A day to remember

Today was mostly about chaperoning (with several colleagues) a day trip for our 200 graduating seniors.  We cruised along the Bosphorus to Anadolu Havağı for lunch - chilly and grey, very low cloud,  the rain was heavy and constant, but everyone still enjoyed themselves. Joie de vivre. 

Once back on college campus at 3pm, but of course, only 1pm in London, feeling cold and wet and curious, I went straight home to watch UK election results on BBC for the next five hours  of coverage about the extraordinary night and day that was history in the making. 

Talking of which, of course, 8th May is VE Day, and I interrupted my viewing of the election for an hour to watch the ceremony in Whitehall televised on BBC 1 with all the pomp, respect and ceremony that Dad would have loved.  Then seeing the veterans and TV footage from their youth that is now our history and thinking about a million memories handed down to me I ended up watching through a veil of tears which was the deciding factor in choosing, from all those taken on the boat today, this photo of her smile captured through my rain splashed lens - so very symbolic and just a little melancholic on this day of memories in the making - the seniors last official day at school is next Thursday - the bitter-sweet annual event of goodbye and the promises of reunion.  Cue song


"I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we've done and they will say "do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be-unconquered"
- Winston Churchill, VE Day speech, 8th May 1945


Happy Weekend!

note to self on Sunday: this was the only wet weather day in the whole week - back to glorious sunshine at the weekend.  :(