Having noticed this studio portrait on the wall of The Bakehouse, where we are staying for a few days in Maidenhead, I asked our host, Laurent, about the photo. He told me it shows his paternal grandfather.
Laurent was just seven years old when his grandfather died but his memories of him are still vivid.
Henri served at Verdun in 1914-1918, as did his brother who, sadly, did not return from the war. Henri, himself, came back home suffering from frostbite in his feet.
Laurent remembers that his grandfather never wanted to talk about the war, and even used to become angry if the grandchildren were playfighting war with improvised weapons.
Henri's first employment on his return to civilian life was as concierge at The Westminster Hotel at Le Touquet. Laurent remembers that, because of his feet, his grandfather needed to use walking sticks in the house and a wheelchair when he went out.
He surmises that perhaps this was the reason Henri changed his work and became a croupier at the casino at Le Touquet because that job was mostly sedentary.
Henri's experience working as a croupier and seeing people lose everything and ruin their lives at the casino led him to give strict warnings to his children, also his grandchildren, never to gamble.
Thank you to Laurent for giving me leave to post this portrait and accompanying story of his grandfather, whose memory obviously means so much to him.
Well I agree, Margo. We all tend to bury our heads I think. But then I wonder what more can we do?