Robert and Cicely board a British Airways plane to New York on July 11, 2013. Cicely was somewhat reluctant to leave her very cozy flat in Weybridge, to which she had become so accustomed, but Robert was able to persuade her it was all for the best.

May 31 - Cicely and Martin go to Paris, and visit Cousing Jean in a retirement home, the lake in front of Beau Site, and Doreen Bo Jorgensen. Doreen was a Saffron Walden friend of Cicely's who passed away in 2003.

In 1986, Isabella Ferrari and Elizabeth Nissim, helped by Costanza Ferrari, started and English conversation class called "English Together", where English was spoken, accompanied by tea and cakes. One of the participants, Filippo Culcasi, started a magazine written in English, full of useful information, interesting anecdotes and good humor.
You can view the 10th Anniversary edition here:        

"English Together" Conversation Class - Ela Dragone, Cicely, Isabella Ferrari, Fernanda

Elizabeth joined the Samaritans in the early 1980s, and was caring and supportive of both the callers and the fellow volunteers. Some of her colleagues were Marguerite Walters (co-founder ) Jill Cucco, Caroline Montaldi, Isabelle Patterson, Maggie Rizzo, Angela Saldanha, Gabrielle, Eddie.

For many years, Cicely was a member of the Ponte Sant'Angelo Church in Rome, and made many friends there, including Lili Pallini, Jenny Smith, Anne Chaplin, Cyril Groom, Jonna Detweiler, and Sonia Carrozzo. In June 1983 she was asked to do the readings during the service. Here is a copy of the program with her personal comment on the back!    

From left to right, top to bottom: Patrick Harpur, Merrily Harpur, James Harpur, John Harpur, Brian Harpur, Jack Myers, Joyce Harpur, Vera Myers, Richard Myers, Marian Myers, Maggie Myers, Cicely Nissim, Martin Nissim, Violet Reeve, Robert Nissim

Short holiday with Robert and Martin in Lyme Regis and other members of the family

Cicely feeding John Martin in Via Cardinal Pacca 25, Rome

Danvers State Hospital, circa 1893

This address was on a letter containing a "Voice-O-Graph", which was a small metal record about 6 inches in diameter, containing arecorded message from the sender. The postmark is 1950.

Sunday, March 5th, 1950. Cicely's first visit to to The Big Apple. See back of postcard:  

The sanatorium was the 2nd use for the majestic building on the corner of the Post Road and North Compo. Built in 1853 for Richard and Mary Fitch Winslow, its original name was Compo House. Today, of course, nothing remains of Compo House or the Sanatorium — except asphalt paths. You can see them as part of the 32-acre property, which today we call Winslow Park.

The Retreat - main driveway, circa 2009.

After the War, Cicely's mother asked her if she wanted to be a doctor, and take up medicine, and Cicely said definitely not, she didn't want to dwell on illness, but on health, and wanted to transmit this message to sick people. She wanted to be a spiritual healer, much like a Christian Scientist. Because of her belief that mental attitude was a very important part of health, she took up psychiatric training for 2 years in a place called The Retreat, in York (Yorkshire), founded by the Quakers. In that period, there was a transition from confinement to medication in these hospitals for the mentally ill, and the Quaker Hospitals pioneered the new methods. Cicely used to take the patients for walks in the gardens. However, she still had to assist many patients receiving electroshock.

This training proved to be a harrowing experience for Cicely. She became far too attached to the patients, and the emotional strain of dealing with mental illeness made her lose weight, and when she returned home in 1946 she was skin and bones and a nervous wreck! Her mother was very distressed and nursed her back to health.

Windsor County Girl's School. Cicely is 4th from the left, next to her sister Joyce.

Cicely went to Windsor County Girl's School in Windsor for 1 year, which she hated, because it was so different to what she was used to in France. She told her parents she wanted to leave school, and they were very understanding. Says Cicely: "I wasn't academic, I didn't want to go to university. I stopped school at 15". She then went to a riding school and learned to ride, and did horse riding for Auntie Evie, giving her horse Betty exercise. She remembers hiring a horse for an hour and riding around Windsor Park "like the Queen".

Cours Janet, Le Vesinet, France. Cicely is middle row, 3rd from left, Joyce is 7th from left with Mary Excelby on her right

Margaret Bremner is holding on to her father's arm (Maxted Bremner)

Cicely, Jean, Ellen, Joyce, Marian, Unidentified

Mme. Suzanne Caesar Fleury, mother of Simone Fleury.

Ecole Comunale, Le Vesinet, France. Cicely is first row, 1st from left

Circa 1930. Cicely is on the far right, and Joyce is 4 to her right. Notice Joseph Myers in the background!

Mrs. Lumbert was a busy-body English woman who organized summer festivals and Christmas dance shows with the children in Le Vesinet. She was like the "queen" of Le Vesinet.