I found this yesterday. It brought back memories of my cousin Gustaw who died a few weeks ago in Poland. I met him for the first time when I was eleven, in 1965, in Częstochowa, Poland. My father had taken me by car and generally the trip was quite gruelling for me, partly because everyone […]Read Post ›
Today is the tenth anniversary of my father’s death. This photo was taken in 1982. He was a sprightly 63. Kasia was one and a bit. I am showing you this photo because it brings back so many memories. We were living in the flat above my godfather’s accountancy office which he rented out to […]Read Post ›
Today would have been her 93rd birthday. In this photo, taken on her little sister’s fiftieth, she was fifty six. That smile remained with her to the end. I can’t remember the actual sound of her laugh, I’ve just realised, but the smile is unforgettable. And she smiled a lot. That radiant lipstick. Dior no […]Read Post ›
No longer with us, my father loved a Christmas hat. With embellishments. I used to find it really irritating. Now I miss it. He was the most intensely social being. When I was tiny I can remember people frequently coming round to our flat in Talgarth Road to play bridge or hearts or just for […]Read Post ›
This is my grandfather as I never knew him. He was born in 1878 and died during the Second World War, a captive in Siberia. His story is a very interesting one, but one which I shall leave for another day. Today I was thinking about him as I was wrapping parcels to send […]Read Post ›
I am in Munich at the moment, on a brief holiday with my husband. It is snowing and we are resting after a fabulous morning exploring the Neue Pinakothek (mainly 19th century) and the Pinakothek der Moderne (mainly 20th and 21st century ) art and design. So different from the only other time I have […]Read Post ›
As anyone who has ever met me knows I am not great fan of exercise. My preferred activity is reading a book, preferably while drinking coffee, or talking with friends, and if push comes to shove, and I really have to do something, then I quite like walking and dancing. For many years I was quite […]Read Post ›
For KGK who has just been to Florence and it reminded me of my time there. In April 1976 I went to Florence for a fortnight with my mother’s husband, Zbyszek. The year before he had come out to Spain to visit me on my year abroad and had enjoyed himself so much that he […]Read Post ›
This is one of my favourite photos, for many reasons. We’re having a picnic. As you can see my mouth is full of bread and cheese. You can’t thank goodness see the bread and cheese but I can remember it well. Not quite a Proustian moment but getting there. I am wearing my first ever […]Read Post ›
My father died on the 23rd November This is what I said at his funeral. It gives a tiny flavour of what he was like…. 96 years old and he was still my Tatus. My first memories of him are when he was in his late thirties and I was about three or four. […]Read Post ›
Life Through Basia's Eyes 