Hi, here's a picture of some knitted toys which Mark sent me some time ago: what's good is that among them is the squirrel which I remember cherishing because of its chocolate colour and its fine upright tail (its tip was fastened to the back of the head to keep it up); unlike this one here, it wasn't sewed to the back, and I could slide my hand around it and hold the squirrel like a handle.

So probably this isn't mine here; I have half a mind that Mum had the pattern and knitted it at home in France using that. I'm not sure I'm photographed somewhere with it. I'll have to be on the lookout just in case!

Who knitted these? When were they made?

August 22: Cath's visit at home has answered the above questions: she was the one who knitted the four toys in the pictures, and in 1962, during her stay in England with us. She is sure, because she remembers the patterns, which were written in English. So yes, my pet squirrel is among those: but there are two, so it's difficult to say which it was.

Lookie! Somewhere at mum's place, Noel has managed to find the pattern for the squirrel!

Here's what's left of Auntie Olive's zip collection, which Helene sent me (she was the one owning it), saying that she reduced it a little, borrowing one now and then when she needed one:

I'm adding the copy of a letter in which Auntie Olive mentions she was making the famous pyjamas which we wore throughout childhood!

I like the way the tells of the little adventure with the cat!

Noel says these were sewn by Auntie Olive.

This photo of Helene in Broomfield Park in 1962

...was sent to Charles who was doing his military service in Germany, and he drew it:

(the picture above was probably taken of him at his desk to be sent to Cath waiting for him at home in England)

Then the drawing found its way to Grandma's dresser where we can see it here in 1966 with Carol and Janet:

along with another drawing (left on second shelf) of this picture:

I wonder where the drawings are now... In Bonnebosq?

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Friday 26/7: Helene has just sent me this, which she had at home:

Now the mystery thickens, because it isn't the same as the drawing on the photos above. Helene is not sure whether this version might be the original drawing, or a copy... But it might well be the original drawing, because contrary to Grandma's, it features the hand (but neither the pram nor what the hand was holding), which doesn't appear on Grandma's version. Painting the hand is coherent with a first version of the drawing, which would probably have sought to be faithful to the original.

The version without the hand, focussing only on the face, could thus have been more satisfying artistically, because here the hand isn't very well executed, and neither is the face, BTW, narrower than on the original photo. So all this favours Grandma's version as a n°2.

On the other hand, the drawing present next to Charles at the army doesn't show the hand: could he have already done the two at the time ? This is hardly likely...

Well, there are lots of unanswered questions and suppositions: we'll have to ask Cath and Charles about the history! But in the meantime, what do you think? Which one came first, which one is a copy (or a n°2)?

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OK, so for those who were wondering, here's the answer: Charles (who came to visit us in Sahurs, and to whom I showed this post) did indeed paint Grandma's version (which is now at Bonnebosq, I'll have to photograph it next time I go) after Hélène's version, because, he thinks, n° was unsatisfactory artistically (hand, shoulders...) and he did have all the time he needed during military service to do so: indeed, he said, he was so idle that everybody came to him to have their portrait done, more than 50 of them, he estimates!

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Epilogue A final addition to this post (Sept 14): here are the two portraits, photographed at Bonnebosq, where they have been ever since Grandma's death:

And, whose hand is it in the background? The artist's!

François is the only one of us Millous who was born at 9 Derwent road: so here's a celebration of his first (and later) years there:

We start with the photo of the house which he sent me upon learning I was starting this blog:

Monsieur Père had built the front door step especially so he could stay there in the sun, apparently! (see this post)

1975 upstairs backroom

1980 in the park. And this is what Mark's photo looks like:

Other zany pics of M. F. Millou:

Here he's probably mimicking the Hughes sisters' well known picture where all four of them were photographed at this spot in the 1950s - where's this photo now?

 1983, with Chris

Some additional photos of the park, with family this time:

There are additional pictures in this series at the park in the post called "Charles at Auntie's"

The Clock House, just opposite Derwent Road. Cath says the photo was taken before it was vandalised and demolished.

But isn't just this very same clock house still there when this photo was taken in what... 1981 or something?

Jean and the Big slide