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Born of mixed Macedonian and Greek parentage
in the Macedonian mountains of Greece. My life
started as Triandafilia Toprkopulu.
My policeman father Dimitris's
life was in constant danger from the Communist
Partisan's during the civil war, and eventually
he was imprisoned and taken to Albania, where
he was imprisoned for over I0 years. My mother,
oldest brother and I were also abducted and taken
to Szczecin in Poland.
My brother, Vasili and I were placed in separate
orphanages. I have no memories of being abducted
as I was quite tiny at the time, but I have vivid
memories of what I can only describe as "a
very strict regime, harsher than the worst Victorian
establishment". If we had our hands in our
pockets when we spoke to our teacher or professor
we were punished. We were not allowed to speak
to our friends for days. Visits from my mother
were few.
I remember once I asked my mother for a ball,
large or small, just to have something that was
mine. She said she would buy it for me, but she
didn't, perhaps she couldn't.
Living an institutionalised life, I grew up craving
for something to call my own, desperate for freedom
and love. I learned to hide my emotions from everybody,
including the fact that I had a hereditary problem
with my sight, I describe it as being "'natural",
I also had a ear infection as a child causing
some slight deafness which has got worse as I
have got older and is deteriorating.
Afraid to appear vulnerable I learned independence
the hard way. My brother Vasili, who was considerably
older than me, visited me from time to time but
he was very strict, I was terrified of him.
In the orphanage I was taught Polish, Russian,
Greek and Macedonian. I had a narrow escape when
some visitors to the orphanage made enticing offers
of clothes and apartments to me and other young
girls in return for work. Typically I was non-committal
but inwardly thrilled at the idea of possessions
and freedoms all in one go, but when I mentioned
the offer to my brother... I was dismayed by his
violent response to ''kill me if I accepted".
It was only when I was older that I realised
what a narrow escape I had had from what was almost
certainly a life of prostitution.
It was when I was in my teens that freedom finally
loomed, when an opportunity came to go home to
Greece. About I7 old people accompanied me including
my mother, as they wanted to go home to Greece
to die.
I found my home country very
beautiful but I remember how, when I saw an old
man coming towards me smiling and attempting to
put his arms around me I pushed him away.
It was my father Dimitris who had been released
and had come to look for me.
A new life in Greece. My mother,father and I
had to start again as a family getting to know
each other again, though it was another three
years before Vasili my older brother was able
to join us.
Times were very hard indeed, as we were extremely
poor. Another brother Periklis had remained in
Greece, and it was through him that I escaped
the grinding poverty, which had replaced the harshness
of the orphanage.
After an incident involving my stem older brother
I now had to leave home. With nothing but the
200 drachma's (about 75 pence) my father was able
to give me - enough for the bus fare and a couple
of meals - I headed off to the nearest town Fiorina,
where a friend of my brother Periklis found me
work in distant Thessaloniki.
Still a teenager, for the first time I knew kindness!
The wealthy, elderly couple I went to work for
were childless and treated me like a daughter.
The work was light and I was happy.
I had as usual concealed my visual disability
but it was discovered, and my employers suddenly
became my benefactors, paying for me to have an
operation, but again without success. Earlier
in the orphanage I had undergone three operations
to correct the problem without success.
At about this time I became engaged to a well-to-do
young man, but fearful of passing my disability
on to any children, I broke off the engagement,
left my job and eventually attempted to find work
in Germany. I was not allowed a work permit because
of my impaired vision. Too proud to tell anyone
that I had been turned down. I announced that
I had changed my mind and was going to the UK
instead. My kind employer had given me a bag of
Sovereigns (gold); I set out to try making my
fortune once again. I couldn't speak any English
but my harsh upbringing had toughened me up to
face any situation. ''If I want to do something
I'll find a way to do it. There's nothing I can't
do'.
Factory work in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England.
I found work in a factory, but after 8 or 9 months,
I was involved in a serious accident, which left
me in a coma for 3 to 4 weeks. After this I decided
to return home to Greece. Once back home I found
the situation had not improved and a kind friend
who worked with me at the factory sent me money
for a ticket to enable to try my luck once more
in the UK.
This time I came to Cardiff, and eventually married
and had two children, Julia and Phillip came along,
and to my great sorrow they both inherited my
impaired vision, but along with that they also
inherited my dogged determination to succeed.
With two babies to raise, I was advised to send
them to a boarding school that catered for their
disabilities and needs. It is with great pride
that both of them did extremely well going to
University and getting Higher Diploma's and Phillip
also passed his Master's Degree in Computer Science.
This was one reason I stayed on in the UK when
my marriage failed, to enable to give my children
the best possible education and all the comforts
my own childhood had so sorely lacked.
Last try. I was keen to undergo surgery for one
last time (implant). I turned to a Greek specialist,
Mr. Karseras of St. Woolos hospital in Newport.
He was so down to earth and friendly which made
it impossible not to trust him. The operation
was a success but after only a few months the
problem returned. I am now registered but I am
getting on with life.
Painting. Whilst the children were away
at school I took adult education classes, and
one of them was art and painting, and I discovered
that I was reasonably good at it. The Greek eye
specialist found it hard to believe that a partially
sighted person could have done such excellent
work.
Bowling. In recent years I have taken
up Lawn Bowls with the Blind and Partially Sighted.
With the assistance of various coaches/helpers
and hours of practice my ability in the sport
has swiftly improved, and since I997 I have had
a regular International coach/helper who is Ron
Whitehead from Newport and this has helped me
improve my knowledge and understanding of the
game even more.
In my first year of bowling (I992) I was selected
to take part in the UK Singles at Swansea in the
August. I also started bowling in 1998 with the
sighted ladies of Grange Ladies Bowling Club,
Cardiff, with success.
In I998 I won the Club Handicap, in I999 I won
the 2 Wood Singles and was Runner-up in the Pairs
and Championship, in 2000 I won the Pairs, Handicap,
2 Wood Singles and Championship.
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