The Reed Family Picture Album (as drawn by Les)


	Henry Melmoth and Rosina Rachel, with baby Ern.

There are many better renditions of this photo floating about: but this is utterly my favourite because it is the ORIGINAL. Look at Dad: I can see where Dot and Les got their looks. And from Mum, undoubtedly Ern, Els and Bobby.

Off to do Battle with Bernie Way's mob. Here are Syd, Len and Bobby taking this up-coming encounter seriously, with Les carrying the scorebook.

(Les has thrown an apple at Syd, who fails to take the catch resulting in a shattered window). Syd (the cad) ducks and Les is in for some trouble.

Syd organizes our Royal Show. Dad thinks it is great and points out all the likely places where snails may be found.

Backyard underarm cricket. Els is batting, Len bowls and Syd is keeping.

Going to the football at Carlton with Dad. These cable trams were the training ground for "Hop Harry" Stone.
When they had grown older, the young men and their father walked all the way from Brunswick to Princes Park.

"Carrying" the jam melon home. Syd is in charge of transporting the melon, while Les cheers him on. Bobby and Len have laden baskets to carry, whereas Els is in charge of the moolah (ie money).

Winter evening entertainment.

More winter evening entertainment: "Cup Flips".


From left standing: Ada, Mum, Alice and Mrs ATKINSON (their mother) is seated.	Back: Alan Logan, Ern, Dad. Middle: Ron, Grandma Atkinson (seated in cane chair), Ada, Mum (with Les on her knee). Front: Eunice Logan, Dorothy, Syd, Len (in the small cane chair) and Elsie.	Edgar Mitchell SMITH and Daphne SMITH (nee REED): Daph was HMR’s sister. They were the parents of Grace, who married Ern.

Mum ironing with the light shade dancing madly about, while we did our homework.

Still more evening entertainment.

Mum's Songs, Poems and Stories.

Mother had a remarkable memory. When Ern was young she used to recite nursery rhymes, songs and poems. She was always gentle and loving. Ern felt that he owed a debt of enormous gratitude to his mother for her care of him and attention to him as a sickly child. She was a loving example to all. She remained English until the day she died, despite her long life spent in Australia.
Mum was more fond of reciting than of singing, despite the fact that she had a sweet and tuneful singing voice. She could recite "How Horatius Kept The Bridge" and others of the Lays of Ancient Rome by memory without missing a beat. The songs themselves were nursery rhymes and old English folk songs.
Memorable for Els was the song "Little Dame Crumb with her little new broom".
As well as songs and poems, Mum possessed a strong repertoire in fairy stories.
Bobby recalls that Mum sang all the time while doing housework. After her stroke (whilst convalescing in the Royal Melbourne Hospital) Mum kept disgruntled patients awake while she (unable to sleep) recited her poetry. Bobby's favourites were: "Froggy would a wooing go", "Rule Britannia" and "Merry hearts of May".
Les found a touch of melancholy in some of Mum's songs. "Two little girls in blue", "Who killed cock robin?", "Do not trust him, gentle lady", "Come into my parlour said the spider to the fly" and "After the ball is over".
Syd: "Waste not Want not is the maxim I would teach" and "Richard and Robin were two little men".
The nursery rhymes were copied out by Syd and form part of the collection.