For C E I do not like misery literature and would never wittingly open a book whose bleakness, grimness and oppressiveness would be sure to depress me. Luckily I did not read anything about this book before I opened it. I received it for Christmas from a very dear friend and I trusted her that […]Read Post ›
This is not a picture of Mother Mary Gabriel or Reverend Mother as she was known, because I could not easily find one of her today. It is however a painting of her predecessor, the founder of the Convent, sister Mary Tredway. The habit is similar but there the resemblance ends, as M M Gabriel […]Read Post ›
This semi-autobiographical short novel, from 1979,, is a fascinating expose of attitudes to life in an emerging post colonial Senegal. Written in the form of a letter from a recent widow to her friend who now lives in America, she looks back on her life as a teacher, mother of twelve, wife and widow of […]Read Post ›
Thank you KK This has been one of the most challenging books I have ever read – the subject matter is war – and normally I avoid this, because I want to relax, be entertained, and enjoy myself. This is quite hard to do when confronted with the horrors and passions and enormities of war. […]Read Post ›
This lovely picture is of my grandmother, Helena Łomnicka and my aunt, Alicja, taken after they were freed from Siberia and had recovered a little in Teheran before they were sent to the Lebanon in about 1944 or 5 Today is the 10th anniversary of my aunt’s death – I have written about her before […]Read Post ›
This is a story which my son discovered about some of his paternal ancestors. I have translated it from a newspaper article which I attach below. And a link to a a map. At the beginning of the nineteenth century in the centre of the present park stood a hunting lodge belonging to the Doschot […]Read Post ›
I bought this book because I could not find the one I actually wanted, “Future to Let,” which I started reading in a Polish translation in the Polish Weekly. “Future to Let” is being serialised, but I thought I couldn’t wait that long. Anyway, I prefer to read in English and it was originally written […]Read Post ›
21.01.2020 Last week was one of the most frustrating weeks that I have ever had. It was also one of the best because I caught up with some people I hadn’t seen in a long time. On Monday I was persuaded to eat a custard and fruit cake when I went for coffee with two […]Read Post ›
Last week I did something I never thought I would be able to do – mainly because I thought I would never have the opportunity, but also because I did not know if I would have the confidence or the knowledge. So when I saw the poster above my heart was in my mouth, but […]Read Post ›
This beautiful book jacket by David Knight covers one of my very favourite books of all time: “Love of Seven Dolls” by Paul Gallico. It perfectly epitomises the power of theatre, puppetry and storytelling. Not a children’s book at all, but appeals to the innermost child in any adult. I received this edition for my […]Read Post ›
Life Through Basia's Eyes 