How did your Elvis fare in the competition, Monika?

Hi, Andere ..................... Normally I do OK with drawing competitions but I didn't do mine in the same way as Steve instructed. We were supposed to cover the paper in 2B pencil to start with and after working it into the paper, we then had to get a putty rubber and twizzle it about to create the shapes in the face etc. before drawing the rest of it.

I found that I didn't have a useable putty rubber ( the three I had were no good and were breaking up into biscuit crumbs) and as a consequence I stood no chance of winning this time round.

Thanks for asking.

Shame! That reminds me of how I failed art O-level because I used the wrong size of paper for one submission (didn't read the instructions properly )

I told you, a few week's ago, that I was doing a "war time" picture. I must correct that; it is a picture of three WW11 veterans on their return to Dunkirk on the 75th anniversary of the landings.

I thought it was a really lovely photograph and I wanted to paint it ................. and finished it today.
(Left click on the picture)

I almost missed this - which would have been a terrible shame. Another good one, Monika. That rear-view of the three men, whose thoughts we can only guess at, looking at the empty seascape which would have been so congested in 1940, will stay with me. Thank you for sharing it.

I'm glad you like it, Andere; I was quite taken by the photograph when it appeared in the paper and I'm also pleased with the way it turned out.

It must mean an awful lot to them, to be in their mid nineties and make that long journey back and bring back all those memories ............... it tugs at my heartstrings, I must say!

For some reason, I knew next to nothing about the Dunkirk evacuations until about 15 years ago. Oh, I knew that it had happened but, probably because none of my immediate family or their friends had been involved, it was just a piece of history. I wasn't born until 10 years later and my father's service was with the Merchant Navy and various cousins, etc had also been serving elsewhere so it was never talked about at home in the way some other events were. It was only while I was working at a BBC local radio station around the turn of the century and the Beeb were compiling their "Peoples' War" archive that I had to transcribe a number of accounts of the Dunkirk evacuations from people who'd been there - either as rescued troops, boat crews or air crew. I became absolutely absorbed in the story and, several times, cried over what I was typing. I've been to Dunkirk any number of times and, since then, I've seen that coastline from a different perspective.
Some time later, I wrote a fictional account of that time which anyone who's interested can read at
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24301298/Watch%20and%20Wait.doc

Love your painting Monika, don't know why but I kept thinking about Folkestone while looking at it, maybe its because of my sons Father-in-Law who is very knowledgeable about that era and we have discussed the subject many times, he used to live there.
Also enjoyed reading your article Andere, I wrote an article too many years ago of my recollections as a child during the war.

Sorry Andere and dita ...................... on Saturday, I downloaded Windows 10 (was Windows 7) and, on Sunday when I switched on, couldn't get my computer to boot up. My neighbour computer whizz had a look at it for me and found it to be kaput!

So, today, I've bought another (Windows 8.1) and am not going to upgrade to Windows 10 for some months to come. This computer doesn't have Microsoft Office so am unable to read your article Andere. That is very disappointing, I have to say.

Thank you both for your lovely comments.

Monika wrote:............... on Saturday, I downloaded Windows 10 (was Windows 7) and, on Sunday when I switched on, couldn't get my computer to boot up. My neighbour computer whizz had a look at it for me and found it to be kaput!

.

I won't be downloading Win10 for a few months yet - not until the massive Beta trial that is what I suspect this give-away upgrade really is has run for a while and they've had chance to iron out some of the bugs. Apart from any other consideration, I'm one of those comparatively rare people who actually LIKES Win 8.1! I guess your PC going kaput was just an unfortunate coincidence but it sends a shiver up your back .... Hope you had everything important backed-up?

Here's a link to my story that you should be able to open in Notebook - doesn't look so pretty but the story's the same.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24301298/Watch%20and%20Wait.txt
Enjoy!

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ........................................................AT LAST!

I haven't had a telephone line since Wednesday; the past week has been one thing after another and I sincerely hope that my present situation will now continue without a hitch.

Andere I'm now catching up with everything and have just read A Time to Watch. Thank you for posting, it was a poignant little story; I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and (oh dear) it gave me a lump in my throat at the end.

(It's good that people write these personal stories for future generations)

Glad you liked it, Monika and welcome back. Sounds like you've been having a real gremlin attack with your phone-line and pc troubles. Hope all is now well and stays well!

After most of this morning and the last hour trying .... I have found a way to post my most recent watercolour. (left click on picture)

I love that Monika so peaceful to look at and very relaxing to the mind. Thanks so much for your efforts to show it.

That's lovely, Monika. So tranquil and those two girls could be my kid sister and me, just contemplating the hugeness of the sea, sometime in the 1950s.