Where to start? Yesterday we had another takeaway, Andrew had turned up unexpectedly he had been at a meeting at the Bradford Town Hall. As we all talked and I was reciting my day;) which consisted of hunting down a book on knitting top down. My daughter suddenly remembered a book she had bought me in Hay-on-Wye and brought it down. She is a treasure, this was a hard back edition of Adam Nicholson's 'Sissinghurst - An Unfinished History'. Nicholson's book 'Sea Room' is a great favourite of mine and Nicholson writing somehow spans the past and the present with ease. I had already been listening to 'Virginia Woolf' by Gillian Gill coincidentally. The book featured, of course, the 'Bloomsbury set', and my overall opinion of them was how incestuous as a group they were. Self aware will probably cover for narcissistic but Vanessa Bell, Virginia's sister does not come out too well.
So for those not up to date with this crowd, Vita Sackville-West was one of the brief characters who had an affair with Virginia. But that is neither here nor there. Adam Nicholson was the grandson of Vita and of course has rights to the Sissinghurst estate, though of course the gardens and towers belong to the National Trust but his childhood was lived amongst this burgeoning garden which is such a delight today.
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This is an eighteenth century painting of Sissinghurst, (now only the two front towers remain) which depicts a time in 1760. The Seven Year War with France was going on and the castle was used as a French prisoner of war camp. The subject matter depicts when three prisoners tried to escape and were shot by a loutish soldier, two died. The painting was found in Ontario and only deciphered recently by an architectural expert.
In first chapter written by Nicholson is word perfect, "primrose leaves crinkled like Savoy cabbage with the flowers still unfolding, the cow parsley in low soft pouffes about the size of a dinner plate at the foot of the hedges, dog's mercury everywhere in the woods, as well as lords and ladies above the brown wood floor like the blades of soft-bodied spears."
He so reminded me of the woods up at Langridge, with the little white wind anemones poking their delicate heads through a matt of dead leaves and the joy of finding violets also.
There is a blog I wrote and more importantly featured the garden of Sissinghurst in 2010 here on my blog. My husband at the time had a sister who lived in Kent and Sissinghurst was a day out they took us on. I remember it as a very hot day and of course being over excited about visiting a garden I had read so much about.
Also, here I must boast slightly. Matilda has an internship with a magazine as an editorial intern. It is called 'Notion' very glossy and full of 'in people' in the pop world but it is a start and she is already collecting her work and putting it together onstream, shame internships don't pay...
Murrmur: She is at her brilliant best again!
More links, this time on Sea Room
What a fascinating painting - telling the whole story.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get into Nicholson's Sea Room book but did read his book Perch Hill and one a bout Long Walks - ought to try Sea Room again.
Well done to your Granddaughter.
I fell in love with the Scottish Isles and their history Sue, so his book on the owning of an island was interesting. His obvious interest in history is peppered with personal stories.
DeleteI haven't read that Nicolson book though I have enjoyed three or four of his other works. I don't like the idea of internships somehow. As my grandfather used to say "If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing for money!"
ReplyDelete"If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing for money!" Especially in London John but I suppose internship is like apprenticeship sadly.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Matilda - good luck at the start of what I hope is a brilliant writing career. I had a lovely paperback by Vita for many years, about the garden. I can't find it and used to always be reading bits from it - it was one of my favourite books. I went on Amazon to see if I could buy another copy but no mention of it. Not easy to replace when I can't remember the title (could have been something like 'The well-tempered garden' - have you any ideas? I remember a bit near the beginning when she met a young man on her doorstep selling bedding pansies already in bloom. He opened his van doors to show her - the colours were stunning - she bought the lot on the spot.
ReplyDeleteThe writer is Christopher Lloyd for 'Well Tempered Garden' Pat, I have a copy somewhere. He is now dead of course but his garden still goes on. Well it doesn't have to be 'of course' but he did die in 1972 at the age of 92. His garden was at Great Dixter in Kent.
DeleteMurr Brewster's post is indeen brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI would be interested to know what e-reader you use. I need to get one. I use Microsoft Narrator on computer.
Well trailing back on my 'immersive reader' Tasker, I come up with this in Microsoft - Download languages and voices for Immersive Reader, Read Mode, and Read Aloud. Is that what you mean by e-reader? it came with the computer of course.
DeleteMy old version of Word doesn't seem to have that, but the Narrator in windows reads most things on the screen. However, I was interested in reading books out loud.
DeleteAs always it is the up to date current state of your software that is important I suppose. I do not have Word on this computer, got it free with my last one, now I think you have to buy it. Audible doesn't ask for anything special, the books are just read out aloud.
DeleteI looked at Audible some time ago and thought it a bit costly, but I've had another look and will probably join.
DeleteGood luck to Matilda. Write write and write some more... and build a portfolio. Maybe she should start a blog too!
ReplyDeleteI think the young of today are not into blogs Mark. But it is a good start for a career in journalism.
DeleteThanks for that Thelma - you are right. I am off to Amazon to see if he is still in print.
ReplyDelete