J-Land Photoshoot # 127

This subject this week is OLD

I knew immediately the image that I would use  (no, it is not me!).

My maternal Grandfather, William, whom I loved so dearly as only a child can, was an athlete as a young man.  In fact he was a champion middle-distance runner for the Essex Beagles Athletic Club, one of their stars.

For one race ( I have no details of it) instead of being awarded a tropy he was presented with a pair of these:

Copies of the famous Marly horses.  He won them circa 1898 when he would have been around the age of 22. That would make them 110 years old but we do not know if they were new when presented to him.

In their house my Grandparents had the most beautiful and enormous dresser and these horses took pride of place, one on either side.  My Grandmother, whom I adored and have written much of in the past, treasured them and always told me that they would be mine one day.  They meant even more to her after my Granfather passed away in 1949.

After Nan died in January of 1972 my Mother went and collected them for me as Becky was less than three months old.

I have had them ever since.  In monetary terms they are worth very little. They are not bronze but probably spelter and there are, no doubt, many around just like them.  But in terms of memories, of the love I had for my Grandparents and the joy I had in visiting their house, they are absolutely priceless and I hope they will always be kept in the family and treasured.