Weekend in Harrogate 18 June, 2007

I spent the most wonderful weekend in Harrogate with the family, thanks to everyone especially the Fox family for having us, no doubt it won’t be our last time.

I have met a few powerful and famous people in my time, but none came close to meeting Mr Hirsh. A man that survived the liquidation of the Lodz ghetto at the age of fourteen. Survived Auschwitz and then the death march, to be finally liberated the last day of the way may 8^th 1945.

I was quivering with awe and almost moved to tears when he showed me his smudged tattoo. It is not the first survivor I met but what moved me is that I looked down at my children and thought who or what we bring home the gravity of the horror when the survivors and not with us anymore or will it be a mere distant memory. May we not forget and not let it continue in places like Darfur etc.

Quote of the week 18 June, 2007

Overheard experience is what you get, when you don’t get what you want.