Eighty-Eight Years

  Tonina’s grandfather, Sir Arthur Richmond, wrote two books about his life: the first, "Twenty-Six Years," and the second, "Another Sixty Years." His gentle, measured recollections became a family touchstone—stories passed down at gatherings, rmembered for their warmth and quiet wisdom.

After a life that has given us so many memories, the best title for a book about Tonina feels simply and perfectly like 

Eighty-Eight Years. 

  This volume serves as a family record of the life and legacy of Tonina Mary Watkins, née Gianetti, the matriarch of the Watkins family. Though deeply personal, her story belongs to all her descendants, for it embodies the values, traditions, and resilience that have shaped us.

  Much of Tonina’s past survives in recollections, handwritten notes, and the photographic albums she curated with care. While many letters, photographs, and heirlooms were lost in the fire that destroyed her father Guido’s flat on Ragbir Street, her devotion to preservation ensured that enough remained to document her narrative.

  After her passing in 2021, we recovered more than fifteen boxes of albums from her home at Pentwyn y Lladron (The Thieves’ Den). These albums, unlike the digital scrapbooks of today, stand as tangible artifacts—each page a deliberate record of childhood milestones, family gatherings, and the enduring partnership she shared with Colyn David Watkins.

  Together, Tonina and Colyn documented their lives through photographs, diaries, and letters to family. Those records reveal the rhythms of daily life, the quiet strength of their bond, and the values they sought to instill in their children. In honoring Tonina as matriarch, this memoir also acknowledges that their life was a shared journey.

By compiling these memories, this book ensures that Tonina’s descendants—children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—may come to know her more fully. It preserves not only the facts of her life but the spirit of devotion, resilience, and love that defined her, safeguarding the Watkins family’s heritage for generations to come.