your thoughts?

[iem]

Ah, how often we wish we had asked things earlier ......

[Rena]

I realise this is an earlier posting but I want to comment on the mariner turned Lath maker which might interest anyone else who comes across this thread.

I think the ex mariner would have been quite prosperous selling his laths.  Laths are thin strips of wood that you'll find in the walls and ceilings of old houses.  During the era we're talking about the industry for building offices, factories and housing was booming.   

[Rena]

Ah, how often we wish we had asked things earlier ......

I think I was extremely lucky that photo albums were popular at a time when toys and childrens books were hard to come by during/after WWII.

To keep us occupied my mother b1918 used to often get out the family photo album and tell us who each person was.

I was also lucky with family stories because in those days family members would visit each other regularly either by foot, bicycle or bus and their chatter would include annecdotes that I've found useful in my research.