This is the intimate and revealing autobiography of Margaret Rhodes, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and the niece of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Margaret Rhodes was born into the Scottish aristocracy, into a now almost vanished world of privilege. Royalty often came to stay and her house was run in the style of Downton Abbey. Her aunt was Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth is her first cousin.
In the Second World War years, she ‘lodged’ at Buckingham Palace while she worked for MI5. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip. Three years later the King and Queen attended her own wedding; Princess Margaret was a bridesmaid. In 1990, she was appointed as a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen Mother, acting also as her companion, which she describes in touching detail.
In the early months of 2002, she spent as much time as possible with her frail and ailing aunt, and was at her bedside when she died at Easter that year. This is a fascinating account of a special life, with the author’s family relationships to nobility and royalty, her long and special marriage, her children and grandchildren and a life lived to the full.
They say a photograph is worth a thousand words and a well-crafted photo is stunning and immediately brings the eye to what is being conveyed. The purpose of photography is to communicate and document moments in time. Photographs capture memories and lead one to be present as one explores the world. Photography lets us see something we may never have noticed otherwise and is a way to express our ideas for others to see. Photos showcase stories and document history as it unfolds. Today there is a camera in almost everyone’s hands and we can document the minutiae of our lives as it happens.
Gateway of India and Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai, India
Today is World Photography Day or World Photo Day, an international celebration focused on photography and its history. On August 19, 1839, the French government purchased the patent of the daguerreotype process, the first photography process, and released it to the world for free. In honour of this, World Photography Day is celebrated on August 19.
An Indian Temple, Langkawi, Malaysia
The daguerreotype photographic process, the first photographic process was developed in 1837 by the French inventors and photographers Louis Daguerre and Nicéphore Niépce. Announced on January 9, 1839, by the French Academy of Sciences, the patent of the daguerreotype was purchased by the French government who granted the invention free to the world on August 19 of the same year. The idea of World Photography Day was first suggested by Indian photographer O. P. Sharma in 1988 who set up propagating the idea of celebrating the day within the photography community in India and abroad. The first observance of the day was in 1991, by the Indian International Photographic Council, founded by Sharma himself. Subsequently, Sharma was able to persuade the Photographic Society of America and the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain to join in and the day has been celebrated globally since 1991.
One of the temples in Siam Reap, Cambodia
World Photography Day is celebrated as a day to commemorate the importance of cameras and photography in our lives. This day is celebrated by people who love photography, from amateur to professional photographers. World Photography Day aims to inspire photographers around the world to share their photos with the simple goal of sharing their world with the world. World Photo Day hosted its first global online gallery on August 19, 2010.
Singapore as the flight prepares to land
To commemorate the day, go ahead and showcase some of your best photos. In honour of this day, I too am sharing some of my favourite photos in this post.
Three Thousand Stitches: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives – Sudha Murty
Two decades ago, when Sudha Murty approached a group of devadasis for the first time, determined to make a difference to their lives, they threw a chappal at her.
Undeterred, she went back, telling herself she must talk to the devadasis about the dangers of AIDS. This time, they threw tomatoes.
But she refused to give up. The Infosys Foundation worked hard to make the devadasis self-reliant, to help educate their children, and to rid the label of the social stigma that had become attached to it.
Today, there are no temple prostitutes left in the state of Karnataka. This is the powerful, inspirational story of that change initiative that has transformed thousands of lives.
Many of us are drawn to the mountains. One reason could be that they have stood for aeons, and are probably as old as Earth itself. And it’s human nature to be drawn to that which is bigger and grander than us. So here’s a small poem which expresses what I think about mountains.
They stand tall, straight and majestic Like sentries, brooding and mystic, in a scenic land The sight of which makes one homesick Because the heart beats in a rhythm that is quick
The mountains seem alone as they stand And pierce the sky and the clouds with a tip of ice They dominate the landscape, farm, and land In a scene that brings to life an alpine paradise
The mountains have stood like this for millennia and see Wars, famines, droughts, and floods, they have endured it all As silent spectators, they are witness to all sufferings and prosperity They see all the comings and goings, and all of the human footfall
The mountains have stood here and will continue to stand A watchman for the ages, silent, but alert A huge and indelible part of our land The mountains are part of every landscape, be it the plains or the desert.
The Lost River: On The Trail of the Sarasvati – Michel Danino
The Lost River explores the geography, history, and mythology, of the Sarasvati river, drawing from various sources like folklore, the Vedas, archaeology, local practices, history, geology, and meteorology. The book explains that the river, its very existence, and its course have been discussed and speculated over for years. The magnificence of the Sarasvati has been detailed in scriptures like the Rig Veda. Historians and archaeologists could not understand how it mysteriously ceased to exist. Some of the even deem the river a myth.
This book attempts the deduce facts from fable and makes a strong case for the existence of the river. It goes over the upheavals that the Indian subcontinent went through thousands of years ago, explaining the dry weather, erosion, and tectonic events that changed the terrain, altered river courses, and may have made the Sarasvati disappear. The book then chronicles explorations into the river started, which began around the early nineteenth century, when it was rediscovered by British officials doing topographic explorations.
The book also explains the culture around that time, shedding light on the Indus valley civilisation and the rich and flourishing culture of Harappa. The book goes on the show the results of explorations into the river’s origins and course using modern technology like satellite imagery and isotope analysis. The author has also used his proof of the existence of the river to bolster his theory that Aryans were indigenous to India and not foreign invaders.
Memories and Such 