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Notes from bygone years – Sing along to some crazy Junes
Hint: Click on the thumbnails for larger images.
June 2023 (1 year before publishing this article)
Donna and I had a Scottish holiday; we flew to Inverness Airport and took a hire car anticlockwise around the North Coast 500. It was an amazing journey! The photo is of Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland early on the road trip. We saw many interesting features in the towns and villages, the countryside, geology, and coastline. Definitely a holiday to remember.
JHM: I began writing up the trip and may complete this series one day; and I introduced Yara and Konstantin to my readers. – World events: Russia caused massive flooding in Ukraine; and the submersible, Titan, imploded at depth.
June 2022 (2 years before publishing)
We walked a section of the Cotswold Way with Donna’s brother Paul and his wife Vanessa.
This view is from a point near the old ‘Air Balloon‘ pub, now demolished to make way for road improvements. The view is north-west towards Gloucester; Crickley Hill is on the right and peeping up beyond it is Churchdown Hill. Coopers Hill rises from the horizon on the left of the image. Hazy in the far distance are the Malverns and Wales beyond.
World events: There was a G7 summit in Germany to discuss events in Ukraine; and a NATO summit was held in Madrid.
June 2019 (5 years before)
Vanessa was running in an event from Sharpness to Gloucester along the old ship canal. Paul, Donna and I made the same trip by car, stopping to watch her pass at several points along the way. After completing her run she joined us in the old docks area, now being redeveloped and including the Gloucester Quays shopping centre.
World events: US President Trump made a state visit to the UK; and Hong Kong suspended an extradition law during protests.
June 2014 (10 years)
It was Aidan’s eighth birthday in June and he had an animal themed birthday with everyone able to hold and interact with many different creatures. The photo shows Meredith getting all wound up about a snake! Ten years ago all our grandchildren enjoyed themed birthday parties; and my word, didn’t we have some amazing themes!
JHM: I wrote about faith, hope and love in prayer. – World events: Islamic State declared itself to be a caliphate; and Felipe VI became King of Spain.
June 2009 (15 years)
We met our newest grandchild for the first time (that’s the one on the right in the photo). Verity was only a few days old, and it was lovely to see her already holding a philosophical conversation with her Dad. But seriously – new life is such a precious and wonderful gift.
JHM: I wrote about FriendFeed, later sadly bought and killed by Facebook; and protests in the streets in Tehran. – World events: Analog TV closed down in the USA; and Michael Jackson died.
June 2004 (20 years)
We travelled to Cornwall with Mum and Dad and spent a lovely week staying in Mevagissey. Here we are inside the Mediterranean dome at the Eden Project. We also enjoyed the Lost Gardens of Heligan; Barbara Hepworth’s house and garden; and, not least, the lovely fishing village of Mevagissey itself.
World events: There was a transit of Venus; and SpaceShipOne became the first privately funded spacecraft to carry crew into space.
June 1999 (25 years)
I bought my first electronic camera with 640 x 480 resolution, ie 0.3 megapixels! We had a week’s holiday in Scotland with our friends Rob and Jean, staying in a log cabin between Fort William and Loch Ness. The photo (taken on my new camera) shows Rob, Jean and Donna in Leakey’s, an Inverness second-hand bookshop.
World events: Napster was created to share music online; NATO stopped air strikes when Slobodan Milošević agreed to remove his forces from Kosovo.
June 1994 (30 years)
Beth had bought a small kite when we went to the Bristol Kite Festival in Ashton Park, and here she’s flying it on a windy day in the field at the bottom of our garden in Stowey Road, Yatton. The field was a lovely thing to have, we and all our neighbours shared it and it became a place to relax, a sort of unofficial reserve at the end of the garden.
World events: The film, ‘The Lion King‘ was released by Disney; the last Russian troops left Germany; and MS-DOS was no longer supported by Microsoft.
June 1989 (35 years)
Dad sold us his old car, a Volkswagon, and we drove to Cirencester in Jumbo to collect it. Here, Judy is about to travel home in Jumbo, and I followed shortly afterwards in the VW with Debbie and Beth. A little later we sold our old Marina for not very much; it had served us well, but was now near the end of its life.
World events: The world’s first high definition TV broadcasts began in Japan; the Tiananmen Square protests took place in Beijing; and the wreck of the Bismarck was found 600 miles from the French coast.
June 1984 (40 years)
It was about this time that we waved goodbye to Computer Tutor and the Clever Clogs range of software. I wrote some simple educational games for the Sinclair Spectrum, just for my daughters to use; and brother-in-law, Peter, developed the concept as a viable business and extended the range considerably. By this time Peter had sold the business to Argus Press Software, and none of us remained involved.
World events: Cirque du Soleil was founded in Canada; and Virgin Atlantic made its inaugural flight.
June 1979 (45 years)
I was working on fruit pollination full time by now, having transferred to the Pomology and Plant Breeding Section at Long Ashton Research Station. I had a particular interest in temperature effects on pollen tube growth. By June I would be starting to study the samples I’d collected earlier in the season. The squiggly, yellow lines in the picture are pollen tubes.
World events: A black-led government took over from Ian Smith in ‘Zimbabwe Rhodesia‘, now Zimbabwe; and the first direct elections to the European Parliament took place.
June 1974 (50 years)
Judy’s parents and her brother, Frank, had a chance to visit the Falconry Centre at Newent in Gloucestershire. She took my camera with her and grabbed this lovely portrait during the trip. I needed to be at work that day so couldn’t join them. Work? Day out? No brainer, really, but it just wasn’t going to happen, sadly.
World events: A bomb exploded in Westminster Hall; and Isabel Perón was sworn in as the first female President of Argentina.
June 1969 (55 years)
I was working on the final sandwich section of my Bath University Horticulture course. I’d been assigned to Long Ashton Research Station (LARS) near Bristol and worked for Eddie Catlow and Martin on the experimental farm team. This placement had the advantage that Judy and I were be able to meet up at weekends.
World events: There was a serious collision between an Australian aircraft carrier and a US destroyer; and Judy Garland died in her London home.
June 1964 (60 years)
I was taking my O-level exams at Cirencester Grammar School. The photo shows a page from one of my exercise books (not related to an exam). ‘The happiest days of your life’, people told me. But I found exams a real trial, suffering with intense hay fever made far worse by everyone wanting the windows wide open because of hot weather.
World events: Greece rejected direct talks with Turkey over Cyprus; and Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa.
June 1959 (65 years)
This month brought Rachael’s 2nd birthday, Ruth’s 3rd, Dad’s 33rd and Grandpa’s 80th, I was still 10 in June, nearly 11. We were living at Queen Anne’s Road in Cirencester, the photo shows me, Rachael, Cindy and Ruth playing in and around the blow up paddling pool in the back garden. Summers seemed to go on forever in those days!
World events: The USS George Washington was launched as the first submarine to carry ballistic missiles; and Queen Elizabeth II and President Eisenhower opened the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
June 1954 (70 years)
In June I was enjoying the start of the long summer school holiday. I was still five-years-old (nearly six) so this was my first school summer holiday. I probably felt very grown up to think that when I went back in September I would be in the second year. Meanwhile I had time to play inside or out in the garden.
The image is a slate sculpture of Alan Turing at Bletchley Park.
World events: Alan Turing committed suicide (he was 41); and UEFA was formed in Switzerland.
June 1949 (75 years)
Dad had his 23rd birthday in June, but of course I was not yet storing long term memories so I don’t remember it. But at nearly eleven months I’m sure I joined in the fun and certainly would have appreciated cake if there was one! It’s likely I was able to stand if I had something to hold on to, and I might have been able to say a few words, but any notes Mum and Dad might have made have been lost.
World events: A rhesus monkey, Albert II, was the first primate in space but died on return due to parachute failure; and the first TV Western, Hopalong Cassidy, aired in the USA.
June 1944 (80 years)
Dad noted in his diary on his birthday (4th June) that the city of Rome had been taken. And on the 6th he wrote:
‘D. Day!! At last the second front has started. Was transferred to C. shed. Was on guard at 2 Site all night and spent pleasant evening in guard room. Listened to Montgomery and King on radio. Wrote to Phillip and Ronald. Letter from Nor.’
(Nor was his mother, and later my Granny).
At the end of the month he heard unofficially that he was to be posted to Yatesbury (a centre dedicated to radar training).
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Journeys of Heart and Mind 
