Nancy Family Fortunes: All summer we play on the beaches of Co Waterford – tires for floats, buckets and metal shovel
This photo is me and my brother David. We were called Dunabrattin in a boat bay and beach in Co Waterford – the photo was taken by my father and he told me to put my arm around David. He had to tell me to do this because we often fight – one year let us separate.
I am a higher head, but he always wins our battle, grabs my wrist, bites it so hard, and leaves his teeth imprint. He wore a pair of knitted bath towels and I also had a pair – my logo is a crab.
We were allowed to pick the design by my mother before she weaved – she is a great weaver, reading while sewing, just occasionally wanting to see if there is a mistake. I am wearing a dress, which may mean that we are going home. My tool will lie in the sand soaked nearby – the knit swimsuit is good until you get into the water, then it hangs around the ankle.
This photo depicts the innocent childhood we have. No TV, plastic, smartphone or computer. We made our own entertainment
We spend all summer on the beaches of Co Waterford, me, my brother and my parents, driving Zephyr, picnic tea in boots, sitting on the carpet, used as a black inner tube for floats, buckets and metal spades (We hold these photos in the photo) – They remember our bare feet with a strict parental warning, because we cut into the damp sand and pass the butter like a hot knife. We still have toes.
I remember the banana sandwich made in the morning, which turned into a black filling in the late afternoon, and quickly eaten with Thompson’s Barton Castle chocolate cake, shaped like a roof with thick ridged chocolate on top, the first piece and The last piece of humming extra chocolate – I think I am not only my fair share, it is my only spoiled girl – and then hot, sweet, milky tea to warm us all.
I have always liked this photo: it seems to contain the innocent childhood we once had. No TV, plastic, smartphone or computer. We did our own entertainment.
A few years ago, David gave me a photo copy of my photo for my birthday – it sat on the table in the living room.
