It wasn't until June that year of the Falkland's War in 1982 that I and the Englishman finally managed to see each other. We'd been apart for four long months, during which I'd feared for my submariner's life my every waking hour. He telephoned me very rarely. When the news of the sinking of the HMS … [Read more...]
August is for Crayfish
I must confess I have no idea where the tradition for crayfish in Sweden and later Finland comes from. (I hope I've got this the right way around, else I'll have a lynching by Finnish friends, and possibly a deportation order, when I next step off the plane at Helsinki to look forward to.)All I know … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 18
When the Englishman left after his week long visit to see me in Helsinki in February 1982, I was heart broken, but didn't cry. Clutching the red rose he’d again bought me at the airport I sat in the posh Finnair bus on my way back my father’s place in Espoo, full of determination to do well in my … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 17
I felt a tap on my shoulder. My friend's face looked serious. 'Loo, now?'I smiled at the Englishman, 'Sorry, I'll be back.'He looked surprised but I didn't have time, my friend was already dragging me away from the table.We made our way through of throng of people on the dance floor and passed the … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 16
The Englishman didn't seem at all fazed by the idea of meeting my father. 'You've met all my family,' he said and put his arm around me. He'd just arrived from London and we were walking up from Mannerheim Street tram stop to the bus station to catch the number 105 to Espoo. The year was 1982.It was … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 15
I was back in Finland at my father’s place on January 4th 1982. It was Monday morning and I was tired from the travelling. First the late night flight from London, then the overnight ferry from Stockholm. I’d hardly slept on the free bunk bed, even though it had been a quiet crossing.My father was … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 14
My sister told me a company called Fritidsresor organised chartered trips from Sweden to London. A week in a cheap hotel cost half of a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Heathrow. Especially if I travelled by ferry to Stockholm.In late December 1981, the Englishman had never been to Stansted. When I … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 13
My father, who had two daughters, called me 'My Best Girl.' As I grew up his obvious favouritism became a burden to me, rather than a source of pride. So when my parents finally split up after years of fighting, it was a relief to both of their two daughters.Our parents gave us a choice of which … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 12
The smart new ferry smelled of carpet freshener and paint. A large bellied man in uniform greeted the passengers with a smile at the end of a long ramp. ‘Welcome on board, Miss.’ My arm ached from carrying the suitcase and I barely managed a grimace in return. To my relief the luggage store was … [Read more...]
How I came to be in England – Part 6
When I finally saw the Englishman through the glass wall at the Helsinki airport arrivals hall, I felt suddenly calm. I hadn’t imagined how handsome he was. The Naval Officer I’d met at the British Embassy cocktail party six months earlier in October 1980 was real. I hadn’t fooled myself into an … [Read more...]