P.C Syd Smith and Arthur Smith

                                                      

             P.C Syd Smith and his son Arthur Smith 2001

Portrait of a Roman nose - written by Arthur Smith

"In 1944 my father, known to everyone, including his children and grandchildren, as Syd, had been a prisoner-of-war at Colditz Castle in Germany.  Here his duties included 'looking after' Earl Haig, son of the First World War Field Marshal, Douglas Haig.  The Earl was an artist and once told my father 'Smith, you have the perfect Roman nose; I should like to paint you one day.' The War ended before that could happen but Syd never tired of telling this story and naturally Nicola, an artist, knew it within minutes of meeting him.  He told her several more times over the next couple of years and was eventually delighted when she asked him to sit for her. The result, which hangs behind me as I write, captures both his splendid conk and his twinkly gentleness. Nicola painted a profile of me too but from the other side so that, hung together, we can look at each other. He is dead now but i still do look at Syd, finally preserved in oils as he had always wanted to be."