…. must have been around 1960, when I went to Paris with my parents, uncle and aunt.
I remember walking up all the stairs to the first level of the Eiffel Tower with my Dad – something I wouldn’t even THINK of doing now as I hate heights. In fact, I’ve just read this current advice “Climbing the stairs is not to be taken lightly, especially if you’ve not a head for heights. The criss-cross ironwork is not particularly solid looking, so if watching your feet as you climb you can see the ground quite plainly, getting further, and further, away. Due to the openness of the design you are also likely to be buffeted by strong winds, not to mention other people as they climb up the stairs with you.” Ooooh errrr – I feel dizzy just READING that.
On the way back down was a plaque to say that someone had CYCLED down in 1923. (Why?).
I could count in French but only up to 7! I remember counting out the steps inside the Louvre in instalments of seven. Oh, yes, and I remember seeing a three-legged dog at the frightening scene described below.
I remember quite clearly,one night, seeing French police with sub-machine guns arresting some men, who were made to stand with their hands up against a wall. Dad told me that they were Algerians. The Algerian War of Independence was being waged between 1954 and 1962. For background information on the Paris situation see Wikipedia article
According to this article, apparently in 1959 “Algerians detained during police raids in the Paris region could … be put under house arrest by the police prefect. “These raids were frequently the occasion of violence.” I realise, only today, that I must have witnessed one of those acts of repression.
In the photograph I am clutching my Brownie 127, a camera made of bakelite, with a black cord carrying strap and a light brown check camera case, fastened with a brown press stud. In the late 1950s this camera would have cost £1 5s 6d which is about £1.30. I had the Model 2 with the stripey front plate as shown below. The camera was almost cuddly and had ridges on the rounded bits for added grip! I remember the press button having a very clunky feeling. But I liked it. It was a far cry from the Fujifilm S5100 digital camera I have now with its 10x optical zoom and ability to make mini movie clips – but my current model DID cost a bit more than £1.30!
Kodak Brownie 127 camera
