You want a memory, I have a lot, so many that I had to search through three albums of old photos until I found the photo I wanted, because this memory combined a lot. It combined my origins in London, my aunt’s dressmaking gift and my mum’s idea of taking me to Trafalgar Square to take photos with the pigeons.
Trafalgar Square is one of the main sighseeing places of London. I suppose you could compare it a little with Times Square, although there have never been neon advertisements and Times Square probably has more people that pigeons. In London there were many pigeons when I was a kid. There were street venders selling bird food for them. Yes, we had the happiest, fattest pigeons in the world and did they have a recycling process. You only have to take a look at the pavement where I am standing. The white stains tell it all.
There are also two very large fountains in Trafalgar Square and on New Year’s Eve they are very popular for a fully clothed bathing session to see the new year in. When peace was declared at the end of Word War II, it was where everyone gathered to celebrate, probably another similarity to Times Square.
Of course I was dressed in my new two piece made by Aunt Lil. Aunt Lil was a dressmaker. She went into the “rag trade” as it was called in the East End of London when she left school at the age of 14. It was the only work she ever did. She was a machinist in a factory, but would not dream of buying clothes. She made them all herself. Now and again mum had the bright idea that she could create something for me and as Aunt Lil had no children, she was very obliging. Aunt Lil did not need a pattern for constructing garments, I do not know how she did it, but it generally worked. Of couse I hated the whole process. First of all the design was planned and then Aunt Lil began to cut the material and piece it together with sharp pins, but this was just for a trial. I had to try it on to see if the measurements were right and avoid being stabbed by a pin. Not just once, but at least 5-10 times until my personal dressmaker was satisifed and of course mum as well.
I remember this suit very well. Shame it is only a black and white scanned photo. Otherwise you could have seen the lovely pink colour it had, yes pink, after all I was a girl and you dress girls in pink, at least my mum and Aunt Lil did. The white trimmings were also an idea of Aunt Lil, and the buttons were probably a combined effort, although I had nothing to say. Note the white socks – that was custom dress for 9-10 year olds.
So there I was in the middle of Trafalgar Square with a hand full of bird food. You did not have to look for a bird, they found you quite quickly. On this day I remember I had one sitting on my head, although mum was not happy as I believe it was also a new hair cut I had and pigeons were not fussy where they dealt with their recycling process. This particular pigeon decided to be the star of the photo and so there was little me, clutching the bird food in the left hand and letting the pigeon clutch me in the right.
Looking at this photo again after so many years, it seems that a British bowler hatted gentlman was also in the background of the photo, to put the final touch on it all.
Just one of my memories of childhood. We lived in East London, Bethnal Green, and it was just a 20 minute bus ride to the center of London, or a journey on the tube train. I did not realise how actually lucky I was to grow up in London until today when I reflect on everything I experienced in my childhood and yes I did see the Queen and Prince Philip once when they visited a children’s hospital in our part of town, although that memory is very faint, I was then only 7 years old I think.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 