Eureka !

Yesterday I was clearing old photos and pictures, trying to decide what to take to Edinburgh and what to leave in Brussels. I found a Hanna family crest, and thought it would look well above the mantelpiece in my new house. However the frame was fairly battered, so I looked for another one to cannibalise. I found a suitably-sized framed photo of three grandsons at my daughter’s wedding. However much I love them all, it is not one of the most flattering images – one boy is crying, another looks bored, and the third is about to throw something at the camera. So I decided this particular moment in time could be conveniently forgotten, and the frame could instead reblazon the Hanna name. As I moved the boys out of the frame I had a sense of deja vu, and to my great joy, lying hidden underneath was a photo of my grandfather Robert Boyd.

I always intended to include this image of RHB in my book Voyages with my Grandfather, However when the time came for publication I searched high and low for the photo and could not find it. What finery ! Look at the lace, the degree hood, the tassels and even the buckle on the breeches – all the regalia of a Presbyterian moderator. RHB’s look is steadfast and confident. I’ll be packing this photo to show my grandchildren in Edinburgh. Boyd on one side of the mantelpiece, and Hanna on the other.