The widow of a former commander-in-chief of the British Fleet in the Mediterranean has just published a collection of poems in the UK that express her deep love for Malta and offer a lyrical insight into one of its prime ministers.
Lady Juliet Bingley, who lived in Malta between 1958-61 and has visited on a regular basis ever since, said when contacted she had witnessed a lot of courage and caring among the Maltese during that period.
She says that one of her most lasting impressions is "one of those nights when the trees go black against the sunset", the clarity of the sea, the kindness of the people and, in a most non-paternalistic sense, their "uncomplicated loyalty".
This is amply demonstrated in her autobiographical poem, Great Granddaughter, in which she describes how the ancient rocks of Malta held her in "thrall".
"Partly benison, Partly bane, we stayed," she recounts. Together with her husband, Alec, she lived at Admiralty House in Valletta, the official residence of the commander up till 1961. It now houses the Museum of Fine Arts.
In her book, `What it was and what it was not`, Lady Bingley also writes about her hometown in Hertfordshire, her extensive knowledge of London, her experience of other Mediterranean countries, and the people who have played a part in her life.
"I have always been interested in what one feels and remembers about a place. I find poetry a medium that can be accurate and succinct. You can get the essence of a place through it," she says.
She describes the Mediterranean as the birthplace of Western culture, and her lucid poems vividly capture the historical and atmospheric flavour of the region.
However, Malta has a special place in her heart. Lady Bingley says that although the Imperial rulers looked after the island economically, it was neglected in the emotional sense and she welcomed independence when it came.
"I always knew that the Navy would have to go and I think it happened at the right time, though I realise that it was greatly missed by some - on both sides."
The man responsible for the departure of the British forces, former prime minister Dom Mintoff, is rather ironically the unnamed protagonist of one of her poems, in which she offers a graphic description of his passion for swimming, come rain or shine. In The Premier Swims, she begins:
"In the high winter waves
A Prime Minister swims
Unafraid of the depths
Or the sea swell
A quintessential politician
Certain he will survive..."
Lady Bingley said that having accompanied Mr Mintoff to the sea on occasion, she wanted the poem to be a clear remembrance of this ritual and his sense of risk.
In fact, it was under Mr Mintoff`s tenure in 1976 that she received the Medalja ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika for her help to Malta in the field of social services. The President had said at the time that she had done this "without personal gain" and during a period when official contacts with the UK had been broken off completely.
Lady Bingley, who was also a commander of the Order of St John, was honoured in her home country with an MBE for her many dedicated years of medical social work at St Mark`s Hospital in London.
It was only about four or five years ago that she started writing poetry seriously after she became a member of the Ware Poets group in Hertfordshire.
Asked why it had taken her so long to publish a collection, Lady Bingley - who studied at the London School of Economics while it was located in Cambridge during the war - said she must have been working very hard on other things and only found the time in her semi-retirement.
One personality who does not feature in the collection, but whom Lady Bingley remembers well, is Mabel Strickland.
"She was a very courageous and extraordinary woman," Lady Bingley says, "and is never to be forgotten because she was such a character". In fact, she is "great friends" with one of her nieces who lives in the UK.
The book has been published by Rockingham Press (www.rockpress.freeserve.co.uk), though Lady Bingley said she also hoped it would soon be available in Malta.