For all who love our green and pleasant land
SPRING 2014 Quarterly £4.75
Volume Forty Seven Number One
As you travel along life’s great pathway And learn from mistakes in the past, Be patient – your journey will lead you To hope and fulfilment at last.
THIS ENGLAND
Life’s Journey
May the courage and strength you’ll be given Help to lift you towards a new start. Learn to listen and trust your soul’s message, Nurture blessings received in your heart.
SPRING 2014
Fear is a dreadful emotion, It prevents you from seeking those things That you’ve dreamt of, hoped, wished and prayed for – Set it free, take a step, spread your wings.
As you reach for the sky and the sunlight, Fear and worries depart as you soar. Let your spirit and faith gently guide you, Bringing joy, peace and love evermore.
A path winds through a corner of the Garden of England near Biddenden in Kent. DENNIS SMITH
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May the joy bring much happiness and laughter, And the peace bring great comfort and calm, May the love bring sweet, tender devotion, And your faith provide spiritual balm. JENNIFER RUTH WILLSON
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ituated in the leafy, wooded Hampshire countryside, four miles north of Basingstoke, is this delightful country house, which hosted three royal visits by Henry VIII. The king was a regular visitor because The Vyne was the family home of his Lord Chamberlain, Lord William Sandys. His successors lived there until it was sold to the Chute family in 1653. They remained its custodians until the house was handed over to the National Trust in 1956. As well as welcoming royalty, the novelist Jane Austen also visited, as a friend of the Chutes, and it is thought that The Vyne was a source of inspiration for her. Another literary connection is via The Vyne Ring, which is on display there. This piece of Roman jewellery, which was discovered in Silchester in 1785, was seen by J.R.R. Tolkien and some think that it might have given him the idea for The Hobbit. Today’s visitors to The Vyne can see an impressive selection of the house’s original contents while noting the progression in architectural tastes and styles made by the two families throughout the centuries. Outside there are glorious gardens to explore and a lakeside lawn, which is perfect for picnics. The surrounding woodlands and wetlands provide a marvellous opportunity to glimpse the countryside and wildlife in all seasons. To find out more about visiting The Vyne and full details of special events taking place during 2014, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk or telephone 01256 883858.
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Spring 2014 . . . is a quarterly journal published in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, for all who love our green and pleasant land. Annual subscription rates: (4 quarterly editions, inc. postage and packing): U.K. addresses £18.40; Overseas addresses £25.50 (by Airmail) Personal dollar cheques accepted from USA at $48 per subscription; Canada $48; Australia $53; New Zealand $63. Next four UK Publication Dates (approx): Summer 2014: 21st May; Autumn 2014: 20th Aug.; Winter 2014: 5th Nov.; Spring 2015: 18th Feb. Editor: Stephen Garnett Deputy Editor: Angeline Wilcox Assistant Editors: Susan Kelleher, Peter Worsley Media: Edmund Whitehouse Production: Ann Augur, Keren Bowers Music Editor: Percy Bickerdyke Recording Engineer: Eric Holmes Advertising: Bryn Piper Despatch: Helen Whitman Editorial Secretary: Christine Freeman Head of Publishing: Neil O’Brien
Sales/Subscriptions: This England, PO Box 326, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8BR. Telephone: UK 0844 815 0022 Overseas +44 1795 412823 E-mail: sales@thisengland.co.uk Internet: www.thisengland.co.uk Editorial: This England, The Lypiatts, Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 2JA. Telephone: UK 01242 225780 Overseas +44 (0) 1242 225780 E-mail: editor@thisengland.co.uk Articles and photographs submitted for publication must be accompanied by a stamped addressed e nvelope for return if unsuitable. Whilst all reasonable care will be taken, the Publishers do not accept responsibility for loss of, or damage to material sent in for consideration. Address all submissions to the Editor at This England’s Editorial Office.
Springtime beside the sea, with the view from Golden Cap on Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. CHRISTOPHER NICHOLSON
Page Contents
SPRING 2014
12 The Historic Homes of England: The Vyne, Sherborne St. John, Hampshire 14 A Rondel of Gloucestershire 10 The Editor’s Letter 12 A Royal History of England: King Henry V 16 Literary Landscapes of England: E.M. Hull 18 Newcastle Remembers 20 Dazzling The U-Boats 24 English Excursions: The Ancient Yews of Kingley Vale 26 A Scrapbook for St. George’s Day 28 Thelwell’s England 32 Nelson’s Column: Keeping an eye on the nation 34 Notes from a Cottage Garden 36 The Kinks: From Muswell Hill to Village Green 38 Poets’ Corner 40 In England — Now!: Independent Bookshops: Four Success Stories 42 Post Box: Letters to the Editor 43 Silver Cross of St. George: Group Captain Patrick Tootal 48 Forget-Me-Nots: Earthing Sand 49 A Cumberland Interlude 50 Visiting Nanny 52 Digging for Shakespeare in Historic Stratford 54 London Pride: Curious, Strange and Mysterious 56 Great Britons: Leonard Lord 59 Sandwich Board 60 Mind Your Language! 62 Christian England: Stained Glass Speaks in Essex 64 Aspects of English Towns: Southport, Lancashire 66 Cornucopia 70 English Books 74 English Diary 84 Life’s Journey
Ken Marshall F.W. Harvey Stephen Garnett Paul James John Giddings Roger Harvey Dene Bebbington Janet Rogers —
Angeline Wilcox George Nelson Rosemary Pettigrew Angeline Wilcox Susan Kelleher John Greeves —
Stuart Millson Colin Neville Ken Watson Marjorie Edwards James Ullrich Gilly Pickup Martyn Nutland —
Adam Jacot de Boinod Susan Hegedus Keith Marshall — — —
Jennifer Ruth Willson
This England — read by two million patriots all over the World! Printed in England by Webmart Ltd, OX26 4UL Distributed by Marketforce, The Blue Fin Building,110 Southwark Street, London, SE1 0SU. © 2014 This England Publishing Ltd.
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Source/Contributor
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W
ith North Africa barely three hours away by air and trips to the Sahara a common feature of package holidays, it is difficult for us to imagine that people all over the world were once gripped by the mystery and romance of the desert. The fact that the books responsible for sparking this craze were written by a middle-class English woman from her home in Derbyshire is even more remarkable. Edith Maude Henderson was born on 16th August 1880 in Hampstead, the only daughter of American shipowner James Henderson and his Canadian wife, Katie. According to the 1881 census, the couple also had a son, James, who was ten years older than Edith. Also living at the house were six servants. Young Edith must have had a fairly privileged childhood and possibly a rather unorthodox one. She visited Algeria when she was young and this seems to have resulted in a lifelong fascination with the country as she subsequently made four journeys into the Sahara. In 1899 Edith married Percy Winstanley Hull, a Derbyshire pig-breeder and engineer. They had one daughter, Cecil (so named because the couple had been hoping for a son). They lived at the Knowle in Hazelwood, Derbyshire, the Hull family home for four generations; it was for many years, with the exception of Kedleston Hall, the largest private house in the district. The Hull family were liked and respected by local people. It is said that
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village life radiated from the Knowle; at Christmas a tree stood in the hall, with presents for all the village children as
well as the staff. Percy carried on the family tradition, participating fully in village life, but Edith was remembered by one Hazelwood resident as an awful
snob who had very little to do with the village. The Sheik, published in 1919, is the story of Diana Mayo, an aristocratic Englishwoman. Orphaned at an early age, she is given a boyish upbringing by her brother, Sir Aubrey Mayo, who is nearly 20 years her senior. On her journey into the desert, accompanied only by native guides, her little caravan is surrounded and Diana is captured by the Sheik, Ahmed Ben Hassan. He is not all that he seems, and despite his initial cruelty towards her they eventually fall in love. In a world ravaged by war, the book was an instant success. It was eventually published worldwide in 14 different languages. It was especially popular in America and in 1921 was made into a blockbuster of the silver screen which launched the career of Rudolph Valentino; the part of Lady Diana was played by Agnes Ayres. Edith wrote five other novels: The Shadow of the East (1921), The Desert Healer (1923), The Sons of the Sheik (1925, also made into a Valentino film), The Lion Tamer (1928) and The Captive of the Sahara (1931). She also wrote a travel book, Camping in the Sahara (1926). Like Diana Mayo, Edith and Cecil journeyed into the Sahara with only native guides and riding mules brought for them from the Kabyle Mountains. In her travel book, Edith decribes their caravan as consisting of seven men and 16 camels led by a local landowner, Si Ali Sab. The men had all travelled with them before, including their cook, Kharbouch, who, at the end of a day’s march, could produce a dinner of at least four courses. During their travels they experienced extreme heat, cold, piercing winds, storms and even floods. They were marooned for several days in driving rain with leaking tents and food running short. At one point they crossed bandit country, but Edith Above: A rare picture of E.M. Hull and (left) the countryside of her home county, near Bakewell, which was so different from the surroundings she described in her books. DEREK WILD
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Rudolph Valentino and Agnes Ayres in “The Sheik”, a selection of books and film posters and (below) the church at Hazelwood where the novelist was laid to rest.
refused a military escort lest she should lose her unofficial title of “Friend of the Arabs”. Instead, she chose to be escorted and guaranteed safe passage by a famous bandit “whose name”, she wrote, “I prefer not to disclose.” Under his protection they hobnobbed with “bands of sinister looking cut-throats” and met Ibrahim ben Chem Boukhachba, “The Man of Forty-five Murders”. Edith was clearly under the spell of the Sahara. “The utter silence of the desert by night is one of its greatest wonders, its chiefest charms,” she wrote. “Here in these mighty plains, under the vast canopy of heaven, the sense of men’s insignificance rises up with crushing force, only nature matters.” Is it any wonder that she had little time for the minutiae of village life back in Derbyshire? Edith was thought to be the most unromantic person imaginable and local people found it incredible that she could write the books that she did. They were considered scandalous by some locals and at least one respectable woman refused to allow her maids to read
Edith’s books. Rosemary Meynell, writing in the Derbyshire Advertiser in 1972, saw her in a different light as a hard-working professional author, “a modest, gentle and clever woman who wrote her books to make money for her family”. Edith was a great supporter of the Red Cross and during the Second World War worked for the Soldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’s Families Association. Cecil, who went on to become a colonel in the Army and was awarded the OBE, was generally well-loved in the village. She held parties and dances, was a pioneer in providing shelters for homeless and deprived girls in Derbyshire, and ran a Girls’ Club in the 1920s and 1930s. Edith died on 11th February 1947. Her death was marked by a short obituary in the Derbyshire Advertiser and a quiet funeral at Hazelwood church, unlike the death, in 1926, of Valentino which caused worldwide hysteria and several suicides and whose funeral was preceded by a lying in state. It is still possible, with persistence, to obtain The Sheik and other books by E.M. Hull from local libraries. They are also available on the internet. Why not obtain a copy and
curl up in front of a roaring fire or stretch out on the beach and escape to the desert for a little old-fashioned romance? JOHN GIDDINGS
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Centenary of the First World War
How the art world played a vital role in outwitting enemy submarines
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goods to England, would be attacked and sunk. Previously the n the First World War the German navy tried to blockade Germans had been reluctant to fully carry out such a policy. Britain by using their submarine U-boats to sink merchant Many ships came from America and sinking them risked ending ships transporting food and raw materials. This strategy America’s neutrality. nearly worked. In just ten months of 1917 they sank 925 ships. No reliable method of reducing ship visibility had been One of the countermeasures which helped Britain and her allies found. All paint schemes that had been tried were partially to prevail against the U-boat menace came from the art world. effective at best, and none worked in all weather and sea Towards the end of 1916, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe had conditions. Grey had advantages in some conditions, yet it been very concerned about the rate of shipping losses from could just as easily show up the outline of the vessel in others. submarine warfare. He said that Britain might have to sue for Alternative tricks had also been tried; one of the more unusual peace by the summer of 1917 if it continued. Various tactics had was to paint destroyers on a been tried against the U-boats, ship’s side. including Q-Ships. These were Norman Wilkinson in 1970 (the year before he died) holding one of his models and (above) HMS Monitor in dry dock at Portsmouth. Norman Wilkinson was freighters or trawlers with an artist who specialised in hidden weaponry, sometimes marine painting. He served flying flags of neutral in the Royal Navy during the countries. Their goal was to First World War and came lure a U-boat to the surface up with the idea that became and close in, at which point the ship’s guns would open known as dazzle painting – also known as baffle painting, fire on the submarine. and sometimes razzle-dazzle, Germany declared in America. This style of unrestricted submarine painting the ships to fool warfare in January 1917. This human perception was policy meant that ships, even influenced by the short-lived those of neutral countries British art movement of believed to be transporting
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Courtesy Everett Warner Archives
Everett L. Warner (far left) painting wooden ship models (above) at the US Navy’s Camouflage Design Section in Washington DC. Below: A ship being dazzle-painted and the seaplane carrier HMS Nairana in dazzle camouflage.
Courtesy US Naval History and Heritage Command
1914-15 known as Vorticism. Using geometric patterns the Vorticists produced striking yet abstract paintings. Though the origin of dazzle painting is usually ascribed to Wilkinson, the zoologist John Graham Kerr had submitted a similar idea, inspired by camouflage in nature, to the Admiralty much earlier in the war. Despite some trials, the Admiralty decided not to go ahead with his scheme and opted for a uniform grey ship colouring. A submarine had to estimate through its periscope a ship’s heading and speed within a certain margin of error before positioning itself to fire a torpedo. The torpedo was often fired from thousands of yards away in a direction ahead of the ship so that the two would meet. Wilkinson realised that since paint schemes couldn’t make ships invisible, the key was to break up the form of a ship to make it harder for the U-boats to target it. Patterns and colours were refined through experience, and by the end of the war the palette of colours had been reduced to mainly blue, black and white. Vertical lines were avoided. Diagonal, and sometimes curved, lines were favoured. The Admiralty was persuaded of the value of dazzle camouflage and in October 1917 ordered all merchant ships, whether armed or not, to be dazzle-painted. Ships had different patterns painted on the starboard and port sides. Also, standard designs were used for similar ships. An experimental trial-and-error approach was taken to testing dazzle designs. A scaled wooden model of a vessel was painted with a test pattern and mounted on a platform on which sky backgrounds could be varied. It would then be viewed
Courtesy Roy R. Behrens
through a periscope to assess how well the dazzle scheme worked. For successful patterns they produced diagrams to be used at the docks where dazzle painting was overseen by artists working for the naval camouflage unit. One of these artists was Edward Wadsworth, a signatory of the Vorticist Manifesto, who, in 1919, created the painting “Dazzle-Ships in Drydock at Liverpool”. One of the goals of dazzle was to disrupt the perception of the bow and stern so that a U-boat observer would be confused as to the orientation, speed and heading of the ship. The convoys of merchant and navy ships travelling across the Atlantic between Britain and North America used other methods to reduce the odds of being sunk. Zigzagging was one method. If a U-boat resurfaced ready for an attack after initially plotting the ship’s speed and heading, the ship may have changed course. Dazzle was taken up by Allied navies. In 1918 Wilkinson travelled to America and met Franklin D. Roosevelt; he then THIS ENGLAND, Spring, 2014
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English Excursions
The Ancient Yews of Kingley Vale
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read lightly among the ancient yew trees of Kingley Vale or you may disturb the ghosts of centuries. The trees have stood for more than 500 years; some may have been around in Roman times. Silence and mystery pervades this hidden valley in the South Downs, near Chichester, West Sussex, where these
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ancient trees have watched and waited for centuries, their vast tentacles lolling unnervingly. To step there alone in daylight is eerie; to walk at twilight is not for the faint-hearted. Some 30 ancient trees grow at the bottom of the valley. During the past century, sheep grazing has ceased on the valley slopes and this has allowed
the yew trees to spread up the sides of the valley and onto the top of the hill, resulting in one of the largest and finest yew forests in Europe. The poet Tennyson was a regular visitor to the forest and it is said that his ghost wanders there still. No one knows the exact age of the trees because the middle of all the old trees has rotted away and there are no growth rings to count. The trees have survived because, although they have no centre, the outer trunk is still alive. This has allowed the trunk to flex and bend in stormy weather. Where some of the huge limbs have been partially severed and thrown to the ground by strong winds, new root systems have developed and provided even more stability. The oldest tree has a five-yard girth. One legend says that in 895 AD a Viking raiding party returning to the coast through the valley was attacked by the men of Chichester and the ancient yews in the bottom of the valley were planted to commemorate their victory. The old yews somehow
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species of orchid and 39 of the 58 species of butterfly that breed in England have been recorded there. Sheep are allowed to roam and graze the reserve in winter, and wild rabbits and fallow deer do their bit to help maintain the ancient grasslands. Staff and groups of volunteers also cut down and clear areas next to one of the main tracks. The reserve is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southern England and has 14 scheduled ancient monuments. From the hilltop there are magnificent views of Chichester Harbour and the Isle of Wight, and the surrounding countryside. As for the future, the yew forest will continue to develop and be carefully managed so that its spread does not overtake the neighbouring farmland and valuable grasslands. One thing is sure: the yews, which have stood the test of time, will be there still.
PAULINE THORNTON
managed to escape the fate which befell so many yew trees in the past. By the late 16th century the demand for yew wood to make longbows was so great that mature yew trees were almost extinct in northern Europe. Today Kingley Vale is a nature reserve and is managed by Natural England using a combination of traditional methods. An hour-long nature trail starts at the valley bottom and takes you through the grove of ancient trees. As you tread along its course you enter a strange spiritual world of weird sculptures in shady caverns. Shafts of sunlight light up the dark red and purple patterns on the smooth, strong limbs of the sleeping giants.
MARTINE PEACOCK
JANET ROGERS
Fallow deer, the chalkhill blue butterfly and common spotted orchid can all be seen at Kingley Vale.
Naturalist WH. Hudson (1841-1922), writing about the trees, said: “You may walk freely among the dark religious trees, with trunks like rudely fashioned pillars of red and purple iron-stone. One has the sensation of being in a vast cathedral, not like that of Chichester, but older and infinitely vaster: fuller of light and gloom and mystery and more wonderful in its associations.” The nature trail leads up the hill past the younger trees of the forest and through chalk grassland and scrub, teeming with wild flowers and insects. In June the top path is lined with fine foxgloves and further down you brush through a field of purple thistles. There are up to 50 different flowering plants and grasses in a square yard of grassland including chalk-loving plants like bird’s-foot trefoil, kidney vetch and fairy flax. There are 11 different
After the Ice Age, Kingley Vale became covered with dense forest and became known as the wildwood. The first trees on the bare landscape were hardy species of birch, juniper, hazel and aspen. Later, oak, ash, beech and yew began to grow. In the Stone Age people started to clear the wildwood, making space for grazing animals and crops. Bronze Age people constructed burial mounds on the hilltop and these can still be seen today. A hill fort was constructed during the Iron Age at the northern end of the vale and its white chalk ramparts would have been visible for miles. Today it is known as Goosehill Camp. Romans also built a temple on top of the hill
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“There is a forgotten, St. George is also the St. George, a real forbidden word, which nay almost means more to patron saint of Ethiopia, me historical figure, was than any other. That word is Lithuania, Portugal, born in Cappadocia in England.” — SIR WINSTO N CHURCHILL (1874-19 65) Germany and Greece, present-day Turkey in as well as cities including about 280 AD. After Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa joining the Roman Army and converting to Christianity he rose and Venice. Many to the rank of Tribune of the Imperial Guard. When Emperor celebrate St. George’s Diocletian issued edicts against Christians, George refused to Day with church services, renounce his faith, denounced the persecution and distributed feasting, the exchanging his property to the poor. After of gifts and re-enactments suffering torture, he was beheaded of the St. George and at Nicomedia near Lydda in Dragon legend. Palestine on 23rd April 303.
A Scrapbook for
ST. GEORGE’S DAY On 23rd April 1918 a force drawn from the Royal Navy and Royal Marines launched a daring raid to block Zeebrugge and prevent German U-boats and other vessels leaving the port. Shortly before the attack Admiral Roger Keyes sent out a battle-signal: “St. George for England”. Captain A. F. B. Carpenter, in command of the cruiser Vindictive, quickly replied: “May we give the dragon’s tail a damned good twist.”
The English Language The English language is hard to fight. Wherever you have that bond of union, you are likely to have the sort of thing which exists between English representatives and ourselves, a boundary line of 3,000 miles without a gun upon it and without a soldier. If there is a great peace-making institution in the world, it is the English language, especially when coupled with the English common law, English parliamentary institutions and the common aspirations of both our countries.
Whitelaw Reid, American Ambassador, July 1911
A statue at Lotherton Hall, Yorkshire. DOROTHY BURROWS
Famous people born on St. George’s Day include William Shakespeare (English poet and playwright, 1564), J.M.W. Turner (English artist, 1775), James Buchanan (US President, 1791), Sergei Prokofiev (Russian composer, 1891), Basil Sydney (English actor, 1894), Ngaio Marsh (New Zealand crime writer, 1895), Shirley Temple (US actress, 1928), Roy Orbison (US singersongwriter, 1936), Ed Stewart (English radio broadcaster, 1941), Michael Moore (US film director, 1954). Famous people who died on St. George’s Day include St. George (303 AD), William Shakespeare (English poet and playwright, 1616), William Wordsworth (English poet, 1850), Rupert Brooke (English poet, 1915), William Hartnell (English actor, 1975), Jim Laker (English cricketer, 1986), Paulette Goddard (US actress, 1990), Denis Compton (English cricketer/footballer, 1997), Robert Farnon (Canadian composer, 2005), John Mills (English actor, 2005), Boris Yeltsin (Russian President, 2007).
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Oh, to be in England Now that April’s there, And whoever wakes in England Sees, some morning, unaware, Well Dressing. That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf, While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough In England — now! Robert Browning (1812-1889)
DOROTHY BURROWS
y, Manchester.
St. George’s Da
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St. George is the patron saint of Scouting and on the Sunday nearest to 23rd April parades are held by Scouts and Guides throughout England.
“In left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman, and that it is a duty to snigger at every English institution, from horse racing to suet puddings. It is a strange fact, but it is unquestionably true, that almost any English intellectual would feel more ashamed of standing to attention during ‘God Save the King’ than stealing from a poor box.” George Orwell (1903-1950)
Books about St. George include St. George: Let’s Hear it for England! by Alison Maloney (Preface Publishing, 2010), St. George: Hero, Martyr and Myth by Samantha Riches (Sutton Publishing, 2000), The Story of St. George by Anthony Cooney (This England Books, 1999), On the Trail of the Real St. George by Rupert Matthews (Bretwalda Books, 2010), St. George: Knight, Martyr, Patron Saint and Dragonslayer by Giles Morgan (Kamera Books, 2006).
“I feel in regard to thi s aged England, that she see a little better on a cloudy da y and that, in a storm of battle an d calamity, she has a secret vigou r and a pulse like a cannon.” — RALPH WALDO EME
RSON (1803-1882)
FOG IN CHAN NEL CONTINENT C UT OFF (ENGLISH NE WSPAPER HE
ADLINE)
sildon, Essex.
St. George’s Day, Ba
L
FREDERICK D. BARWEL
In 2002 the BBC invited members of the public to vote for the greatest British people in history. The top ten were: 1. Sir Winston Churchill; 2. Isambard Kingdom Brunel; 3. Diana, Princess of Wales; 4. Charles Darwin; 5. William Shakespeare; 6. Sir Isaac Newton; 7. Queen Elizabeth I; 8. John Lennon; 9. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson; 10. Oliver Cromwell.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, All These I Love How can I help loving England? England with the quiet Straining upon the start. lawns and the great trees in which the rooks are always The game’s afoot: Follow your spirit; and, upon this charge restless; England whose summer is eternal April, whose winter is a sleep broken with distant laughter? How can Cry ‘God for Harry! I help loving this land of the grey cities and the grey England and Saint George!’ sea, this land whose very reserve makes my loyalty more William Shakespeare, Henry V ardent? Even when I am far from England, under the blazing sun in some strange city of towers and temples, the St. George in the City thought of England shines more radiantly than the gold on of London. any worshipped idol. I love its Kings and its Queens, its flags and its songs, and my English passport is itself a title of nobility. Beverley Nichols (1898-1983) One theory about the Cross of St. George is that it was originally the flag of the republic of Genoa which, in the Middle Ages, had one of the most powerful military fleets in the world. In order to obtain protection for English merchant ships, the English king paid the Genoese an annual fee for the right to fly the flag. THIS Spring, 2014 THISENGLAND, ENGLAND,Spring,
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STEVE GREGORY
From Muswell Hill to Village Green
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here can’t be many pop songs that make reference to “my poor rheumatic back” or “tea and toasted, buttered currant buns”, but then again, there aren’t many pop groups like The Kinks. These lyrics from their delightfully quirky “Autumn Almanac”, released in 1967, typify the quintessentially English perspective, humour and appeal of the group that dominated the charts throughout the 1960s. Fifty years ago The Kinks — decked out in their red hunting jackets, frilly shirts and Chelsea boots — stormed to the top of the charts with “You Really Got Me”. It was an anthem for the teenage Ready Steady Go! generation, one that defined the attitude, dynamism and energy of youth. With its edgy and powerful guitar riff the song, written by the group’s lead singer Ray Davies has, like The Kinks themselves, become
London’s Carnaby Street was frequented by the “Dedicated Follower of Fashion”.
legendary. The story of The Kinks centres on two brothers — Ray and Dave Davies — who grew up in Fortis Green, Muswell Hill, in a solidly working-class background. Their parents Fred and Annie had six daughters before Ray was born in 1944 followed by Dave three years later. Music was always important in the Davies family with sing-songs around the piano and listening to records by the likes of Al Bowlly, Bing Crosby and Fats Waller. Father, Fred, played the banjo and was a big fan of music hall while mother, Annie, loved to sing. In terms of characters, the brothers couldn’t be more different: Ray was the introvert and quiet one, whereas Dave was gregarious and outgoing. The only things they had in common — apart from their family ties — were a dislike of school and an enthusiasm for music. Both boys had guitars at an early age and Ray had been taught to play the piano. Aged just 11 and 14 they started playing together at local venues as The Kelly Brothers. As their appearances increased, so did their popularity. By the early 1960s things were moving swiftly for the band. With Dave (lead guitar) and Ray (rhythm) sharing the vocals, they were joined by Peter Quaife (bass) and, later on, Mick Avory (drums and percussion) would complete the line-up. But before this, they went through several name changes — including The Ray Davies Quartet, The Ramrods, The Boll-Weevils and The Ravens — and met record producer Shel Talmy. Eventually known as The Kinks, they were signed by Pye Records. But, if they thought they had arrived they were mistaken. Their first two releases —“Long Tall Sally” and “You Still Want
Me” — sank without trace. With their record company poised to end their contract if their next single didn’t make it The Kinks were under pressure. Thankfully, “You Really Got Me” made it a case of third time lucky! After their first number one hit came “All Day and All of the Night” (1964), and the group maintained their chart presence in 1965 with “Tired of Waiting for You”, “Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy”, “Set Me Free”, “See My Friends” and “Till the End of the Day”. Exciting though these early releases are, it is The Kinks’ later work that particularly resonates with me and this is because of the genius of songwriter Ray Davies in chronicling the essence of England and Englishness. With wit, poetic irony and whimsical charm he paints a series of musical portraits depicting people, places and life in vivid detail. You can see evidence of his artist’s eye here; he studied at Hornsey Art College before pursuing his music career full time. In the second half of the 1960s The Kinks’ songs have a softer sound while the lyrics weave some great stories. At times you can’t help but wonder if it’s the same group...until you hear Ray’s distinctive voice. In 1966 he gave us “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” which, sung in a gently mocking upperclass voice, was a wry comment on those fashionable folk who frequented London’s boutiques and paraded round Carnaby Street in all their finery. This was followed, in June that year, by “Sunny Afternoon” a humorous lament on taxation from a wealthy, but lazy individual, who is facing up to losing his “life of luxury”. By contrast, “Dead End Street”, released three months later, is an almost Dickensian, domestic vignette of the lives of the debt-ridden unemployed who face grim prospects. Anyone watching the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games might recall Ray singing the
JOHN TREMAINE
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group’s May 1967 hit “Waterloo Sunset”. What could be more fitting than this affectionate tribute to the Thames and the capital city, which, as the song relates, are the backdrop to the romance between “Terry and Julie”? Written at a time when so many groups from Liverpool were influenced by their home city, this is a wonderful, rhapsodic piece in praise of The Kinks’ birthplace. The seasons and English weather provided Ray with the inspiration for “Autumn Almanac”. With its poetic opening line of “From the dew-soaked hedge creeps a crawly caterpillar” and descriptions of “leaves of a mustycoloured yellow” you find yourself instantly transported to that misty season with a definite nip in the air and thoughts of Bonfire Night and toffee apples. Listen to all these songs and as well as being captivated by the imagery of the lyrics you can hear echoes of music hall, folk, and rhythm and blues. Each is a marvellously observed composition that has humour, pathos, cynicism, affection and satire. The everyday and exceptional, the grim and the glorious are all glimpsed in these superb songs. The lyrics offer a telling social commentary on the times. They were written in a decade of great change, yet it is comforting because they bring with them a welcome dose of nostalgia, traditions and the notion of simply being English. Perhaps nowhere is this better demonstrated than in the group’s 1968 album entitled The Village Green Preservation Society. This is a perfect musical celebration of the old England, chronicled in classic Davies fashion. The title song is a cheery, rousing cry to protect such English icons as Sherlock Holmes, draught beer, Mrs. Mopp, little shops, china cups and strawberry jam. There is a heart-warming quality to this collection of 15 songs, which sing in praise of “the old ways”, steam trains, idyllic landscapes, rural communities and the characters who inhabit them, yet somehow it seems out-of-step with the
“Waterloo Sunset” is an affectionate tribute to the capital city.
Swinging Sixties. That could be one of the reasons that it wasn’t a great success on its first release, but since then it has been rediscovered and accorded the recognition it so richly deserves.
The next album, released in 1969, took a similar glance to bygone days: Arthur — The Decline and Fall of the British Empire focuses on an English family about to emigrate to Australia and features song titles including “Mr. Churchill Says”, “She’s Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina” and “Yes Sir,
DAVID THOMAS
No Sir”. By the start of the 1970s, Peter Quaife had left the group, but The Kinks continued recording and touring; the Davies brothers had their well-documented disagreements, and American audiences finally got to see the group perform following the ending of a four-year dispute with a musician’s union. Despite changes to the original line up, The Kinks were going strong until the mid-1990s, and even when the group paused for breath, Ray and Dave were still involved with individual projects. Many musicians have credited the band with inspiring them and there have even been rumours that there might be a reunion for the 50th anniversary of “You Really Got Me”, but as Ray admitted in a recent BBC interview there would have to be “new material” and the group are “unpredictable”. One thing is certain about them though: more than any other band The Kinks succeeded in capturing Englishness in all its glory. Their songs conjure up an affectionate, kaleidoscopic panorama of England, which is pure magic. Last year, at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature, Ray Davies was interviewed by broadcaster Paul Gambaccini and he referred to the English love of trivia, citing things like tea, jam and muffins. He then added with a smile: “We should be proud of that.” Many in the audience — me included — would echo his sentiments. ANGELINE WILCOX
Recommended reading: God Save The Kinks by Rob Jovanovic, published by Aurum Press, hardback and eBook, price £20.
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Digging for Shakespeare in Historic Stratford
The writer of this article at work on the archaeological dig.
A
n archaeologist in a bright yellow work vest carefully brushes four centuries of dirt from a small object. Volunteers gather around her. There’s a palpable air of anticipation. As an American traveller and writer volunteering on the dig for a story, I get a sort of vicarious experience; I enjoy a taste of thrilling discovery — and a hefty helping of tedious labour — that archaeologists call daily life at New Place. With a little gentle rubbing, the dirt comes off and reveals a tiny gold trinket: a signet ring that dates to the early 17th century. Electricity ripples through the group. We realise that it could be the most intimate connection yet found to the home’s former owner. The archaeologist handles the ring carefully, knowing that she may be the first one to hold it since its owner, William Shakespeare. Touristy Stratford-upon-Avon, located in gently rolling Warwickshire countryside 90 minutes north-west of London, is not a natural candidate for a massive archaeological excavation.
The building next door to the site of “New Place” is Nash’s House, which is also open to the public as part of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
They tend to be places like mist-encircled Stonehenge or imposing castles looming on the seashore. There’s nothing particularly mysterious about the pleasantly preserved Elizabethan town of Stratford — except, of course, for its most famous resident. His work is well known; the man behind it remains an enigma. We know he was born here in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564. He left for London as a young man, to become an actor with a theatre, and later became a phenomenally successful playwright. After a glittering career in London he retired to his home town. He and his wife bought a large mansion (fittingly called “New Place”) a short walk away from his birthplace and spent the rest of his life there. He died in 1616 and was buried in a nearby church. That’s pretty much all we know for sure. Four hundred years on, the questions persist: What sort of man lived here? Did the writing bug return in his golden years? Did he stash a lost manuscript away somewhere in his cellar? Do the remains of that cellar hide some shred of long-lost evidence that, as some historians suspect, someone else wrote the great works? There’s been speculation about what secrets the property hides ever since the home — New Place — was demolished in the 1800s. The enduring mystery around the Bard led the British government to fund an archaeological excavation at the property, now owned by the nonThe site of Shakespeare’s last home, “New Place”, was excavated by archaeologists profit Shakespeare Trust, in 2010. Overseen by the in 2010.
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As I leave, I decide to walk along the Avon riverside and visit the gorgeous old church where he is buried, near the altar next to his wife and daughter. Whatever secrets they knew about the great man they took to their graves. After a relaxing weekend and a few cool showers I’ll come back to the carefully carved pits. The archaeologists, like me, are already looking forward to returning. We know there are still traces of the great man in the soil of the place he loved. There must be. We want to keep digging for Shakespeare, as deep as we need to. He’s in there somewhere. JAMES ULLRICH Visiting information Nash’s House & New Place, 22 Chapel Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6EP Tel: 01789 204016 www.shakespeare.org.uk
Holy Trinity Church beside the River Avon is Shakespeare’s final resting place. MICHAEL STECIUK
Birmingham University Archaeological Unit, the dig aims to get some answers about the man behind the legend. To do that, large swathes of the property have been excavated as a rare heatwave smothers southern England. Kneeling in the dirt and sweating heavily under an unusually intense summer sun, I follow the exposed lines of red Elizabethan brickwork with my eyes. These lines formed the foundations of the home. The operation moves smoothly. The material from the pits is looked over by the diggers, and then sent by wheelbarrow across the lawn where large white tents stand. Stiflingly hot with little ventilation, the tents are manned by yellow-vested volunteers carefully sifting every bit of New Place’s soil for artefacts. I pester the archaeologists with questions as the Bard’s dirt filters through a large rectangular sifting grate. They tolerate the travel writer with good cheer as the soil leaves behind nothing but small rocks and squirming worms. Every so often, however, a remnant of the home will be found. Tiny chunks of mortar and dozens of rusted nails turn up. They held together the home in which the genius lived and died. It’s late Friday afternoon, and it’s officially sweltering. There’s a hope among the crew that the classic “English summer” — dreary days of clouds and cold — will return to refresh us. The ancient pub across the street from New Place calls my name. The archaeologists decide to shut the dig down for the day; we’ll come back on Monday to continue our efforts. I turn in my yellow digger’s vest and my rusted trowel. I look at the rest of the team. We’re all exhausted; our clothes are filthy, our backs ache, and sweat drips from our dirty faces.
To commemorate the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth a series of events is taking place nationwide and in his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. 17th-23rd March Shakespeare Week The launch of a nationwide project to bring the work of the Bard to life for primary school children. See shakespeareweek.org.uk 26th-27th April Shakespeare’s Birthday Celebrations Annual event held in Stratford-upon-Avon. Go to www.shakespearesbirthday.org.uk for up-to-date details. Shakespeare houses and gardens around the town will also mark the anniversary throughout 2014. For more information visit the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, www.shakespeare.org.uk, phone 01789 204016 What better way to celebrate than by seeing a performance of the Bard’s work by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford? To find out performance schedules, venues and details contact www.rsc.org.uk or 0844 800 1110. If you’re in London, you could visit Shakespeare’s Globe, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT. Information on tours and performances is available from www.shakespearesglobe.com or 020 7902 1400.
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Top Hat Trouble London haberdasher James Hetherington was arrested on the Strand in 1797 for wearing a top hat. In fact he caused a terrible commotion as no one had ever seen a hat like it before, and according to a newspaper of the day, “…passers-by panicked, women fainted and children screamed”. It is even said that a boy suffered a broken arm when he was knocked down in the hullabaloo. Hetherington was charged with causing a breach of the peace by “appearing on the public highway wearing a tall structure of shining lustre… calculated to disturb timid people”.
10th Hussars. These liveried guards, wearing traditional Edwardian frock coats and gold braided top hats, are now synonymous with its heritage. The task
56 Mount Street after she died, in 1775. He had her embalmed by his teachers of surgery and anatomy, Dr. William Hunter and Dr. William Cruikshank, in the hope that the gruesome “attraction” would draw more customers to his practice. Mary was placed in a glasstopped coffin and, although people flocked to see the body, Butchell also drew criticism for his gruesome display.
No Singing, Humming or Whistling! Lord George Cavendish grew tired of passers-by throwing rubbish into his garden at Burton House, Piccadilly. He decided to commission an architect, Samuel Ware, to design a covered promenade of shops over the garden area to stop it from happening. Rather than saying he wanted the shops built to keep his garden tidy, he declared they were “for the gratification of the public and to give employment to industrious females”. Burlington Arcade is the result and is the longest covered shopping street in Britain. It opened on 20th March 1819, and is now a designated historic and architectural masterpiece. The tradition of the uniformed beadles continues and they still patrol the arcade. Originally they were recruited from Lord Cavendish’s family regiment, the
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of the beadles is to discourage unruly behaviour and they have the authority to eject from the arcade anyone who runs, carries large packages, opens an umbrella, whistles, plays a musical instrument, hums or sings. Dentist’s Display Eccentric dentist Martin van Butchell (1735-1814) kept his wife, Mary, on display in the window of his premises at
Smallest Police Station At the south-east corner of Trafalgar Square, unnoticed by most visitors, is Britain’s smallest police station. This small box could accommodate up to two prisoners at a time, although its main purpose was to hold one police officer. It was built in 1926, so that the Metropolitan Police could keep an eye on demonstrators. It was fitted with a door, an interior light and a phone line that connected directly to Scotland Yard to call for backup. Whenever the phone was picked up, the ornamental light fitting at the top of the box started to flash, alerting any nearby officers on duty that trouble was near. Today the box is no longer used by the police and its purpose is as a storage cupboard for Westminster Council cleaners.
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UNUSUAL STATUE The most extraordinary statue in London (the only “animatronic” one) is the “Monument to the Unknown Artist” at Bankside on Sumner Street, the official walking route between Southwark Station and the Tate Modern. A plinth approximately 8 feet high is topped by the statue of a man dressed in a black suit, carrying a paintbrush. Cameras embedded in his torso mean he will react to passers-by, and mimic their movements and poses. The statue was created by Greyworld, a group of artists who specialise in installations in urban spaces.
FIRST SHOP The shop at number 25 Nelson Road, Greenwich, which sells nautical memorabilia, claims to be the first shop in the world. It bills itself as such due to its location at 4⁄10 of a minute west of the Prime Meridian line at Greenwich. BEER FLOOD The London Beer Flood took place at Meux’s Brewery on the junction of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, on 17th October 1814. A 22-foot high porter vat of around 512,000 litres (113,000 gallons) of beer ruptured, causing a chain reaction with surrounding vats. The beer tsunami destroyed two houses and knocked down the wall of the Tavistock Arms pub in Great Russell Street, trapping 14-yearold employee, Eleanor Cooper, under the table. It was a terrible tragedy, but some impoverished locals saw it as a bit of good fortune and in an effort to obtain some free beer they ran to the scene carrying pots, pans, kettles and anything else they could use to scoop it up.
As the tide receded the true damage became known. Nine people were dead; some were drowned while others had been swept away in the flood and died of injuries they sustained. One man died days later from alcohol poisoning — such was his heroic attempt to stem the tide by drinking as much beer as he could. GILLY PICKUP
Further information Many more strange stories, and further details about those recounted here, are contained in the author’s recently published book, “The A-Z of Curious London” (The History Press). Illustrated with 70 black and white photographs and illustrations, it is available by post direct from This England. For further details, see page 75.
This England Photography Competition The glorious photographs that appear in This England are highlighted by readers as one of their favourite elements of the magazine. Now, we’re offering you the chance to have one of your photographs featured on these pages. We’re delighted to announce the launch of the This England Photography Competition. The theme of the competition is “England’s Glories” and your pictures should reflect what you consider to be the quintessential essence of England. You might choose to focus on the countryside, the coastline, the heritage, our traditions, the English way of life, or perhaps your favourite corner of England. First prize is £150 and two runners-up will each receive £50. The three winning images will also be published in the Winter 2014 issue. Details of how to enter the competition and the rules are given below. So, what are you waiting for? Polish your lenses and seek out “England’s Glories”. Good luck! 1. The competition is open to both professional and amateur photographers. 2. The competition will be judged by the Editor and Picture Editor of This England. The judges’ decision is final. Members of staff of This England, Evergreen and their families are not eligible to enter. 3. There is a limit of 3 photographs per person. 4. Photographs must be taken in England. 5. Pictures should be submitted as A4 prints. They must be accompanied with the photographer’s details, information about where the picture was taken and the inspiration behind it. 6. Photographers should retain the original digital versions of their entries. 7. The closing date for the competition is 31st August 2014. 8. Photographs cannot be returned. 9. Please send your entries to: This England Photography Competition, The Lypiatts, Lansdown Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL50 2JA.
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For all who love our green and pleasant land
SPRING 2014 Quarterly £4.75
Volume Forty Seven Number One
As you travel along life’s great pathway And learn from mistakes in the past, Be patient – your journey will lead you To hope and fulfilment at last.
THIS ENGLAND
Life’s Journey
May the courage and strength you’ll be given Help to lift you towards a new start. Learn to listen and trust your soul’s message, Nurture blessings received in your heart.
SPRING 2014
Fear is a dreadful emotion, It prevents you from seeking those things That you’ve dreamt of, hoped, wished and prayed for – Set it free, take a step, spread your wings.
As you reach for the sky and the sunlight, Fear and worries depart as you soar. Let your spirit and faith gently guide you, Bringing joy, peace and love evermore.
A path winds through a corner of the Garden of England near Biddenden in Kent. DENNIS SMITH
te cov spring 14 without.indd All Pages
Quarterly
May the joy bring much happiness and laughter, And the peace bring great comfort and calm, May the love bring sweet, tender devotion, And your faith provide spiritual balm. JENNIFER RUTH WILLSON
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