 Photos |
11 Photos |
 | Left to right: Paul, Kitty Foster, Maurice, Jessica and Percy Foster.
Received from Paul Foster
The Percy Foster family, Barbados.
Left to right: Paul, Kitty Foster, Maurice, Jessica and Percy Foster. (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.) |
 | L-R: Ivan Gittens, Hilda Gittens, Anne 'Sis' (Foster) Gittens, Edgar Gittens, Paul Foster standing in front.
L-R: Ivan Gittens, Hilda Gittens, Anne 'Sis' (Foster) Gittens, Paul Foster standing in front. |
 | L-R Paul Foster, Audrey Lillian (Crittenden) Gittens, Edgar Clement Gittens, Ivan Clement Gittens
L-R Paul Foster, Audrey Lillian (Crittenden) Gittens, Edgar Clement Gittens, Ivan Clement Gittens
while we were in Montreal. [Paul Foster e-mail] |
 | first left in the front row is my sister Jessica (Jess)
I am attaching another picture of Ursuline Convent students, this one taken in 1935. The small girl - first left in the front row is my sister Jessica (Jess) - I think Anne would be the only one who would remember Jess when she lived in Barbados. Jess unfortunately died suddenly in 1997. Re the three boys sitting in the front, one of them is me. No prizes if you guess correctly. Jess would have been nine and I would have been ten. |
 | Paul Foster
Picture taken during our visit to Brabados at St. John's Church. |
 | Standing L-R: Annie (Foster) Gittens, Ed "Bruds" Gittens, H.Reid Front Row L-R: Paul Foster, Mary "Jess" Foster
By the way I wish to thank you very much for the picture you sent a few days ago - the one with the picture caption "Bruds, mother. H.Reid, Paul and Jess". The picture is taken outside our house "The Markham" in Hastings. I have always wanted to have a picture of the 'fence' dividing our house from the house next door. It's more like 'patchwork' than a fence. And more so because you have provided the name of the gentleman "H. Reid" whose name I could not recall and I have at least two or three pictures of him from my mother's photo album. His 'claim to fame' is that - I am pretty sure he was the first overseas guest at our parents guest house.
Because of the hard times we were going through during the depression, my father's salary could not support house rent, a wife and three children and soon to need funds to send Jess and me to secondary school. This was just around the time that we moved to the Markham in 1930. The owner of the house agreed to extend it, added three additional rooms, two at the back and one to complete our apartment downstairs. A side verandah on the leeward side of the house was also added and this served as a dining room for the guests and our dining room was downstairs. We lived downstairs and the guest house was upstairs with five bedrooms. Mr. Reid reminded me of a movie star who was popular when ' talking pictures' came to Barbados about the early 40s. His name was Ruggles so I have always referred to Mr. Reid as Mr. Ruggles. He was a Canadian from either Montreal or Halifax, I think probably Monreal.
Every winter in the 30s he would arrive on one of the "Lady Boats" of blessed memory and take up residence at the Markham and he would stay until mid-April and return on one of the Lady Boats.
Every day he would enjoy early morning coffee and toast in his room, then breakfast at about 7 or 7.30; lunch at noon; afternoon tea at 4pm - with toast and cake or similar and finally dinner at 7. I tell you he and all of o ur guests - ate WELL. I wish I could find out what rate they paid. It would have been a pittance, but it made all the difference to our way of life and my father's health. He was a 'worrier' and would get bouts of depression. But when the guest house got going he had no further problems and enjoyed very good health throughout his life.
So now I know Mr. Ruggles' real name. I am so grateful to you as I wanted to use his name in the story I am writing and one of the pictures I have of him. The one you sent would be great. He became one of the family. |
 | Paul Foster's second birthday party
27th May 1927: Paul's second birthday was celebrated with a party at Boylston. Your Dad is in the centre row, third from right (tie askew) ! Ivan is at right in the same row.
I am in the back row with my mother holding me in her left arm. She has a big smile and I have my head turned towards her. In the same row on the right, Aunt 'Toosie' is holding Jessica who is wearing a bonnet. Picture was taken on the lawn in front of Boylston.
I have no memory of the afternoon. |
| Foster Family Including Brenda's Mother
Hi Cliff: I found the picture of my family leaving Barbados. The one sent earlier with your Mum and Dad was chopped off on the right side pretty well taking Brenda out of the picture. This is a copy of the picture itself. The picture was taken August 26 1958. We were on our way to Montreal. Paul (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.) |
 | L-R: Back row Hilda Gittens, Edgar Gittens, front row Jessica Foster, Paul Foster
My mother Hilda, your father, Jessica & Paul
Ages not known
Ann E. |
 | Paul Foster 2nd Birthday at Boylston
Picture from Paul Foster |
| Left to right - Kitty Foster, An English engineerwho was installing our dial telephone system, Paul and Maurice. Sitting on the bench is sister Jessica and Ivan.
Left to right - Kitty Foster, An English engineerwho was installing our dial telephone system, Paul and Maurice.
Sitting on the bench is sister Jessica and Ivan.
Picture from Paul Foster by e-mail Apr 9, 2011 (At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.) |
1925 - 2016 (91 years)
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