A bit random, but I wanted to share something. One of the main reasons I have such a passion for history is my dad. Everyone’s family is normal in the sense you grow up not thinking that your situation is any different but my family is brilliantly different. I am 33, born in 1982. My dad died when I was 8. He was born inChester le Street in 1910. He worked down the pit (Lumley 6 Pit then Dawdon) for most of his early life before moving to London and working in construction. Through my dad I’ve always had the sense that history is actually not that distant. He lived through some momentus changes. Most people my age have great grand parents or at a push grand parents who lived over the same time span. I’ve got my dad. My grandad was a Victorian in the purest sense. I love that about my family and wanted to share a photo of my dad (on the right when he was 21), his dad (my grandad, centre) and my uncle (left). I love this photo as it seems so distant in time yet so near too. I hope you don’t mind a slight digression.