Camera Cuss

I was born in 1934, an only child born to loving parents. I grew up during WW2 and it seemed quite normal for me to sleep in air-raid shelters. In1944, I walked the streets of West London with my parents and grandmother at 1 a.m. homeless, having lost everything but our lives. My father's eldest brother had been killed in WW1 and this had a profound effect on him. He left school early, misled the Army about his age, as did many others at that time. My father was, therefore, determined that I would have the education he lacked. As many of my lessons were done in air-raid shelters, he left me sheets of sums to do every day and I would have to have the answers ready by the time he returned from work! In 1945, there was peace, and I passed my 11 plus, and I also passed an entrance examination to go to one of London's top Grammar schools, the Godolphin and Latymer. My parents were so thrilled, they took me to a well known London jeweller called Camera Cuss, established in London in 1788, to buy me a watch. I was ten years of age and they had great expectations for their little daughter. As we stood in the jeweller's shop that day, we had no idea, neither did the jeweller, that there were going to be two amazing coincidences that would one day link us all in a very remarkable way. The first was that one day, many years later, I would marry the jeweller's son, John, who was then aged fourteen at that time, and would live happily ever after. The second was that due to the kindness of the jeweller and his wife during WW2 to two teenage refugee brothers from Belgium, known as 'the Belgian boys', and as a result of the very close friendship that continued after the war, I would be taken by one of the brothers to the Menin Gate in the far distant future in l996, and that the jeweller's son, my husband John Cuss, would discover my father's brother's name recorded with 56,000 names of those lost without trace. We returned the following year, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of his death. On that day, there was a large gathering of Rotary and I was invited to take part in the special service taking place. There were pipers, drummers, speeches and, of course, the bugles. I then laid my poppy wreath in memory of my Uncle, and as I turned to walk back to my place, I choked back the tears. My father's brother had at last had his honourable funeral with a member of his family present. We had no idea as my parents and I stood in Camera Cuss's jeweller's shop that day in 1945 of the amazing future that lay ahead. Yes, I still have the watch which continues to work perfectly. Christine Cuss I have had many coincidences in my life, many have also been connected with Camerer Cuss. I would like to share just one more with you. My husband John and I were on a cruise ship on our way to the Norwegian Ffiords. The sea was very rough on the first evening, and as we sat at dinner, John decided that he would have to return to our cabin. As I made my exit from the restaurant after dinner, John met me and said that he was feeling much better and suggested that I went on into the show whilst he joined the second sitting. I entered the theatre, and suddenly realised that I was a lady on her own, and wondered where I should sit. I looked around and approached a couple sitting at a small table and asked if they would mind me joining their table. They welcomed me with big smiles. I started to make polite conversation, and asked where they came from. The lady replied that they lived in East Anglia, but that they used to live in Acton (West London). I paused, and then asked, "Does Camerer Cuss mean anything to you?". The look of shock on the lady's face was amazing as she grabbed my arm. She said, "My mother is 92 and she used to clean for Mr. Cuss". She told me that she and her husband had a piece of silver in their china cabinet which Mr. Cuss had given them for a wedding present. There were about 400 people sitting in that theatre, and it was an amazing coincidence that I sat next to two people who knew my husband's family. Christine Cuss