Leo Lyons Photography

Refurbishment under way - please forgive the mess and broken links

Occasional musings

On music, politics, travel....
View of under canopy of a dragon tree in La Gomera (El Drago)

Leia Helfman

27th October 2025

In the various archives and documents we have found and quoted from there is conflicting information regarding Leia Helfman – Rene’s mother. Her full name appears to be Leia Haia Helfman. Even though she was married to Sender Ancel, many official documents use her birth name of Helfman. When she enters Belgium looking for work in 1925, apparently arriving from Paris, she uses the name Helfman but also lists her husband Sender Ancel (by then deceased) and her children Maia (Marcel) Ancel and Simon (Rene) Ancel. Later she was to use Ancel exclusively most likely to try and conceal

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Jeremy Corbyn stares into camera on Margate sea front, September 2015

When Leo met Jeremy

7th September 2015

We went to Margate to hear Mr Corbyn speak last Saturday. It was pretty much as I expected. Not a disappointment and he was a bit more forceful than he comes across on the tv – which is good, more passion and yet still a refreshing non-adversarial stance. Inclusive and unifying. Packed hall – more than 350 (could have been many more, I think I heard that figure but don’t quote me) – a bit emotional at times thinking just maybe there was a chance to turn things around, to climb up out of this depressing world we seem

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Portrait of singer Arthur Brown at Glastonbury Festival in 2010

Arthur Brown, Rockfield Studios and Me

5th August 2012

In the early summer of 1970 or maybe 71, when I was fifteen (or sixteen) years old, my parents suggested I take up my uncle Harry’s offer of some summer employment at his petrol station and cafe in the village of Redbrook in the Wye valley outside Monmouth. My Uncle had two daughters who I had always got on with and nothing much was happening in Peterborough so I agreed. It was a good move. Alison the younger of my cousins was at Monmouth Girls School and therefore gave me access to a whole bevy of beautiful – if

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