This evening we watched a film called “One Life” starring the excellent Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham-Carter, about Sir Nicholas Winton, who helped to organise the evacuation of Jewish child refugees from Prague to Britain in 1939. He and his fellow volunteers saved 669 children, which is amazing, although unfortunately the Nazis intercepted the last trainload of 250 children and prevented them from leaving, and they nearly all died. There are an estimated 6000 people alive because those 669 children were saved. Winton’s work faded into history until it was highlighted in 1988 in an episode of Esther Rantzen’s That’s Life, in very moving scenes. He lived until he was 106 and kept in touch with the families of the survivors. It was a good film.
Coincidentally Hilary and Steven were in London a couple of weeks ago at a series of events to commemorate the kinder transports to Canada just before WW2, and who did they meet but Nicholas Winton’s son, Nicholas jr. When Hilary found out who he was she asked if she could give him a hug, to which he assented. What an amazing impact good people can have on others’ lives.
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