The Safety Pin of Shame

I love going through boxes of old photos, especially at the moment when there's not a lot else going on. I recently found this rare school photo of my mum, from when she was about five or six.

It's a lovely picture, and she proudly brought it home to show her mum, who looked at the photo and rolled her eyes. See the safety pin in the collar of her jumper? My grandmother was a professional knitter for the big pattern companies, and even knitted the patterns for the models to wear. When she saw the safety pin holding the collar together, she gave a wry smile. Of course, it would be her daughter who lost a button on the day of the school photos. This photo holds a very special place in my heart, and just goes to show that photos aren't always about looking your best, but about showing exactly who you are - safety pins and all.