Arthur’s Briefcase

Over 20 years after my Grandad died, a briefcase full of photos and mementos ended up in my hands after attending my Great Auntie Pat’s funeral.

Physically and mentally unpacking a lifetime over the course of one morning was a lot to process and digest.

I didn’t have a relationship with my Grandad after my Grandma Audrey died when I was around two. My Dad had died before I was born. Inside the briefcase were photographs I’d never seen before and things I’d never have known about otherwise. It’s become a bridge between me and my grandparents, but more unexpectedly, a bond with my Dad.

The photographs witness my grandad through his early life, my dad growing up, then finally me as a child. The briefcase has become less about finding answers, and more about discovering questions I’d never have known to ask.