It’s been a hectic couple of weeks in the blogosphere. No sooner had I been tagged than two other lovely bloggers nominated me for blog awards – JoAnna for Versatile Blogger and Pauline Barclay – herself one of the sunniest bloggers on the planet – for Friendly Blogger. I am grateful to both of these great writers and networkers for thinking of me but not sure I can actually accept as I will struggle right now to find bloggers to nominate who haven’t already held the prize or one that’s similar. I’m hoping if I give away a few family secrets, I’ll be forgiven and allowed to retain my friendly and versatile status!
Family secrets? My daughter, enthused by a certain TV programme, has started to investigate our family history and I’m being reminded of people and stories that had faded from my mind for a while, in particular our Victorian ancestor Charles Lowe, who was a writer.
He lived for many years in Berlin where he was correspondent to The Times and later wrote romantic adventures, one of which sits on my bookshelf and is decribed by contemporary reviewers in glowing terms: ‘surprisingly vivid and exciting,‘ ‘will delight all lovers of adventure‘ etc. etc.! Sadly I have never read it all the way through. Now that I’m involved in my own Victorian investigation, maybe it’s time to put that right.
Charles was actually my maternal Granmother’s uncle, not exactly a close relative, so I suppose it’s unlikely I have inherited his writing gene, but I think it must have been passed on to his daughter. Brought up in Germany (where she claimed to have been dandled on the Kaiser’s knee!) and later settled in Sussex, Blanche Lowe had no family of her own and became for us the ultimate eccentric aunt, renowned for her prolific letter-writing and occasional holidays in Edinburgh. Arriving on the Flying Scotsman, she employed a driver to take her (and sometimes us) on trips around the country she regarded as her home, providing us with lots of memorable treats like afternoon tea in the North British Hotel . (Now called The Balmoral, its clock tower still dominates the Edinburgh skyline).
As she got older and perhaps lonelier, Auntie Blanche’s letters became more frequent until they arrived almost daily. I have one she wrote to me in 1970 when I had a holiday job in a hotel in Glenshee. ‘I am writing to you,’ she says, ‘in your mountain fastness’. As far as I know she never wrote a book, but I’m sure she had more than one novel in her.
Following last week’s challenge, I’m now reading my very first Western in the shape of The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. That 19th century – so much going on!
Ali Bacon / Books Etc 
I love the family history! Now that’s the kind of ancestor we all need 🙂
Juliet
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Hi Juliet
Funny how things we always took for granted in families suddenly become of interest when looked at afresh.
AliB
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The family history sounds very exciting, looking forward to learning more. As for the Award, you deserve it, you brighten my day, but never mind about sending it on. For most of us there are never enough hours in the day, but the nice thing is we know we are all there. Don’t worry, enjoy and keep smiling. Have a fabby day and thanks for the mention. x
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Thanks Pauline – as understanding as ever!
AliB
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What wonderful history. I love hearing about family history. I used to sit for hours listening to my mom, grandma, and Aunt Mary talking about “the old days”. They’re all gone now so those memories are treasured.
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Hi Susan
Yes, it’s odd to realise you’re the one carrying on the traditions and stories. I think my sister is starting to write things down so they are recorded somewhere. Makes sense!
Ali B
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Fascinating blog as always. Writing must be in your family genes and how wonderful to possess a book written by your relative. You must surely finish reading it and do one of your wonderful reviews. Good luck too with your daughters research into the family. You never know who she may find!
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Hi Kit
I think I will have another go with Linday’s Love, especially knowing more about the background of the author. Will keep you posted!
AliB
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I shall think of you next week when I visit Glenshee. I go with my husband and daughter to a beautiful village called Dunkeld every October for four days and we always do a drive through the mountains trying to spot the wild roaming deer.
I’d love to do a family history but unfortunately, my mum doesn’t have enough information and my father died ten years ago. My husband’s family have lived on our farm since 1919 but he doesn’t know much about them before that.
CJ xx
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Hi Crystal and thanks for visiting. I’m lucky because my parents kept lots of family mementos including a family tree researched in the 1950s. Although we have lost touched with most ‘branches’ it looks like my daughter is determined to make new connections.
It’s a long time since I was in Glenshee but I’m hoping to go back to the Highlands some time soon. Enjoy your trip!
AliB
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How fascinating to find a book like this, written by an ancestor. I know a few people who have researched their family history, and it’s quite amazing the things they’ve discovered.
I would love to devote time to looking into my own background – I made a start a few months back, but kept on hitting a brick wall. One of the problems is lots of quite common names – I keep on thinking it would be so much easier, if I has a very unusual, French sounding surname, or something!
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Hi Helen
DD and I are off to the library tomorrow to try out the ancestry database. Our problem is that so many people in our family share Christian names as well as surnames – v. confusing!
AliB
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