大象传媒

-1-

I was born in Wandsworth Borough in 1927.
My Father was a Frenchman who came to England to learn English language, giving himself two years to study and practice the
spoken language he had studied a while in
Paris where he was already an excellent teacher at a great school called "Les Francs
Bourgeois". His headmaster asked him to
go England in 1920.

In London he first obtained employment in
great houses of various counts and dukes
of whom he received letters of thanks and
recommendation for his services and perfect
honesty. I have kept these letters preciously;
In France he had become a "camelot du Roi,"
known as royalist, so I have not been surprised that his reverence was appreciated
by his masters.

On a Sunday in Hyde Park he sat for tea and
was attracted by a very beautiful young lady
who was the cashier of the tea shop. He asked her if he may have the privilege of inviting her to lunch on any day she was free.
She accepted and that is how they met to know each other`

My Father then encountered a difficulty offering
an engagement for she was a member of the
Anglican Church and he was a strict Roman
Catholic. In those days engagement and marriage could not be considered. Father
was able to convince the young lady to meet
a Catholic priest and examine the strength of
her faith. She had to follow the priest's advice
and instruction for two years before accepting
to become engaged and finally married at a
French Church in central London. As a convert she remained faithful to the Church
with Father all her life.

In my childhood I was never taught French by
my Father but he arose my curiosity by telling
me in English the tales of fables, that had been written by Monsieur de la Fontaine. I
remember I eagerly awaited his coming to
my bedside many evenings each week and
listening to these lovely tales. I realized he
knew each tale by heart in his own native language.

When I reached the age of 12, my Father suggested I go to France by train and boat on my own, where I would be met by his sister
who in turn would take me to my grandparents
home in central France. He said he had confidence I would make a safe journey as my
experience as a boy scout will help me, so,
to my Mother's great surprise, I accepted, only
if I could travel in my uniform. This is what I did
and found myself in Paris on 13th July 1939,
a day before the National Day of France.