Sheila Hawkins 'Back of Beyond'

[PaphosAL]

Never had the priviledge to meet this very funny and observant / knowledgable lady personally, but Jacs has, up in their 'Back of Beyond' house in Neo Chorio.

Sheila had a website http://www.hawkinscyprus.com/backofbeyond/index.php on which she posted regular blogs. Reading these here in UK made you feel you were still in Cyprus. But the site seems to have gone

Does anyone have any updates on Sheila (author/comedienne) and her hubby Harry (illustrator/musician) Hawkins, please?

Jacs?

Cheers- AL

[memory man]

I believe Harry passed away a few years ago.

[surreyboy]

And Sheila quite recently died as well.

[LouiseCastricum]

Herewith an article from the Cyprus Mail. Very sorry to inform you that Sheila passed away in February 2014.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/02/26/papho ... a-hawkins/

[Dominic]

Oh dear. Sorry PaphosAl, the news wasn't good.

[PaphosAL]

Thanks, peeps, and Dom. Sitting here weeping tears, with a large box of tissues nearby...

RIP Sheila and Harry Hawkins- you both brought so much joy and laughter into our lives, thanks...

AL

[smudger]

Al if you need any of her books, let me know. We do get them in the Bookshop from time to time.

Never ceases to amaze me the books we do get in the shop, if you're ever after a bit of a 'rarity', or just a new read (we recently had a queue of requests for the Jo Jo Moyes sequel "After you" to the original "Me before You") then just let us know and we'll keep a lookout and let you know if it comes in.

We are situated in Tremithousa, left at the Premier Electrical/Akropolis traffic lights, about 200/300 yard in, and just opposite the village school, all proceeds to Paphiakos Animal Welfare. We have raised over €72000 clear for the animals since we opened in June 2011!

[jagwheels]

I was priviledged to meet her at her home a few years ago & was invited into the studio to talk about her life. Turned out she was more interested in ours. A very humble & intelligent lady. My reason was I wanted to purchase one of her books that went out of print so now have all of them. Also ended up buying one of Harry's prints. I know many expats will also speak of her fondly

[PaphosAL]

What a coincidence I've just put a copy of Sheila's book 'Beyond Our Dreams' on a local Buy Sell site with a load of other books!

Sheila's book 'Beyond Our Dreams' (with the picure of that dear old Cypriot lady cuddling a young goat on the front cover) has just been found on our bookshelf and is now on the dining room table, ready for re-reading! (Making a change from crosswords and soduko, LOL!)

@Dominic: I'm just wondering if you, with a brain the size of three planets in terms of setting up and administering a phpBB board like Paphos Life as you've achieved so well in a short space of time, could possibly consider this idea?

Sheila and Harrys 'Back of Beyond' website is dead, as they are, very sadly, too... But it's a tragic shame that all that creativity on their behalf has vanished. Is it possible to find their last postings on some sort of web archive service, and maybe link to it on here?

It would make a smashing historical testament to Sheila and Harrys work in Cyprus over the past few decades! Should there be any fees involved in such a proposal, just PM or email me and I'll sort it with PayPal

Thanks- AL

[Dominic]

How much can you see from this link?

https://web.archive.org/web/20130208124 ... kofbeyond/

[PaphosAL]

Pretty much all of it, Dom- you're a star!
Cheers- AL

[Mark]

The link works well, wish I had access sooner, the house and garden look great, and the blog on the first rains were very descriptive, made me feel as if I witnessed them..
I am sure Al will be delighted.

[jagwheels]

Dominic is working his magic again but the book i was after, her last one was called "Once upon a time" which she kindly signed

[PaphosAL]

What do you think of the above, Jacs?

Oh, and thanks for your input, jagwheels! The years and times I drove / walked the Neo Chorio area for an eventual beer and lunch down at the 'Village Tavern' in Latchi harbour (Bamboz) I lost count of.

But I never ever managed to find Sheila and Harry's place. They tucked their new build away nice and securely, LOL!

Cheers- AL

[smudger]

Amazing! Brilliant Dom.
I had the privelige of meeting Shelia and Harry on several occasions, and going to their house in Neo Chorio. When I retired in 2006 there were collections from several bodies within the school where I spent the last 13 years of my working life. I used these monies to buy an acrylic painting of Harry's of a window in Neo Chorio - through which I would still be unsurprised to see someone pass!! Along with several water colours of his, all signed. I also have a couple of his soapstone cat sculptures which I bought at an exhibition at the Venus Beach when I was on holiday at some point and which a friend, Jim, kept for me until I eventually moved out in 2006. I have all of Sheila's books and peruse them regularly, her insight into Cypriot village life was truly amazing!

They were both wonderfully talented and capable people, spreading their largesse throughout Paphos and enlightening the lives of many of us. Their unsung charitable works were amazing and mostly untold.

Two incredible people who are still sadly missed.

[brengreen]

Thanks Dominic. Used to love reading Sheilas blogs. I have all her books. Strangely I had just started to read them all again when I heard that she had passed away. Sad

[Kili01]

Yes, Sheila and Harry Hawkins were a lovely couple. We met them several times at Harry's art exhibitions at Paphos hotels and also at Droushia Heights. I have most of her books and two of Harry's original acrylic paintings. Mine were of Cypriot country scenes one which featured goats grazing around carob trees and close to old ruined Cypriot stone buildings which I believe was painted at Avdimou. They hang proudly on the wall in the house where they are admired by visitors. I loved Harry's art which was unique and captured perfectly Cypriot scenes and people.
Dee

[JimX]

I went with Smudger several years ago and met the Shelia and Harry, really nice folks and Shelia was a good artist, life is hard at times but very happy we met them both.

[Kili01]

Allesley,
Harry was the artist a very gifted man, while Sheila was an excellent writer with a gift to tell stories about people and animals in her local Cypriot community and to inject her own sense of sometimes seeing the funny side of things! This was especially true in her first book 'The back of Beyond' which dealt with the business of having their house built in Neo Chorio!
Harry later on sometimes produced wonderful illustrations for her books.
Dee

[JimX]

Dee morning.

I only met them for a few minutes, nice people and they never explained to me who was the artist, thank you for letting me know, sad loss for those who did know or like me meet them.

http://cyprus-mail.com/2014/10/15/papho ... y-hawkins/