Dorothy Shiels - ca.1940

Dorothy Shiels - ca.1940

Such a lovely, sunny smile from my much loved cousin and Godmother, Dorothy Shiels nee Murrell. Dorothy was born in 1923, so I am guessing (in the absence of a recorded date) that this photo was taken some time in her late teens, around 1940. Dorothy took her Godmother role very seriously and told me on more than one occasion that she looked upon me as the child she never had. She married late in life and had no children. She had a major influence on my cultural upbringing, taking me to live theatre and  galleries from a relatively young age. Those experiences profoundly influenced my young psyche and, ultimately, my adult cultural life. I will always be grateful to Dorothy for this. I was not yet a twinkle in my father's eye, however,  when this photo was taken, some ten years prior to my birth.