Whittling our Niche: from the tree of life
Illustrations relating to incidents depicted in the book, plus extracts of texts to match.
1. Siesta of Dreams / Snapshots of a Life
(The author with his ‘nephews’ - front and centre – at his mother’s wedding, circa 1950)
‘Another vision from a much earlier time came in the form of an old box-brownie photo; sepia toned, bedraggled edges. George stood centre-front, smiling in his Sunday best, a dark-haired three-year-old, flanked by two slightly smaller boys. A noticeably attractive woman, smiling broadly, stood arm-in-arm with a tall fair-haired gentleman, directly behind him.
2. Bushy Tales
(The author and daughter Kate cool off in Venus Bath, circa 1992)
‘Venus Bath was a short, almost dreamlike walk from the village, alongside a stony brook, with wooden bridges across the creek, ending up at a large bath of cool spring water, carved from grey rocks by nature’s endless forces; an inviting swimming pool in the hotter months.’
3. Camel riding in Cairo
(the author on Michael Jackson, rides behind his Kenyan partner, circa 2009).
‘Surprisingly, it wasn’t so much the grandeur of the monuments which remains in my memory; it was the camel ride we took, out into the surrounding desert. After some intense bargaining, four of us set off in a small caravan, on camels appropriately named: Cleopatra, Michael Jackson, Omar Sharif, with fourth in line, Miss Piggy!’
