Professor Franklin Samuel Stych of Birmingham and Bagni di Lucca – Sam as he is more affectionately known among his friends – celebrated his one hundred and first birthday yesterday. A scrumptious spread of savouries and sweets together with Sam’s favourite sparkling wine were laid out thanks to Rita and Angelo in the courtyard of Sam’s house in the oldest part of Bagni di Lucca and close to the Villas where such by-gone greats as Montaigne, Byron and Shelley would spend their summer.
In the company of his best friends, and with a previous visit from Bagni’s new mayor,
Sam successfully completed the most important part of the day which was, naturally, to blow out the candle on a lovely cake, supplied from Paolo’s bar in Fornoli, celebrating his first birthday in his new centennial. (It would have been rather difficult to have found room for 101 candles on the cake!)
Sam now joins the Hall of fame where reside 101 Dalmatians, the nickname given to statistical documents, and, of course, a hundred and one other associations!
Complimenti and congratulations to Sam for beginning his new centennial on such an excellent, lucid and welcoming start!
This is my acrostic verse written in Italian for the occasion:
FRANKLYN SAMUEL STYCH
Fine studioso, notevole bibliotecario,
Rinomata persona, amico fedele.
Assoluto maestro della sua arte,
Non lasciando nulla di scoperto.
Cervello della sua arte,
Lambito oltre i suoi libri,
Ispirando i suoi studenti:
Nostro è questo tuo giorno
Sempiterno nel piego di un secolo;
Alta pietra miliare nella gerarchia delle muse
Meta di due mondi, due epoche,
Un significato arcano compreso –
Esplicazione, oltre il tempo comune
Lasciandosi alle spalle qualcosa che durerà
Speciale, unico –
Trascendente nella sua luce interiore.
You, te, Sam, celebriamo questo giorno di buon auspicio:
Cento e uno negli anni, eterno nella memoria:
Hurrah! Ecco a te, con salute e felicità da tutti noi.
PS If you don’t know why Sam is important, not just as a friend but also as a great scholar, do read my posts about him at:
https://longoio.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/boccaccios-man/
https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/whiskey-and-soda/
https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/sam-enjoys-his-whiskey/
https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/sam-is-ninety-nine/
https://longoio2.wordpress.com/2016/07/16/sams-one-hundredth-birthday-celebrations/
Please pass on the congratulations of one of his students (1967-68) Ian Maxted, now also retired but formerly librarian at Guildhall Library, London (1968-76) and local studies librarian for Devon.(1977-2005). A fellow toiler in the fields of bibliography but not achieving as much as Sam has in his remarkable life. Delighted to have discovered your blog and caught up with him.
Thankyou so much Ian for your comment. Glad that you caught up with your teacher.
Congratulations, Sam Stych!
The Maxteds and I met up last week and spent time talking about our days at the University of Sheffield Library School. I was at the School in its first year, two years before Ian Maxted, but we have been friends for many years. We have all been delighted to see these posts and photographs and to know you have had a wonderfully fulfilling life. With very best wishes Elizabeth Melrose
Thanks for your comment Elizabeth which we will read out to Sam when we see him.