The Criscuolo diaspora

By the end of the '70s, all of the second generation of Criscuolos had themselves done their bit to continue the family name ... or at least the bloodline.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I have no idea whether any of Giolina's kids got married or had kids. I have no memory of ever meeting them and nobody that I've spoken to has any idea what Nonnie (Iolanda), Boysy (Andrea) or Rita (Rita) did or are doing - they'd be about 84, 77 and 69 if they're still around.

Marie's only daughter June, who'd married Dennis Thear in 1965, died a little over 20 years later - barely 10 years after her father. Marie kept going strong until she died in 1983. I liked Marie. I used to pop round to see her every week when I was studying in London in the late '70s and early '80s. She was a lovely lady who couldn't let you leave without eating something and was fascinated in your love life.

Amelia's daughter Sylvia took a leaf out of her aunty Julie's book and married a nice Italian boy - Nello Bertinelli - in 1952. They had two sons (Robert and Dean). Robert settled in Kingston, Surrey, married twice and had six kids - Paul, Jamie, Nicola, Michelle, Francesca and Leanne.

Paul was killed at the age of 24 (my memory is that it was no accident). Jamie married Chelsea in 2001 and they had three kids (not necessarily in that order). I've been able to find no record of any marriages for the others but the last time I spoke to Robert, Nicola had a son, Michelle a daughter and Francesca one of each.

Dean went with his parents when they moved to Parma in Emilia-Romagna.

Luigi (Lou or Lionel - whichever you prefer) and Ann's only son Robert married a Palestinian girl called Polly (for short) and they had a son and a daughter. Lou and Ann had long since settled near Slough and Robert and his new family set up home there too.

Andrea and Giovannina's (Bob and Ginny) only daughter Rachel married an antipodean gentleman called Ray in 1975 and went with back down under where they brought a daughter and a son into the world.

Finally, there was Alfred and Elizabeth (Fred & Betty - sounds like a cartoon infidelity - sorry grampa). Their only son Tony married Brenda in Buckinghamshire in 1958 and went on to have five kids of which I am the eldest. We moved down to North Devon in the late '60s and Nan and Grampa followed us down in the early '70s.

With representatives in Australia, Buckinghamshire, Devon, Italy and Surrey, the Criscuolos of Pontone di Scala had created their very own diaspora. For my generation (the third outside the Sorrento Peninsula) Pontone had acquired a mythical status. Unreal and magical. Nobody had been back since Nicola died there in 1947 and there was no suggestion that any of would get back there.