.

And yet,  now that I've got a few done,  thinking I have no more in me,  inspiration strikes again..

This time in the oddest of ways.. one of the old black and white scans showing the after Christmas lunch nap hijinks had a detail I had not previously noticed...

My grandfather snoozing in his chair was reading a book close to my heart in a number of ways.. my mother left to me a signed copy of  "Cry the beloved country" signed by the author Allan Paton.



Not to mention the knitted sleeveless pulley,  the shirt and tie,  and those specs! Different times call for different levels of formality.  My 20- something offspring remarked they had seen a video of men constructing a complicated set of railway lines at a crossing,  all formally attired - despite no ppe - as was the case in the day.  In fact,  any black and white video showing industry is guaranteed to send shivers down any osh spine. (Assuming it's not ai generated). Hard to tell mostly. 

In some ways,  we've come a long way. 

But I digress..

The book would have been published around 1948, my copy unfortunately is only a 4th edition.

The one in the photo has a dust jacket,  mine doesn't,  but it may still be the same book,  just shed it's skin,  so to speak..


BUT, look what I found when opening the book again to take the photo!!
Don't get me started on a set of Rhodesian banknotes that somehow went walkabout during my university years though :(


Collecting and squirreling things away.  That's a whole other topic for another day.

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