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Dr Radhakrishan was a very eminent man,  Philosopher, Oxford professor, Knight Bachelor, Educator, Author. When, in 1962, he was appointed the second President of India, Bertrand Russell said ” Plato aspired for philosophers to become kings and it is a tribute to India that she should make a philosopher her President”. He was in ParisContinue reading “Paris and Dr Radhakrishnan, 1948”

‘TS Eliot was an American lived in England and became British. WH Auden was English lived in America and became American Who lost and who gained?’ I am looking aimlessly at the yellowing wisteria shedding its leaves in my garden pond when Spider’s words from 60 earlier suddenly appear – from where? I am puzzled ,Continue reading “1959. SPIDER. Royal County Theatre, Bedford”

My first ‘object’ is a letter. First letter, first school, first separation. I remember writing it. I am four years old. In an English boarding school in Musoorie, up in the Himalayas,  sitting in a room with my 9 year old sister. There is a grownup there watching over us and we are  writing aContinue reading “1947 Letter from Musoorie”

‘By the time we got round to getting our wedding picture taken, I was already expecting and had become quite big.  That’s why we didn’t get a full length picture.’ In our flat in Paris this wedding picture used to live on a display shelf of a tall slim ornately carved piece of furniture belongingContinue reading “The Wedding Photograph, Lahore 1937”

I will start with a photograph. The first photograph.  Sitting in my mothers lap pointing in the direction of my father saying: “ Ooo – Gay!”  ‘There – Gone!” My father, Baldoon Dhingra, was a poet, and named me Meera, after a poet he loved and admired. And I remember calling myself Meera.  A fewContinue reading “Meera, Lahore, 1944”

‘Why don’t you carry on with your history in a hundred objects idea,’ said Ginny, ‘ didn’t you start it?’ ‘Yes. Ten years ago. When History of the World in a hundred objects was first broadcast.’ ‘It was such a good programme.’ ‘ And it was back on the radio during the lockdown while IContinue reading “Ginny and the dream”