Thirty years ago my stepfather died very suddenly. He was sixty one. 14 years later my mother followed him. In this photo they are in front of Sheffield City Hall just after my graduation in 1976. He is forty five. My mother is 47. He is the slimmest he’s ever been. That day was one […]Read Post ›
For the Mhinisteir’s wife Today is the sixth of December. For me the real beginning of the Christmas season. This was the day when good children were given a little present and naughty children a birch rod. One year my mother gave me a rod. It was very small and gilded. Very pretty. But a […]Read Post ›
For Y (G E) It is a long time since I actually listened to the programme, but I believe the guest is limited to eight records. I don’t know if I’ll be able to be so succinct bur we shall see. First of all I would have to take with me the double LP of […]Read Post ›
A much nicer photo I think. This was taken at my father’s birthday/namesday party in 2013. June 22.
A tribute on the day of his funeral Zbyszek has always been part of my life – he was my father’s best friend, best man at both his weddings, his adviser and supporter, and my Godfather. This was a role he took extremely seriously, never forgetting to sign himself off to me with this title. […]Read Post ›
Every day is the beginning of a new year, or a new century or new millennium. The date is just an arbitrary convention. Yet we insist on trying to change our lives on January 1st each year. Why? I have already, as I started to type this, broken resolution no 1: do not procrastinate; do […]Read Post ›
When I was very tiny I was sent to a private nursery school where I was a boarder. This was a traumatic time for my parents and for me because they couldn’t afford to look after me by themselves in London. At the time, however, it wasn’t considered such a shocking thing as there were many […]Read Post ›
This is a picture that I found today of Zbyszek in Florence. Looking at it it now he seems so young, though he was 45. And much thinner than I remember. The spring weather was astoundingly beautiful. Flowers everywhere and this particular azalea was outstanding. This must have been taken near to the place where […]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 ›
For KK How I wish there had been such a – or any – dating site when I was young. Telephones were securely tied to land lines – and how I used to pray that someone would ring my number – Knightsbridge 2009 – and whisk me off to a sublime evening of dinner and […]Read Post ›
Life Through Basia's Eyes 