My brother died about a month ago, and in a box of old photos I found this, that might humour somebody. This was written about 20 years ago shortly before he made a visit to the USA.

At the end of the monthI am going to California to attend the wedding of my step grand daughter. The bride will have three bridesmaids, two of them are her half sisters, and one a step sister. The step sister to the bride is also step sister to one of the bride's half sisters, and a half sister to the other. You follow me? Perhaps I had better start at the beginning.

Back in the dim and distant past I was married and we had two children. We were then divorced and I married again. My second wife had two children from her first marriage. My first wife also married again, it was her second husbands second marriage, but no children. So it's not too difficult so far. My daughter from my first marriage was married, and had a daughter and then was divorced. She married again and had another daughter. Her second husband had been married before and brought a son and a daughter to the second marriage. His first wife married again and had another son and a daughter. Getting interested so far?

Now we go back a little, and take a look at the children of my second wife. The son took a partner and they had a son, who is now grown up. They have been together now for over twenty years without the need for either marriage or divorce. The daughter, my step daughter, got married and had two children, both daughters, then divorced. She then took a partner who had been married and had two children. Meanwhile her first husband also took a partner. Her younger daughter, my step grand daughter has recently married. The line up at that wedding was quite interesting, it included the bride's mother with her partner, the bride's father with his partner, and the groom's father, mother and stepmother. That brings thing more or less up to date.

So at the coming wedding, the bride is my daughter's step daughter, and her bridesmaids are her mother's daughter from her second marriage, and her step mother's daughter from her first marriage -- I think.

I am having difficulty with the various relationships, but what worries me a little, is how a future family historian is going to work it all out! My brother, who is married, and has three at present unmarried sons, looks on my branch of the family in awe, and says it's like tree that's been pruned and grafted by a mad gardener!

Anyway, I'm quite sure the wedding will be very interesting, after all there is my new step grandson-in-law's family to explore.

That was originally posted on one of the Cardiff Genealogy sites.

As for me, my family is very boring by comparison. I have been happily married for 53 years.

Arthur