Sepia Saturday 222: 5 April 2014

Alan on Sepia Saturday says:

Danger is an odd thing. In our moments of sanity we all steer well clear of danger, but in those moments of exuberant insanity, we sometimes search it out in order to experience the thrill of the challenge. Why else would you get people sky-diving or sailing blindfold across the Pacific Ocean or cultivating nettles? But one man or woman's danger is another man's relaxing lunchtime drink. Here is a photograph from the Dextra photostream on Flickr Commons which I would really like to tell you more about but I am constrained by my lack of - I suspect - Norwegian. Given the international flavour of the Sepia Brotherhood (Sisterhood), I am sure someone will let me have a translation of the  Flickr description. It doesn't really matter because we are concerned with images rather than words and what this image says to me is danger. So your challenge this week is to somehow link an old photograph with the concept of danger (or anything else you can find in the picture) - and, as usual, the links may be as direct or as obtuse as you wish. Post the image on or around Saturday 5th April 2014.

A couple of images come to mind when we explore the theme of danger on Sepia Saturday. 

 We don't really have any daredevils as such in our family.  If anything we are on the really conservative side when it comes to risking life and limb.  We don't do extreme sports e.g. diving, abseiling, bungee jumping, potholing etc.  I've been skiing....once and survived without injury.  I used to sail.  That can be quite exciting in a small boat.  My daughter loves horse riding and I think that can be quite dangerous.  I used to have my heart in my mouth quite a bit watching her jumping et al but once again we survived that.  Going to the beach and swimming in the surf is about as dangerous as I get - and that seems to be more infrequent the older I get. 

So, my experience is that danger tends to come upon you without you necessarily seeking it out.  This photo was in my grandfather's collection.  Unfortunately he is no longer with us so I can't ask him about it.

Train wreck from the collection of Thomas J McLoughlin

 It looks like a goods train has completely come off the track doesn't it?

When I searched Picture Queensland's index under "Danger", I came up with all sorts of photos of Point Danger of course.


View Larger Map

But there were a few other photos that gave me pause for thought.

Family group in front of their home, Beenleigh district, ca. 1872 photographer William Boag courtesy of State Library of Queensland Picture Queensland collection

The curator remarks in their notes on this photo: The verandah also has no surrounding railing or guard-rail to protect its users from a fall - surely a danger given that this family had so many small children.

Ah yes, the joys of parenting.  I remember moving into a new home with a baby and a toddler.  The first job for my husband and my brother-in-law was to build a fence to stop the babies escaping from the back yard into the front yard and out onto the street.

As a child, I no doubt led my parents and their friends a merry dance as I explored my surroundings....here I am with Joan exploring the delights of ponds.

Joan and Alex pond Edinburgh

This is from a thumb nail sized print so I apologise for the quality.

Here is another one of me gaily tripping down some stairs in Edinburgh...which look mighty perilous to me now.

Alex staircase Edinburgh - Trinity Road?

In the end, I survived ponds and staircases.  My biggest claim to accident fame was when we visited my Great Aunt Win in Portsmouth.

Win and Charles at Portsmouth

Isn't she sweet?  Here is their lovely welcoming lounge and.....

Cooks lounge Portsmouth

the fireplace into which I fell and burned my hand.  Thankfully I have no memory of the incident but apparently I carried on a bit to the extent they had to take me to hospital...sigh...parenting....

Danger, you can look for it but sometimes it just comes to you unasked.

Here is a photo of the taxi my husband's father used to drive ..isn't it gorgeous ?

Regent Taxi Southport

But aren't we glad he was driving this cab and not the one Athol McCowan was driving on the night of Thursday 22 May 1952 as per this article?

Courier Mail 24 May 1952 

Otherwise Robert Daw Senior might never have had Robert Daw Jnr and we might never have met!

So there are my musings on danger.  Living is dangerous.  No one gets out of here alive.  That's a fact.

To conclude, here's my favourite "Danger!" soundbite.  For more dangerous escapades go here.