Charles Courtenay Lloyd. Celebrating his 100th birthday; a formidable linguist and Royal Navy WW2 hero who helped liberate Norway, a spy and a spymaster who married a Russian princess and an inspirational teacher to generations of Yorkshire boys. All other stories of the week pale in comparison.

Sunday 5th May, 2019

My father with his cards, one from the King of Norway and one from the Queen of England.

Hello everyone,

Well what a week it has been. The week of my father's centenary finally came after all my preparations and the family was complete. I'll tell you all about it in a minute but first just a few lines about what happened after I left off last Sunday. 

Last Sunday was a glorious sunny day. Eladio had opened the pool the day before and that day continued to prepare the house in all its summer glory. He got out the chairs and tables and that day would be the first time we would have lunch outside this season.

When he had finished, we went off to the polling station for him to vote. Oli would join him so they could vote together but as she was a bit late, we went to have a coffee. I noticed how all the local voters were looking smart. People dress up here to go and vote as if they were going to church. We were dressed up too although once home I would get into a pair of legging which are far more comfortable.

Once the four of us were together, Oli, Miguel and us, we walked from the cafeteria to the polling station, a local school. On our way we bumped into our neighbours Julio and his Russian wife, Ekatarina. Sunday was Russian Easter and I gave her the Russian greeting Xristos Vaskresi meaning Christ has risen from the dead. For the Russians Easter is even more important than Christmas. She told me she had made the typical Russian fare and would bring me some over later. How sweet of her.

We continued to the school to vote. Of course I couldn't vote as I have no voting rights either here or in England. Miguel couldn't either as he is registered in Valencia. So all I could do was catch Eladio and Olivia on camera while they exercised their democratic rights. Father and daughter voted together but I know they voted for different parties - not telling which. Here is Oli voting. You can just about make out her pregnancy bump.

My youngest daughter Olivia voting last Sunday in Spain's general elections

I wondered what the turn out would be for Spain's third general elections in 4 years. In the last elections it had only been 66%. This time the figure would rise to 75% which is quite high for Spain. We wouldn't know the results until the evening but we did know that no party would achieve an overall majority in the new political scene here with 5 parties but two blocks - left and right, including the new far right party, Vox which scares most people in this country.

After voting, we parted. Oli had to return to their apartment as she was expecting her in-laws for lunch. On our way home we stopped off at my new English friend Joanne's daughter, Elisa's place nearby. Dear Joanne had given her daughter a card and some presents for my father. She is so sweet doing that as she doesn't even know him. People are so kind. I generally think that there are more good people in the world than bad. Later in the day I would have another piece of evidence to prove that.

We came home to prepare lunch which would outside as I said earlier. Here are Eladio and my father about to tuck in.

First lunch of the season outside - Eladio and my father last Sunday

I had a siesta after lunch and in general spent quite a lazy day.  It was in the afternoon while I was reading by the pool that my school friend from St. Joseph's College, Geraldine, surprised me and made me both sad and happy at the same time. She had been to the cemetery in Charlestown near Baildon to put flowers on her parents' grave and very thoughtfully put some tulips and roses on my mother's in honour of Russian Easter. The tulips were for my mother and the roses were for my father's hundredth. I didn't know how to thank her enough.

Flowers on my mother's grave for Russian Easter thanks to my friend Geraldine.

I was very grateful and kept thinking about her lovely gesture and then about Russian Easter when we were children and thought how much my mother would have loved the gesture too. Tears came to my eyes and I cried for a while for my mother who I miss everyday but I also cried for joy after such a kind gesture. You see this was yet more evidence that there are more kind people in this world than bad. Thank you Geraldine from the bottom of my heart. When I go to Yorkshire in June, I shall be putting flowers on my mother's grave too.

Then when we were sitting down for our first dinner alfresco, Eladio and I, the doorbell rang. I couldn't think who it could be. Well, it was my Russian neigbour, Katya (Ekatarina) bringing me Russian Easter fare, a "kulitch" (sort of panatone) and coloured eggs, as well as a box of chocolates for my father's birthday. You see, more kind people. I was delighted. Wasn't that wonderful?

Russian Easter fare from my neighbour Katya. 

It was lovely to receive her presents and make me think of my Russian roots. So, in the end, I sort of celebrated Russian Easter although I didn't go to church. I would have liked to maybe but it's not the same on my own. Maybe next year.

Later we went upstairs to watch the unfolding of the General Election results. It was quite clear from the beginning the PSOE party led by the PM Pedro Sánchez was to win but not with a landslide. We stayed up until nearly all the results were out. These are them.

The Spanish General Election results

The left wing block beat the right wing block. The far right party, Vox, got 23 seats, almost 10% of the electorate but they will not govern thank goodness. Now it remains to be seen who the PSOE and their far left partners, Podemos, ally with to govern. I just hope it's not the Catalan Independence parties or otherwise we will have another stalemate government that caused us to have Sunday's elections when the latter did not approve the PSOE's budget.

Monday came and on that day our first guests would be arriving.  Zuka was the first, my only girl cousin and I only have 3 first cousins. She is the daughter of my mother's beloved younger brother Nicolai and now lives in France with her mother, my Aunty Valya who is nearing her mid 90s. Amanda, my oldest school friend from St. Jospeph's college who helped me a lot with the proofreading of my father's biography arrived second. Thankfully the batch of the first 20 books had arrived that morning but I was keeping them secret until everyone was here.

With my cousin Zuka

With my oldest friend Amanda

I picked them both up from the airport and we were home late but not too late for a lovely dinner alfresco. Oli and Eladio prepared it for us. That dinner was to mark the beginning of an extraordinary week I must say and both Zuka and Amanda were to be witness to it. 

Tuesday came, one day before my father's 100th. He has been counting the days for months now but he did not know what was coming to him. Yesterday he said "I couldn't have imagined all this". Of course he couldn't haha. I spent the morning cooking for his birthday party helped by Amanda and Zuka. Eladio went to get Suzy from the airport who had traveled especially all the way from Bali to be there with him on his milestone day. We knew she was coming until after Oli's baby is born but I heard her tell her grandfather she would be here until Christmas. Oh what joy  to hear. When she arrived we embraced endlessly and emotionally. She was just as pleased to see us as she was to see my cousin Zuka and Amanda too. She and Olivia hadn't seen Zuka since my mother's funeral in 1999 and they hadn't seen Amanda for 10 years. What  a reunion this week has been and all thanks to my father celebrating his 100th birthday. 

Such joy to see Suzy again

Suzy reunited with her parents.

Suzy and Zuka reunited on Tuesday

Suzy and Amanda reunited

There was just one person missing and it was Andy D. my parents' former pupil at the Norwich Russian courses and now a family friend. Both Andy and Amanda helped me enormously with my book. I can't thank them enough, Andy for the research and Amanda for the proofreading and censoring me at times too hahaha. He arrived just on time for dinner.

That night we had a pre birthday dinner and there was a lot to celebrate; all of us together, Suzy's 35th birthday which had been on 28th April and of course my book which was to be shown in public for the first time. What a wonderful dinner and time we had that night. 

Tuesday night's celebration dinner

Everyone got a copy of the book and like a famous author (haha) all my friends and family queued up for me to sign it. It was such a funny moment and a very happy one too.  

Signing my book for my friends and family 

I had to have a photo of both girls with the book, as, after all, apart from my father it has been written with them in mind too for I want them to know about their past.

My daughters holding my biography. It was written for my father but with them in mind for them to find out about their past. 

We all went to bed very late; some of us a bit worse for ware because of the lovely wine we drank, myself included. Amazingly I didn't get a headache for once. 

I think I slept about 4 hours that night I was so excited. Finally, finally 1st May had arrived. But before we brought my father up for the family and friends birthday breakfast, everything had to be ready. Everyone lent a hand to prepare the dining room with all the decorations I had bought months ago on Amazon. 

Decorating the dining room 

The table was groaning with delicious croissants and other fare and we all had to be sitting down by the time the birthday boy arrived. For the occasion he was wearing a white shirt and his Selwyn College Cambridge tie and he looked quite dapper. 

The birthday breakfast on 1st May this week

I wasn't at all hungry. I just wanted the moment to arrive when we would give him the cards and presents. There were so many of them he would be overwhelmed. In fact it was impossible to open more than 60 cards that morning so we had another session the next morning. 

Just some of the presents and cards my father received for his 100th birthday 

At home when it was our birthday the rule was to open the cards before the presents and as children, of course, we always wanted to open the presents first. However, on Wednesday, I wanted him to open the two most important cards , the one from the Queen and the one from the King of Norway first. He was expecting the card from the Queen but had no idea there would be one from King Harald V from his beloved Norway - you see he has a degree in Norwegian and spent time in the war there when he helped liberate the country from the Nazi invasion and even got a medal for it from King Harald's grandfather, Haakon VII. It was to be a very special moment. The photo illustrating this week's very special post is of him with both cards, one from a Queen and one from a King!

The  card from the King of Norway

The card from the Queen, the one he has been waiting for for such a long time. 

He was absolutely amazed. Then when I gave him my book - I just had to give it as the first present - he said "I can't take it in". I couldn't either.

My father holding the book I had written on his life, my present to him on his birthday

He got so many things he was overwhelmed; the book on his life: a framed family tree, a leather bound book on his ancestry compiled by Andy D, an original edition of The Times printed on the day he was born, 1st May 1919 and a huge hamper of his favourite chocolates. A special mention goes too to my newfound Airbnb friend, Joanne from Lancashire who sent an array of lovely Yorkshire fare for him. But it was the card from her  pupils, 4 11 year old's from her school, which amazed us most. Her class was learning about WW2, so she told them about my father's feats in the war and they made the most beautiful hand made card including his old ships. 

My father with the lovely handmade card from pupils from Joanne's school in Lancashire. 

I think it was getting a little bit too much for him, so later he went to his room to digest the celebrations so far and to get a little rest.

While we were celebrating I was interrupted by a journalist from a UK news agency who had picked up my father's story from articles in The Yorkshire Post, The Bristol Post and The Telegraph and Argus among others. If you are wondering why his story was in articles in the press, well the answer is easy. I am a PR professional and know a story when I see one. So after I finished the book and after some  people's insistence I share my father's story with the wider public I put together a press release about his life on the occasion of his 100th birthday.  I also tailored it to the regional press where he had been most related to; Cambridge, Bristol and Yorkshire. The beginning of the press release looked like this:

"INFORMATION FOR THE PRESS

C. COURTENAY LLOYD TURNS 100 ON 1^ST MAY

WW2 Royal Navy veteran officer who contributed to the Liberation of Norway; Intelligence Officer in the Allied Control Commission in Germany; Graduate of Selwyn College, Cambridge, teacher of spies in the Cold War, an English gentleman who married a Russian princess; teacher of Russian at the RAF College Cranwell and inspirational Master of Modern Languages at Bradford Grammar for nearly 20 years turns 100 on 1^st May 2019.

·        One of the very few WWII veterans still alive to tell their story first hand

·        Card from a King and a Queen. Not only will he receive a card from the Queen of England but also from the King of Norway in recognition for his contribution to the Liberation of that country during the war.

·        Oldest living Selwyn College Cambridge graduate

·        Possibly oldest living pupil of Clifton College Bristol

·        An Englishman who is polyglot and speaks 6 languages perfectly. Apart from his native tongue he knows Norwegian, Russian, French, German and Spanish. He is also quite fluent in Danish, Swedish and Dutch and has a smattering of Finnish and Icelandic. Today aged nearly 100 he still reads in these languages".

So, when breakfast was over, I sent out more information and photos to SWNS, the UK's largest independent press release to Joe Smith who wanted to use the news published in the Bristol Post written by Sarah Turrnidge.   To write her article, Sarah had spent the whole weekend before reading the manuscript for my book. I have a lot to thank these two people for. Not long after more press articles appeared and slowly my father's story was being spread around the UK. I do love how the British revere their WW2 veterans and so they should. I particularly liked the Telegraph and Argus coverage. This is a Bradford paper and my father used to have it delivered every day. I was amazed to see his story appear on the front page! 

My father on the front page of the T&A, Bradford's local paper.

My dear friend Geraldine has got both the T&A and the Yorkshire Post newspapers of that day and will give them to me when I go to the UK in June. 

My father had a rest but we didn't. We had to fix the dining room to seat 17 people and I had to make the rest of the food. There was a veritable spread by the time lunch started I can tell you. I made the usual fare we have for celebrations which since my childhood, has always included potato salad and "perushki" (little Russian pies).

Apart from the 10 of us at home, my friend Fátima and her daughter of the same name came, as did Olga my father's carer from a few years ago. Then there was Zena, his weekend carer, Julio, my Nokia friend and finally Copi or Copito, the girls' school friend from when they were 3 and 4. She is more or less part of the family. Olga brought her two little step-daughters with us and the lunch was what my father would probably call a very jolly affair. When we were all sitting down, Lucya, his carer brought him up and once again we surprised him.

But I was even more surprised that day as were all my guests at the gesture of his old school, Clifton College Bristol. They had arranged for the school to raise the OC (Old Cliftonian) flag and for all the school to sing Happy Birthday Mr. Lloyd. Listening to it made a chill go down my spine but with pure pleasure. You can see it here. Later Selwyn College, his old Cambridge University college followed suit and greeted him via social media. Roger Mosey, the master of the college and quirk of quirks, an old pupil of the school my father taught at, Bradford Grammar, for nearly 20 years took to social media to post the photos of the visit of Erin Bond some time ago and he also included the link to the Yorkshire Post article. Bradford Grammar were posting greetings too and I even got a personal email from the headmaster, Mr. Hinchliffe, as I did from the headmaster of Clifton College, Dr. Green. I am so grateful to them all. It's very touching how the 3 educational institutions he was most involved with during his life, wanted to be included in the celebration of his 100th birthday. Thank you Clifton College, thank you Selwyn College and thank you Bradford Grammar School from the bottom of my heart. 

That wasn't the only music my father would hear at lunch. His granddaughters Suzy and Oli sang for him and you can see one of the clips here. Then Suzy sang solo quite a few songs for her grandfather. She has a great voice which has improved enormously since she has been singing in a band in Bali. Here is the one that made me cry. It also brought a tear to my father's eye and you know what? I have never seen him cry before. His birthday was very emotional in a beautiful sense.

Copi, Suzy and Oli at the birthday lunch

There were some speeches too from me. My father didn't speak much - he doesn't but he did say to us all that day; thanks for everything and that thanks to us that he was able to reach his 100th year!

Oh but I'm forgetting the cake moment, the most important moment in a birthday for my family and Iand especially for my father who has a very sweet tooth.  Here is the cake I ordered. It's one of our favourite with white chocolate and fruit.

My father's birthday cake

I then gave out the book to the new guests and my father signed some of the copies. Before the party finished we had to have a group photo and here it is.

My father at his party on Wednesday

When I noticed he was getting tired Lucy took him downstairs. I was delighted later to see when I went down to say a few words, that he was reading my book. What  a moment for me. He said. "you've written a book about me" and that he had had no idea. He's still reading it and commented to Suzy and Oli on Saturday morning that he had discarded the morning papers to read it as it was so much more interesting! 

What a moment - my father reading my book about his life story.

I printed just 20 copies for the occasion. Another (corrected) 80 copies will be coming along soon but they are for private use. If you want to read it then rest assured you will be able to do so on Amazon's kindle shortly. It may take a couple of weeks but I will let you all know when it becomes available.

I went to bed that night feeling absolutely exhausted but extremely happy. My mission had been accomplished, the mission of making my father happy and elated on his 100th birthday.

Greetings poured in from all over the world and I just couldn't keep up with them all. I still have to write and thank most people and will get down to it quietly next week when all the fuss is over and I am recovered. I must say it's been an amazing 4 months of work to get the whole thing together. I couldn't keep up with the press articles either. On his birthday and the following days his story would also come out in the London paper, Metro, the Daily Express, the Veterans' Foundation, the Western Daily Press, something called Mogaznews and the Cambridge Independent. I particularly found the Western Daily Press funny as they had exaggerated his life by likening him to a James Bond character. If only they knew just how modest he is. When I showed the clippings to him he said "publicity?" and "but I wasn't a hero". Oh he was, yes he was and he is my hero.

The next day we were all tired but happy. Again we all had breakfast together. Later we stayed on to show my father all the cards he had received and open them one by one. Bradford Grammar School had sent an email to their old boys inviting them to send cards to my father via the school and oh boy did they respond. There were so many cards and letters, it was nearly impossible for my father to look at each one properly but he will be doing so over the next few days and is extremely grateful. 

My father with his granddaughters and all the cards

To remember the occasion we took a photo of him with all the cards, half of which came from old pupils from Bradford Grammar School and of course from lots of friends and family. Thanks Sandra, Adele, Kathy and Phil, Pernille, Katriona, Jennifer, Aunty Angela and all of you who sent cards. Here he is with the cards including the ones from the King and the Queen.

My father with us and all the cards

That took up a good part of the morning and was a wonderful part of his celebrations. He was quite astonished to see so many cards but very very pleased. So was I.

But all good things come to an end and that morning Zuka and Amanda were leaving us. After emotional goodbyes, I drove them to the airport. We were chatting away animatedly outside the airport and then suddenly two policemen were by my car and nearly booked me. Thus I had to leave them and sort of go down on my knees asking them for forgiveness. I'm not sure I got a fine but will soon know I suppose.

I drove home just on time for lunch with my father, Eladio and Andy. The girls had gone out for lunch with friends. Andrew D. stayed until Saturday morning and in a way kept the spirit of the celebrations going. It was good to have time with him. That night he invited us out to dinner. We went to Casa Ivan where we all enjoyed a delicious meal with lots of wine.

Friday came and we took Andy to Segovia for the day as he has never been. Every time we go to that famous ancient town outside Madrid with it amazing Roman aqueduct, we have lunch at a very old and famous restaurant; "Mesón Cándido". To book a table with a view I always ring the city's most illustrious "son", Pedro Delgado, Spain's most beloved ex cyclist and winner of the Tour de France. It was cold when we got to Segovia but sunny. It was the wind that made it cold and I had to buy a shawl from a gypsy lady otherwise I would have been frozen, especially when we went into the magnificent cathedral. 

The magnificent 16th century cathedral in Segovia

It's a very popular medieval town outside Madrid, about 1 hour's drive from home. Andy was overawed by the aqueduct and we took lots of photos. There was a very old fashioned carousel or roundabout right by it. It was for children but the child inside me made we want to go on although of course I didn't.

The old fashioned carousel by the aqueduct in Segovia on Friday

We walked from the aqueduct to the cathedral and went inside but my was it cold. Eladio and  I have seen it often so were soon outside and looking for a sunny spot for me. Andy remained inside for a while. We had a 2 0'clock booking at Cándido so soon we were on our way back to the main square where it is in a prime location under the Roman aqueduct. 

At Cándido, Eladio and I went for the famous suckling pig. The owner, Mr. Cándido senior does a sort of ceremony when a whole piglet is served and speaks in medieval Spanish. It is a sight for sore eyes.

Mr. Cándido senior and a whole suckling pig

Lunch was marvelous but we had to leave as soon as we had finished if we were to show Andy the rest of Segovia. We walked along the old streets towards the wonderful castle, "El Alcazar" built in around the 12th century. 

The castle in Segovia

It is steeped in history and was once the castle of the medieval kings and queens of Spain including Isabella la Católica. Here is Andy inside next to armoured horses and men.

Andy inside the castle in Segovia

We had seen it many times but I always love seeing it and never get tired of what looks like a fairy tale medieval castle. But it was getting late and we had to get home. We got a little lost trying to find the motorway route back but we found it in the end. We were home by nearly 8 pm and it was lovely to have a little daughter and mother time with Suzy. Soon Oli was back and we all had dinner although neither Andy, nor Eladio nor me were hungry at all.

I slept quite well that night and woke up on Saturday morning late for me at 6.30 a.m. Andy was leaving and I took him to the airport. It was great to drive there without traffic. I was home when everyone was having breakfast. I also met our new German Airbnb guests who had arrived while we were in Segovia. They had come for a wedding of a friend to a Spanish girl from Boadilla. We wouldn't see much of them but we did hear them playing brass musical instruments, in preparation for a concert they would take part in at the wedding.

Saturday was a day for relaxing for me after all the hectic preparations and the big birthday party. And relax I did. We also went on our walk for the first time in days. Our routine had been totally screwed up since Monday and I was frankly very tired. The girls had friends  round that afternoon; Juli, Rocío and Elenita. They made dinner for us all and we had it in the dining room surrounded by my father's decorations and many many cards. I wasn't very hungry either and was dying for some shut eye. We went to bed at around 11 pm, watched part of some film and soon fell asleep.

And today is Sunday. I can't believe it is all over. However, we shall savour and remember this week for ever and ever and I think my father will too.

Happy 100th birthday dear Daddy. Long may you remain with us. I shall soon start on my mother's book and I need your memory for lots of the information. That is going to be a very big project and I know I will be able to rely on the help of Amanda and Andy. Meanwhile I still have to work on the Amazon Kindle version of my father's book which I hope is ready soon. 

Today will be a quiet day, a family day, just how I like it. No doubt you will hear all about it in next week's post.

So my friends, I shall leave you now, publish this post, print out a copy for my father and get on with the day. 

It has been the most amazing week in many years but also a very satisfying and happy one. I was worried I would feel all flat afterwards but I don't. I just feel happy and contented after a job well done. 

I hope you like the photos, the links to the articles and the links to the videos. Thanks for following my life and thanks for all the good wishes for my father's 100th birthday. What a milestone. If only my mother had been here too. I missed her very much this week but soon I will be feeling even closer to her when I start work on her book.

That's it now for this week my friends. Cheers and good wishes to you all until next Sunday,

Masha