Frank's Life Story: Old Postcards 1959

I found a bundle of old postcards in the attic a few days ago. They must have been together in the bookcase, but somebody had used a fistful to jam a rattling sash window. Glancing through them I realised that in their simple way they told some complicated stories, of extended family, of travels, of new careers and new lives, and sometimes gave away secrets.

This first postcard was sent by my maternal grandparents during a visit to Germany in probably 1959. 29 June would have been my parents' wedding anniversary. I imagine this might have been en route back from my uncle Sergio's wedding to Reine, which my mother attended. It is signed by my grandmother, who died less than a year later.

I imagine this dates from the time of my uncle Sergio Schiff's wedding to Reine Perini.

A postcard requesting the return of my aunt Silvana's medical insurance card. I think she must have inadvertently left it in England when she returned to Italy with my mother for their mother's funeral in May 1960.

A postcard from my uncle Sergio Schiff and his wife Reine to my parents, mentioning that they had been travelling with Agnèse and Aimé Billamboz, Reine's sister and her husband, who lived in Mirecourt, the subject of the postcard.

A postcard from my grandmother, also signed by my aunt Loredana, sent during a visit to Gorizia, my grandmother's birthplace. I guess this was a visit made after my grandmother's death. It is also signed by Dario Figar, son of my grandmother's sister Maria.

A postcard sent by my grandfather from Rome to my mother and her sister Silvana, in Manchester.

A postcard to my father sent by Sergio and Luciana Grancini during a visit to Capri to see my great uncle Angelo, my grandmother's younger brother. It is signed also by Angelo, and his wife and two daughters: Nella, Vanna and Anna Maria.

A postcard from my grandfather to my mother that marks a turning point in his life: following my grandmother's death he left the Bank of Sicily and took a post with a civil engineering firm, working on projects in Egypt - the Aswan dam project - and the Kariba dam project.

A similar letter to my mother requesting that she write to him.

I believe that it was whilst working in Egypt, when he also spent time in Khartoum, that my grandfather met and fell in love with Nadia whom he married.

A visit to Alexandria, but signed only by my grandfather. 18 April 1961.

A holiday postcard from my aunt Luciana, her husband Sergio Grancini, and their young son Stefano.

My parents must have gone to stay with my grandfather and his new family at Monza. I

She has dated it 11 February 1962 but it is postmarked 12 July 1962, and was forwarded from Manchester to Devon, where I was staying with my sisters at my grandparents, on 24 July 1962 – my 13th birthday.

A postcard from my grandfather in Khartoum. My mother has added the address for her new stepmother.

I presume that on his return to Italy, my grandfather took his daughter and his new wife on a holiday to Rome.

A postcard from Ethiopia, 4 May 1962.

Cairo, 3 June 1962.

A postcard from my mother, apologising for forgetting my birthday. 23 July 1962.

A postcard from my mother to my father in July 1962. She was on holiday in Italy with my sister Dana. The card is also signed by Reine, wife of her brother Sergio. My father must have driven us down to Devon to his parents.

A card from my mother to myself and my sisters, sent on 1 August 1962.

Anna was my mothers friend, Anna Bucciante, wife of Eddie Worthington. Like my mother she was a wartime bride. I think she was originally from Naples. The address I guess was written by one of their children, Tony or Silvana. Tony was slightly younger than me, and Silvana slightly older than my sister Rina. She came with her mother to my parents' Diamond Wedding party in 2006.

A postcard from Rome posted 22 September 1962 and signed by my grandfather, his wife Nadia, and two of his daughters, Loredana and Silvana.

A postcard from my aunt Luciana, and her husband Sergio Grancini, on holiday with my aunt Loredana.

A trip to Madrid by my grandfather, his wife Nadia, and their son Aladino, who was born 4 June 1962 in Cairo.

Birthday greetings to my mother from her father, and her sister Silvana.

A postcard from my grandfather to my mother, sent from Casablanca, Morocco, presumably on 15 February 1963.

Another postcard from my grandfather in Casablanca, giving his address at a hotel, and dated 19 February 1963.

By 4 March 1963 he had apparently moved into an apartment in Casablanca.

Miss Maureen Hedwig lived across the road to us in Manley Road. I knew her as a retired primary school teacher who was very kind to me.

Dated 23 September 1963, a card from my uncle Sergio Schiff, his wife Reine, and their son Giulio, then three years old.

A card from San Marino, dated 2 July 1964, and signed by Nadia and her stepdaughters Loredana and Silvana.

15 July 1964, a card from holidays at Bellaria signed by my grandfather, Nadia, Reine and Luciana.

14 August 1964: a trip to the Dolomites signed by my grandfather and Nadia.

A postcard from my English grandmother to my father, during a daytrip to Cornwall and Plymouth. Dated 31 July 1965, my sister Valerie was staying with Peter, a few months before their wedding. Mention is made of my uncle Ralph breaking off his engagement. I and my sisters must have been still in Manchester.

A postcard sent from Ljubljana, then in Yugoslavia, in September, by my grandfather and Loredana.

13 February 1966: Luciana to my mother, thanking her for the gifts.

26 May 1966: my grandfather and Nadia in Opatija, Croatia.

A holiday in Porec (Parenzo) for Sergio, Luciana, Loredana and Stefano. 4 June 1966.

Another holiday postcard from Anna and Eddie Worthington, dated 27 July 1966, from Barmouth.

9 August 1966: Sergio, Luciana, Stefano and Loredana on holiday again in Yugoslavia. This time from Pola.

A trip by my grandfather and Nadia with their children Dino and Magda to Capri. They would be visiting the family of his brother in law Angelo Madriz. It is signed by Nella, Anna Maria and Vanna, and Angelo.

27 January 1967, from my grandfather, nadia and their two children. I guess this records a visit to Salò, to Villa Belvedere, my great grandparents' home, by now home to my grandfather's half siblings. It is signed by Zia Gina, Gina Coën, his stepmother's sister. Also his half sister Lina, her husband Fernand, their daughter Michèle, and his half brother Gino (Luigi).

A postcard dated 18 September 1967 from Luciana, Sergio and Stefano on holiday and also giving their address in Milan.

16 November 1967: my grandfather has taken a post in Benghazi, Libya. He also refers to the birth of my brother Adrian.

29 January 1968: a postcard from my grandfather to my mother from a visit to Tunisia.

My grandfather and Nadia on a three-day trip to Tripoli in Libya.

9 April 1968: Easter greetings from my grandfather, Nadia, Dino and Magda.

2 June 1968. A postcard from Nadia and my grandfather, requesting news.

16 June [?] 1968: Nadia and my grandfather from Lake Garda.

16 April 1969: From Hossney Farghaly and his partner Franca Musgrove (née Erriquez). I played with Franca's son Roy. His sister was Silvia, born in 1951, shortly before my sister Rina.

5 June 1969: to me from my grandmother towards the end of my first year at Exeter university. her sister Mabel mcIntyre was visiting her, her favourite sister.

Paul Berry was my best friend from our days as students at St Bede's College.

A postcard to me from my sister Valerie, whilst on holiday in Yorkshire with her husband peter Downs, his mother 'Auntie May, and their sister Lisa. 15 July 1969.

12 August 1969: my aunt Lyn Baker on holiday in a caravan in Cornwall.

A card from my sister Rina when on holiday at Butlin's with our parents, her brother Adrian, and her boyfriend Geoff Oldham. It is dated 4 September 1969. Exactly four months later she gave birth to her son Julian.

28 January 1970: a postcard from Palermo sent by my uncle Sergio.

28 January 1970: my mother must have been in Italy with Dana and Adrian.

A postcard sent probably in 1970 to my mother by Safeia Mussa. She was one of the Egyptian girls who lived at Peschiera, brought over by my step-grandmother as domestic servants. My mother befriended her, which was seen as inappropriate, as it might have given Safeia ideas above her station, but Safeia to her credit stayed in Italy and married a local man.

I don't know how my parents came to know Giorgio. He was, I think, a student from Diano Marina who was improving his English. He mentions George, who lived in the downstairs of our immediate neighbour, Mr Brown. 21 December 1971.