A little bit of Italy from the Great War ........ forever part of London

Now as many people know I have strong connections with Italy and was born and grew up in south east London, so I have a tendency to fall across anything historical which brings the two together.

And my old friend David Harrop is well aware of these double interests.

So today he passed over a collection of picture postcards sent by Mr John Francis Gaydon to his wife from Italy during the Great War.

The collection consists of 200 postcards, notes and letters which were exchanged between Mr Gaydon and his wife Bette along with birthday greetings to his son.

It is a unique collection and has prompted me to want to know more about the family.

Mr and Mrs Gaydon lived in Tufnell Park which I know is north London but he was born in Kent and during the course of the research into their lives we may well find a link with south east London.

And that just leaves the appeal, for anyone who may have a link to the Gaydon family to get in touch and perhaps help take the story further.

To be continued ......

Location; Italy, London and now Manchester

Picture; picture post card, from Italy,  Happy Anniversary, date unknown, from the collection of David Harrop