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The Anthony Powell Society Newsletter Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #19 The Anthony Powell Society From the Secretary’s Desk The Anthony Powell Society Registered Charity No. 1096873 In the words of that old English song – Newsletter The Anthony Powell Society is a and torment of many a childhood – charitable literary society devoted to the “Sumer is i-cumen in: lhude sing cuccu”. Issue 19, Summer 2005 ISSN 1743-0976 life and works of the English author Although it is a long time since I’ve Anthony Dymoke Powell, 1905-2000. heard, let alone seen, a cuckoo (I do live Address by Tristram Powell in an urban area) summer is definitely Contents Officers & Executive Committee at a Service of Thanksgiving for Address by Tristram Powell … 1 here in England as I write on a warm, Lady Violet Powell From the Secretary’s Desk … 2 sunny May Bank Holiday Monday. So Patron: John MA Powell Holy Trinity Church, Chantry Suits You, Sir … 5 we can be sure that Mid-Summer’s Day Saturday 7 May 2005 Society Wedding of the Year … 6 isn’t far away: and of course that is a time Hon. Vice-Presidents: Mobility between the English Classes … 8 when we pagans go merrily dancing Julian Allason The Widmerpool Award … 10 On behalf of John [Powell] and myself and naked around the Devil’s Fingers in Hugh Massingberd Annual General Meeting 2005 … 11 John S Monagan (USA) all our family I’d like to welcome Eton’s Powell Exhibition … 12 celebration. everyone to this service of dedication. Local Group News ... 13 *Chairman: Patric Dickinson “Father of the Society” – Vice-President … 13 Like many members I find it curious that *Hon. Secretary: Dr Keith C Marshall Centenary Corner … 14 someone so apparently conventional, and It was in 1951, when I was eleven and *Hon. Treasurer: Kevin Jewell Centenary Year Events Calendar … 16 an admitted non croyant, as Powell John was six, that our parents, who’d been Society Notices … 18 searching unsuccessfully for a house in the Wallace Collection Powell Exhibition … 19 should appear to have such an abiding *Committee Members: country, were rung up by my Aunt Julia, Character Models: Odo Stevens … 20 interest in the pagan and occult. AP’s Dr Christine Berberich, whose son, Ferdy Mount, is here today From the APLIST ...21 world does seem to be more occupied by Dr Nicholas Birns (USA), with most of his family. On the lookout “When found, make a note of …” … 24 occult characters than the conventionally Leatrice Fountain (USA), for houses in these parts she’d seen that a Bohemians in Dance … 25 religious: John Aubrey (surely no Stephen Holden, Military Glossary for Dance … 26 stranger to odd practices?), Dr Trelawney, Georgian house near Frome was for sale Cuttings … 27 Tony Robinson, and thought that my parents might like it. Our Former Defence Correspondent … 28 Mrs Erdleigh, Scorp Murtlock (plus Prof. Ian Young (N Ireland) Letters to the Editor … 29 hangers on, including Lord Ken Everything about the place was curious Widmerpool), The Fisher King, Aleister Newsletter Editor: Stephen Holden and interesting – very run down, and Crowley and the local witches who Hon. Archivist: Noreen Marshall decayed since 1825, the year when the reputedly used the grottoes at The PR/Media Adviser: Julian Allason Fussell family, local ironmasters who Chantry, all spring to mind. By contrast All correspondence should be sent to: made agricultural implements, had built it. the only equivalent religious is Canon In those days you could, I’m assured, drive Fenneau – and one even wonders about Hon. Secretary, Anthony Powell Society a little pony and trap right round the him! 76 Ennismore Avenue, Greenford artificial lake that they had made in the Middlesex, UB6 0JW, UK valley below the house, and there were Curious too that our Chairman happened Phone: +44 (0)20 8864 4095 grottoes with fake stalactites and eaves – a across the obituary notice for RH Fax: +44 (0)20 8864 6109 miniature estate, in fact, complete with its Greenfield (page 28), a fellow Telegraph Email: [email protected] own ruins, derived perhaps from newspaper correspondent of AP’s, who Stourhead or Cheddar Gorge. Of course later became a pagan priest and who, had * Members of the Executive Committee who are the dates been better matched, would the Society’s trustees. All officers are resident our parents fell for it immediately. I can in England or Wales unless stated. remember their excitement, the “for sale” surely have made a superb model for a notice going up on our London house Powell character. © The Anthony Powell Society, 2005 and the individual authors named. All rights reserved. (eventually some ballet dancers moved in). Published by The Anthony Powell Society. And then, some months later, the furniture Once again life imitates art imitating life? Printed and distributed by Express Printing, Peterborough, UK 2 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #19 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #19 though proud, so he claimed, of being one as was fashionable at the time. John of the few motorists who could actually Betjeman rallied to her support to stop the Everything about the place drive a car. We would all try not to wince despoiling of a fine example of mid 19th The plaques are designed was curious and interesting as he drove closer and closer to the passing century craftsmanship. by Richard Kindersley ... … decayed since 1825 hedgerows. the slate comes from North So, as the plaque describes, protector of Our mother threw herself into village life church and countryside. Finally Wales was packed up along with our then cat, and local politics, conservation and “biographer” – of her family and its Albert, and we set off for Somerset with planning issues long before they had history, and of a number of women writers, Albert wailing in his basket. become major national topics. She was whose lives had, for whatever reason, been Richard Kindersley. I asked him about the part of the seven-year battle to stop the unjustly neglected. But I don’t think slate which comes from Wales, and he told Living in London we didn’t have or need a closure of Mells Lane, as some of you will you’d call her a feminist. She resists being me: car. There weren’t many about just after recall. She was quoted as saying, labelled just as she didn’t label others. So The slate comes from a small slate mine the war. My mother wrote in her the plaque we are dedicating today is her near Corris which is a few miles from autobiography: I shall be attending the enquiry as long as only label. Machynlleth in North Wales. The entrance I’m able to. This lane goes back to the to the mine is by a shaft driven horizontally It was obvious that in our country home we 1500’s and it outrages me that purely for into the side of the mountain. In the centre commercial reasons they want to obliterate Both the plaques [to Anthony Powell and would require a motor car, but the search Lady Violet Powell] are designed by of the mountain there is a seam of very pure was difficult. New cars were dreams at the it. slate from which the Memorial is carved. end of a long waiting list. Even the This pure seam is surrounded by a thick strangest second-hand models had to be As those of you who live here know this strata of inferior quality slate. Because of chased like shy animals. Some people was a battle that was lost. the folding of the earth’s crust over 250 managed to acquire London taxis, which million years the once flat and level had passed the date when they could be She soon became a member, and sedimentary rock is now vertical within the licensed to travel the streets of the eventually president, of the then thriving mountain. This produces a difficult metropolis. Anthony rather leaned towards environment from which to extract the slate. a taxi, but I protested that I did not wish to Women’s Institute, which used to meet just It is essentially an ever deepening cavern. become known in a new neighbourhood as a up the road in a dark old pub. female cabbie. But, most important of all, the tablet She was a devout Anglican, having been to doesn’t say what a delightful, witty, loyal Finally we bought an old Humber, even a school for the daughters of the clergy and deeply loving wife, mother, more ancient than the model which Colonel (which she wasn’t), St Margaret’s, Bushey Powell had cherished since before World grandmother, great-grandmother, mother- War Two. The bonnet did not present a too – a part of the world, near Watford, which in-law, aunt, great-aunt and, of course, outmoded appearance, but the rear view, I’ve got to know only too well as a lot of friend she was to all of us. solid except for a tiny glass panel, looked television is filmed there. only too like a taxi serving a village I thank everyone who cares for and community far behind the times. This As a regular attendee at this church she worships in this church. Martin Weymont ponderous vehicle did inspire a certain awe protected the integrity of the interior when among drivers coming from the opposite and Jean Kilpin for taking this service, direction, but the local car auction, the then rector wanted to get rid of this Valerie and David Rawlins and the appropriately situated at Cannard’s Grave, rood screen and the choir stalls in the members of the Parochial Church Council.
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