VIVIENNE
This is my Viv. A force of nature who never dyed her hair, could touch her toes at 97, and made caramel puddings that would make your tastebuds sing. She had a way with words, like the time she saw my dad leaning out the window to adjust the TV aerial and yelled, "Good gracious, Michael - be careful! That's how Emu died!" Viv was highly amused to sit for these portraits, endlessly saying ‘Gracious I look awful don’t I?’ But she soldiered on and gave a beautiful short interview (below) which was later used at her wake, a few years after this was made.
“My father was such a good man.”
— Vivienne
Viv's life was a tapestry woven with threads of resilience, love, and a hint of mystery. A wartime romance, a secret kept close to her heart, and a family built on strength and determination. This portrait is a glimpse into her story, a testament to a woman who faced adversity with grace and an unwavering spirit.
She had a difficult childhood and was ‘sent away to the country’ as she put it. It effected her deeply and Tom married her even though she already had a son out of wedlock, a bold and courageous gesture back in those times. We never did find out who our grandfather was and my dad never knew his own father. Viv took that to her grave, but we heard various stories and family tree research seemed to point toward the American military. Who knows? But whoever he was, he meant a lot to her because once, after a few late night whiskies, she opened up to me briefly, saying he was ‘the love of her life’.