Blogs

The Joys of Family

So here I am approaching my next birthday – I’m at that age where I can reverse the numbers and it sounds much more attractive!  And I’m reflecting on my lovely family – the only problem is the older they get, the more I have to admit the older I’m getting.

Hoss, my ever-supportive husband is also ageing at exactly the same rate as me (albeit he’s trailing behind me by six months). He’s creative, aspirational, a bit quirky – and dare I say increasingly forgetful. And I love him to bits 😍

Then there are the boys. Daniel, reserved, generous and fiercely loyal to those he loves; married to the lovely Niamh our stunning Irish daughter-law, who is kind and gentle and worries far too much about everything.

Oliver is a different kettle of fish – confident, gregarious and a bit of a madcap – very ‘out there’ (well that’s how it seems to his behind the times mother!).  He’s about to marry the gorgeous Bea, who we are blessed to welcome in to our family. Where daughters in law are concerned, we’ve definitley hit the jackpot.

And so we come to Sebastian.  Our totally gorgeous, delightful, clever, perfect grandson (cut me some slack here - I’m his grandmother, and I’m allowed…).  And last but not least, Dylan.  I never thought I was a ‘small dog’ person, but Oliver and Bea’s dog is a Chihuahua with the biggest personality – he’s adorable (I swear he thinks he’s a mountain rescue dog or something).

To use one of my Dad’s old phrases, they all live within 'spitting distance'. Or to put it more plainly -  within child and dog minding distance. Or, “we were just passing, and thought we’d pop in for lunch” distance!  My life seems to be one long round of child minding, nursery runs, dog minding, picking up, dropping off…    

Anyway, that’s the clan. They’re my clan and I wouldn’t have them any other way. My only worry is that these days won’t last forever, and one day soon these will be just distant fond memories.

Disclaimer: I know my children will be mortified by this blog – but what are mother’s for if not to embarrass their offspring!

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Remembering My Dad

It’s a year since my Dad died, and I think about him more often now than I did when he was still alive. 

I have the time to sit and muse – to remember all the best times, rather than the frantic last few years of his life, when his ever increasing needs took up every spare minute of my time and thoughts.

From shopping, cooking and cleaning, to haring up and down the A1 to visit him in a 200 mile round trip – and that’s not to mention the extra journeys we made just to ‘fix’ his television remote (which wasn’t actually broken – just complicated!).

When Mum died some 13 years ago, Dad’s grief was the most heart rending grief I’ve ever witnessed.  He ‘visited’ her each and every day at their special spot by Rutland Water, and sat for hours on her bench drinking coffee from a flask, and tending a little garden he’d made for her there.  He had countless photographs of her pinned all around the house. He grieved, and remembered, and yearned for the days when they were together.  Now, when I see all the photographs taken chronicling their life I can begin to get an idea of the love they had and the memories they made together.

They met on 10th Augsut 1952 at the age of 15, when they were on holiday in Mablethorpe with their respective families.  Coincidentally, they both kept diaries and had each recorded the day they met!  And they had their photograph taken by the ever-present photographer on the prom.

Later, Dad’s job with the Foreign Office saw them travelling abroad together for 25 years, before they returned home to retire.  And now we have the pleasure of sifting through boxes and boxes of photographs, seeing and enjoying memories of Mum and Dad as teenagers, of our family as we were growing up, and getting a glimpse of their adventures abroad. What an absolute privilege.

We live in a digital world now, but I fervently hope that our lives don’t remain locked in our mobile phones. What a terrible loss for future generations if we don’t give them boxes of gorgeous photographs to wallow in when we’re gone!

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Headshots – First Impressions Count

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From corporate lawyers or accountants, to small businesses, to budding actors - creating a great first impression online or in print is an absolute must.   Professional headshots should reflect who you are as an individual or brand, and will improve your chances of capturing attention for all the right reasons - whether it's getting more enquiries from your website, or receiving that all important call from an agency.   

Here at Hoss Photography, we appreciate how important it is to stand out from the crowd, and to send the right message to your target market.  We'll take the time to get to know you, and to create exactly the right image for you.  Whatever you have in mind, we'll create images that will surpass your expectations. 

Life After Lockdown – Time to Get Together Again

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To say it's been a tough year, must be the understatement of the century. We never imagined that 2020 would bring such a global disaster, with so much heartache and loss.  The ensuing lockdowns caused untold isolation and loneliness for so many people.  On a personal level, Hoss endured the death of his beloved mother, and my own father moved to a cottage within a care facility where he felt totally disconnected from anything or anyone familiar.  Of course I realise that we have sufferred far less than many other families.

Now, as restrictions continue to ease, we're once again able to re-open our business, and are looking forward to welcoming our customers back into the studio.  Life is beginning to feel just a little more 'normal' and we're once again able to visit and even hug our loved ones.  It's a time to reflect on what we've come through, and to truly celebrate just how much we love our family and friends.

We'd love to invite you to remember this very special time of being together again, and have put together an amazing offer for you to enjoy. It even includes a free photograph of your choice!