Happy Birthday, Liam

In the United Kingdom today, my nephew Liam celebrates his 16th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Liam!

The photo above is of Liam on the viewing platform atop the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. I took this particular image on the day Liam and I spent exploring the British capital during my visit to the U.K. in 2005.

Following are a few more pics from the archives of “Uncle Mike.”



Above: Christmas in Gunnedah, 1995.

From left: Liam; Liam’s Grandpa Bayly (my Dad); Nanna Smith (1919-2005; my paternal grandmother and Liam’s great-grandmother); Chris, Liam’s dad and my elder brother; Liam’s Grandma Bayly (my mum); Ryan (Liam’s brother); and Nanna Sparkes (1906-1997; my maternal grandmother and Liam’s other great-grandmother).



Above: Liam and his dad with Aunty Phyllis (1913-1996) and Frank (d. 2001) – Sydney, 1994.

Phyllis was Nanna Smith’s sister. She was my great-aunt and Liam’s great-great-aunt!



Above: Liam with his cousin, Layne – Gunnedah, 1996.



Above: From left: Layne, Liam, me, Sami, and Mitch – January 2001.


Above: Hiking through the Kelvin State Forest – December 1998.

From left: Liam, Chris, Ryan, and Grandpa Bayly.

The Kelvin State Forest is located 20km north-east of Gunnedah. It’s an area characterized by sandstone ridges and steep bluffs that rise above the surrounding farmland. Isolated from the mountain ranges to the north and east, the highest point of these ridges is 885m. The forest contains a waterfall, numerous feral goats, a cave that is home to a colony of bent-wing bats, and (as you can see from the photo above) lookout sites that offer sweeping views of the surrounding forest and farmland.



Above: With Liam and his brothers during my visit to London in August 2005.

Back row: Brendan and Liam; front row: Ryan, me, and Mitch.



Above: Liam - July 2006.



Above: Liam (far right) with his paternal grandma (my Mum), brothers, and (Bayly) cousins - Port Macquarie, Australia, July 2007.

From left: Mum, Mitch, Sami, Layne, Brendan, Ryan, and Liam. I actually wasn’t in Australia during my nephews’ July ’07 visit from the U.K., but my Dad later sent me this particular picture.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Happy Birthday, Mitch
Happy Birthday, Ryan
Happy Birthday, Sami
Happy Birthday, Layne
Happy Birthday, Brendan
My Brother, the Drummer
Like Father, Like Daughter
A Rabbit’s Tale
The Bayly Family - July 2006
Catholic Rainbow (Australian) Parents
Gunnedah
Remembering Nanna Smith