These are the kind of parties I enjoy: elegant surroundings, enough guests - neither too few, nor to many - beautiful antiques and works of art in a historic family house, a shady courtyard and intelligent conversation. And of course an endless supply of food and drink.
Dee and Robert had invited their friends and family to drinks and canapés at Villa Parisio, their residence in Malta, to celebrate Dee's mother's rising 90th birthday. Baroness Valerie Livingstone is clearly a remarkable woman and I should have spent more time with her but of course everyone wanted to talk to her too. She was a FANY or First Aid Nursing Yeomanry (Princess Royal's Volunteer Corps; UK) affiliated to the SOE that is Special Operations Executive; Valerie was a volunteer during the war effort. As Dee says, "Mummy is a real trooper and does not let even her macular degeneration get in her way. She's an inspiration to all.
She first came to Malta 70 years ago as a young 19-year-old on her way back from India where she worked as a FANY and was on the first convoy which left from Gourock going through the Med and Suez canal in 1944. When they arrived back in Malta after war ended, the FANYs were stationed at Luqa Barracks. When Mum walked from Luqa to Valletta she says she will never forget the desperate devastation she saw the two days she was there: children with chilblains and Malta bombed within an inch of its life...She saw with her own eyes what terrible times they suffered." Baroness Livingstone worked in India in the Code and Ciphers division. Bletchley Park HQ of the SOE was once Britain's Best Kept Secret where the work of the codebreakers is said to have helped shorten the war by two years. When I asked Dee about her mother's famous surname, Livingstone, Dee told me that they are related to the famous Scottish pioneer, medical missionary, anti-slavery crusader and explorer Dr David Livingstone. We all learnt in our geography lessons about his meeting with H.M. Stanley on 10 November 1871 which gave rise to the popular quotation " Dr Livingstone, I presume."
Dee explained that her second name Nyasa is a result of the family's background which has strong Malawi connections. Her grandfather managed for some 25 years, the vast estate of 200,000 acres which Dr Livingstone left to his daughter Agnes. Tragically in 1915 her grandfather was beheaded by a zealot in front of his wife and his head displayed upon a pole. Dee is writing a book about this epic story. "If only we didn't have to waste so much time and energy on a court case regarding the Executor's interpretation of Aunt Mabel Strickland's will and the Strickland Foundation, where we have been trying to negotiate simply to live in our home, in peace and no harassment, I could get on with the interesting project. No doubt you will have read about the Strickland saga, which could so easily be solved with common sense, in the newspapers." Yes, I had and I am following the case with great interest, I told her. Dee's husband Robert is Miss Strickland's sole heir and Villa Parisio was left for him to live in and enjoy with his family during his lifetime. It is also the seat of the Strickland Foundation, but Mabel also left provision for her Foundation to relocate its seat to another place in Malta. Dee told me that there have been invasions into their home, sometimes even while they are asleep by various members of the Strickland Foundation. Very surprisingly and certainly not in line with Mabel's known intentions that many of us know, Robert isn't even a member of the Council of the Strickland Foundation, while both the Executor's sons were elected onto the Council in 2009. Many of us believe that Robert as Mabel's sole heir should have been invited years ago. "Well," Dee continued philosophically, first we are tackling this case and then I shall finish writing mybook."
Her brother and before him her fathe are Chiefs of the Niall clan in Scotland. Her father's bust is in the hall and so is Miss Strickland's. Robert is a gifted sculptor and some of his work is displayed in the hall and some of the rooms.
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Why are there three important buildings called 'Parisio' I wanted to know? I delved into my books. First there is Villa Parisio where the party was being held with a 450 year-old history. Then there is Palazzo Parisio in Valletta, now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and where Napoleon is reputed to have stayed for a night or two and last comes the Naxxar Palazzo Parisio. This, the Sciclunas upgraded from a pleasant noble country house to a flamboyant regal residence. But where does the name Parisio come from? Well, in a nutshell, the Parisios were Sicilian gentry who married Maltese women and in one case at least, thus paid their enormous debts.
A lovely party with interesting exchanges of conversation.