An Evening with Liz Barron

16th May

 

"An evening with Liz Barron"....This was how my talk to the Royal Asiatic Society RAS was billed in their programme.

Peter Hibbard had asked me sometime ago to talk to them about our trip and how in compared with Grandpas and to show them the film and talk about the life Granny and Grandpa led here

We started by going to the Cino British Library at the University where we were met by Katy Gow who is the President I think

Kate had two students with her. Shu and Jenny and we went with Peter Hibbard and Sasha for supper to a local restaurant.

Then it was time to go and face the audience of about 50 people, mainly English but some Americans too and a couple of visitors from Blackpool who were visiting their son here!

Drinks were served and the computer technician set up the film and my pictures.

I was a bit nervous as their usual speakers are professors or other learned people and I hoped my contribution would go down well

It did

They liked the film even with the awful music. They loved hearing abut our trip compared with Grandpas and they loved hearing me read from Granny's letters. I laughed at myself before they could. If you have heard me reading from Granny's letters you will know that I automatically put on a voice that I think she may have used!

I of course loved speaking about something that is so important to me and we all had a great evening. There were lots of questions and offers to look through material other people had to see if they had any record of Granny and Grandpa. One man has many old plans and maps of Shanghai and believes some of them were signed by W A L Pardoe (Grandpa)

He promised to come back to me

Another today has sent me details of the house called Ravenscourt which he says is a museum and we will try to go there tomorrow.

And others were able to comment of some other pictures which I showed and to confirm or otherwise what we think they are.

Afterwards several of us repaired to a Japanese restaurant just for a drink. During the evening we made plans to meet again. Katy Gow is taking me to buy some pearls and then we are all going to the Shanghai Bar and, I think, the Cathay Hotel on the Bund and to have dinner at one of the restaurants on the Bund too

It is brilliant that my research before we came has led to us seeing a part of Shanghai life that we never would have done otherwise and we will I am sure have a great evening. It will be our last in Shanghai this time!!