Hello, and welcome!
We’re Paul and Julie Jevins, two Brits who somehow found themselves living in Southern California. It’s a long way from where our respective journeys began, but life has a habit of taking you in directions you never quite anticipated.
I was born and raised in Wakefield, Yorkshire, and Julie was born in Liverpool and raised on the Wirral, while my career has taken me around the world, I’ve never entirely lost the outlook on life that comes with growing up in God’s Own County. Julie and I have been fortunate to travel extensively, experience different cultures and make some wonderful friendships along the way.
And, despite the occasional grumble about the traffic, the cost of living and the bewildering number of choices available in an American supermarket, California has been very good to us.
Family, Friends and a Few Thousand Miles
Between us, we have five children — Dominique, Carys, Abbie, Jordan and Megan — and five grandchildren: Taylor, Koby, Pip, Milo and Otto.
They’re a wonderful bunch, although they do have one rather inconvenient characteristic. They all live in Europe!
Having the family spread across two continents isn’t always easy, and we certainly don’t get to spend as much time together as we’d like. Fortunately, modern technology makes keeping in touch relatively straightforward, even if video calls aren’t quite the same as sitting around the dinner table.
The good news is that they visit us whenever they can, and we do our best to make the most of those occasions.
Of course, living in Southern California, with its sunshine, beaches and world-famous attractions, does seem to make persuading the family to visit considerably easier.
Funny, that.
Family has always been important to us, as have the friendships we’ve made over the years. We’ve been fortunate to meet some remarkable people, many of whom have become an extended part of our family, regardless of which side of the Atlantic they happen to live.
Why This Website?
What began as a simple way of sharing photographs and keeping family and friends updated has gradually developed into something rather more personal.
The Jevins Digital Archive is a place to bring together the stories, photographs, memories and experiences that make up our lives.
You’ll find accounts of our travels, family occasions, photographs from years gone by and whatever else seems worth remembering.
I’ve also developed something of a habit of writing.
My Journal is where I share thoughts about life, travel, history, current events and the occasional subject that happens to catch my attention. Some entries are intended to be informative, others are simply observations, and occasionally I might even manage to be amusing.
I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time exploring my family history and writing my memoir, I Never Meant To Be A Nomad. Both have made me increasingly aware of how easily family stories can disappear if nobody takes the trouble to preserve them.
Perhaps that’s really what this website is about.
Not simply recording where we’ve been or what we’ve done, but remembering the people, places and experiences that have made the journey worthwhile.
Keeping in Touch
Whether you’re family, an old friend, a former colleague or someone who has simply stumbled across our website, you’re very welcome.
Have a look around, explore the photographs, read a few stories and, if something catches your interest, please get in touch.
We always enjoy hearing from people, particularly those we haven’t seen for a while.
After all, one of the great pleasures of getting older is looking back at the journey. An even greater pleasure is being able to share it with the people who’ve been part of it.
And fortunately, the journey isn’t over yet.
Paul & Julie