Valerie Dear
Presents a collection of old postcards and photographs with
information and reminiscences.

Click on image for a larger version

Me: 1 year old

Mother's diary

My connection with Ruskington begins with an entry on 4 November 1943 in the diary of Ellen Harding (nee Peatman) saying "To London to fetch baby. Wes, Elaine and self". Born to an East End woman in Woolwich, London, on 23 January 1943 (whose husband was apparently serving abroad with the Royal Artillery) I was immediately put up for adoption and so began a new life in the village of Ruskington at the age of nine months. My adoptive parents were Wesley Hallam Harding and his wife Ellen. My big sister was 10 year old Elaine who had pleaded for a little sister! In addition I became adopted by my loving grandparents, Emma and Arthur Hallam Harding and George and Mary Peatman. The latter pair, unfortunately, died during my early childhood and I have no memory of either of them. Grandpa Peatman was a successful businessman being a grocer, baker, and property owner. His passion, however, was photography and he used his skills in a professional and personal capacity, taking pictures of local scenes, events, and activities. His legacy was a photographic record of the village as it was around the period 1900 to 1925. After inheriting the collection of grandpas photographs from Mother and a couple of Aunts I became intent on finding more of the Peatman village images. My search led me to realise that Ruskington has been a much photographed village so I extended my collection to all postcards, plus any photograph, map, or drawing of old Ruskington I could lay my hands on. A selection of these has been published in a series of booklets and forms the basis of this web site.