Donkeyshott & Xuitlacoche

George Mohr fought in the Franco Prussian war in 1870 , which means he was involved in suppressing the Communards.He became the town barber. In those days the town barber was also the only 'doctor' in Bichofsheim; Leeches, vacuum cups and all. During the first world war and afterwards they helped Granny and Heini's family, their mother living off a widow's pension, survive.

 

 Sleeping girl at Drancy concentration camp 'France, in the suburbs of Paris is hardly where one imagines a concentration camp or detainment center. But Drancy, the most well-known French camp was where first foreign Jews in France, and then the Jews of France were sent, including the Jewish of Lyons who were not killed by Klaus Barbie. Most of the Jews detained in Drancy were soon sent to their deaths in Auschwitz and Sobibor. Only 3.5-4% of those who passed through Drancy survived the war. Estimates of 85,000-90,000 prisoners are given, including men, women and a significant number of children: all were kept together, which was highly unusual for the Lagers. Until 1943, the camp, consisting of a large U-shaped Building Complex (formerly a police barracks) was guarded by the French arm of the Gestapo, however in July of that year, German soldiers took command. Not long after, 13,000 Jews including 4000 children were committed to Drancy. The conditions were harsh d

Eve and Lisa Steinhardt in 1942  NB: Aunt Else is not in the picture. In September 1942 she was rounded up and sent on to Drancy and then on to Auschwitz . Was this picture taken before or after?

 El Sapien looked like this before it became a quarry. Jose was told by a former employee of his father, that his father, Rafael, had put a large plot of land in his brother Felipe's name before he died - one of many such plots of land - and Jose was given general directions on how to get there. He went past a large 50 hectare empty scrub patch near an avocado orchard and he was met by an old man who recognised him as the son of Don Rafa and who told him the land was called "El Sapien" and it did indeed belong to Don Raphael Elvira Cerda. Jose brought the news home, but no one was pleased. His mum thought it wasn't worth the candle. All the litigation, all the paperwork. but the family needed the money so they decided to act. El Sapien had been left to grow into a wild patch on the borders of town. Local people used it as a shortcut and the land was crossed with tracks and paths. The first step was to be seen there. So for the next few months the f

'Humility! I got it!' Mario's life was the Great American Dream.                 Brother Mario in Garissa in 1973 [Dad visited Brother Mario a number of times in the Northern Provinces to check up on how he was spending Oxfam's money. The walls were covered with pictures of Mario and Frank Sinatra, Mario and Dean Martin, Mario and Bing Crosby, Mario and local politicians, Mario and Italian gentlemen in dressed smartly. And of course Dad drew his own conclusions about Marios suddenly finding his vocation and deciding to move to the remote Northern Province of Kenya.  Dad told a story of how he was with Mario. Mario looked up after telling Dad the story of the realisation that he had a vocation and said. 'You know Tony, humility? I got it!' and smiled. This became a phrase we used in our family whenever anyone spoke too well of themselves. 'You know, Humility, I got it.' By the end of his life though, in 2003, it seems that Brother Mario&#

  Tony Hall in Ethiopia in 1973 Dad heard reports of the famine and decided to go there to investigate as Oxfam's field officer for East Africa. He went and saw the evidence of it and then came back to Kenya. He found photographer Mohammed Amin and went in again. He sent articles and evidence to the British Press.  The empreror Haile Selassie was a close ally of the west and so, initially, the newspapers and the media were very reluctant to take up the story. However, Jonathan Dimbleby read Dad's article in the Sunday Times and Dad took him around Ethiopia. Jonathan decided to make a film. It was this film that alerted Britain to the so called 'forgotten famine.' The Ethiopian famine of 1973, in which several hundred thousand people died. Subsequently, the British children's programme, Blue Peter , wanted to organise a campaign to help famine victims and asked Dad, Tony Hall, to be their man on the spot. British children sent in 900 million stamps to be sold, a

'What are you? FBI or something...?' December 18th 1966, in the Daily Nation Tony Hall's Interview with Yves Montand  [His questions were obviously written in consultation with Eve Hall .] Yves Montand in Nairobi  On the face of it it may seem strange for a film star to speak so much on politics. But for Yves Montand and his wife, Simone Signoret, one of the really distinguished couples in the world of serious entertainment, taking a stand on burning political issues is part of every citizen's duty. It is a view shared by many of their friends, such as artist Pablo Picasso, and the playwright Arthur Miller.  The name of Yves Montand is a household name in Europe as a singer, dancer and serious actor in films like the 'Wages of Fear.'  In fact he needs very little introduction anywhere in the world. Q You are a top international star today. Did you have a difficult start in your career as an entertainer and a film actor? A Yes and no

 Mom with Geoffrey Hutchings campaigning for the ANC in 1994, picture taken by Dad There were few occasions I head about Geoff. He was the best man at my parent's wedding. He loved poetry and literature and he was a close friend. Then I Mom and Dad told me that they were in touch again after many years. Dad remarked that Geoff was the same and that he was full of life and the Professor of English literature at a University of Zululand and in a sense renewing their friendship with Geoff and Anne was like Mom and Dad completing the circuit of University, activism, exile and return. They were back at the beginning.  Dad and Mom and behind them, Geoffrey Hutchings, the best man, 7 February, 1959 But the last time they told me about Geoff was tragic. It was 1996. They had been to a party together and Geoff had left early with his daughter. It was getting dark. His car was sideswiped by a lorry. Mom and Dad left the party and had the misfortune to see Geoff and his daughter Sarah

Dad, Tony Hall, was the Editor of Wits Student, Mom, Eve Hall, is on the left

The five Powell sisters:  Maggie, May Cissie, Rosie and Murial

My Great Grandfather Konrad Göbel father of Tini, Heini, and Granny Lisa, who was a mounted policeman in the town of Shlitz near Frankfurt and who was, sadly, kicked to death by his horse.

Doctored photograph of Gertrude Sultan (nee Hall), her son and his ayah. There are people cut out from the picture on both sides. Perhaps some status conscious Pretoria family colonial has cut Gerturud's husband out of the photograph. The picture was probably taken in India.

I think the people here are Connie, Jack, Betty's sister, Philip, Betty Frank and a dog called Bruno or Bozo. I wonder where this is in South Africa?

This is a picture of Granny Hall, (my great, great grandmother) who was from Birmingham. She married Captain Riddick. His name was William Riddick, and he left her for another woman so she dropped his name and all her four children were called Hall (or sometimes Hall-Riddick). Lucy, May, Gertrude, Arthur and William. They went to live in Bristol presumably because William sailed (or steamed) out of Bristol. He was a very masculine, handosme, bearded man. He looked rather like my father, in fact. But he was decent enough to support his family, though he abandoned them.  The picture is interesting because it was obviously taken with her husband, but she has had her husband cut out of the picture. Quite well, actually, because the card is very thick and heavy.

 Lucy Hall, Connie Hall, Edith Sultan, Philip Hall, Rosalie Hall, May Hall, Granny Hall, Arthur Hall, John Hall, Gertrude Sultan (nee Hall) Mr Sultan.  Arthur Lewis went on to become a Fellow of the Royal society and won the Murchison medal for Geology, I think these honours were in the future, but the geological stratum at the back is obviously a reference to his prominance as a geologist. This is an interesting family. Granny Hall was abandoned by her husband Captain Riddick, though he did send her money. For this reason she had to send Arthur to Germany for his education. The young boy studied very hard and came through and so, was the pride of the family and the head of the family. But the three sisters were fascinating too. Lucy, Getrude and May. May looks proudly intellectual. They must have all been involved in the Sufferage movement. Certainly Rosalie, Arthur's wife was a very active member of the sufferagette movement. I wonder if Arthur didn't meet Rosalie through