The Anthony Powell Society Newsletter Issue 54, Spring 2014, ISSN 1743-0976, £3 Venice Conference Announcement Fondazione Giorgio Cini Cini Giorgio Fondazione Details page 19 – Booking from 1 April Contents From the Secretary’s Desk … 2 Lady Widmerpool’s Purse – I … 3-7 Poussin’s Rhythms … 8-10 Kaggsy’s Ramblings – SA … 11-13 Kaggsy’s Ramblings – MP … 14-16 Christmas Quiz Answers … 17 Dates for Your Diary … 18-19 Society Notices … 20 Local Group News … 21-23 More Talking About Books … 24-25 2014 Literary Anniversaries … 26-27 Letters to the Editor … 28 Cuttings … 29-33 Merchandise & Membership … 34-36 2013 AGM Minutes … centre insert ** Don’t forget to renew your subscription! ** Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #54 From the Secretary’s Desk The Anthony Powell Society Venice. Yes, what you’ve all been asking Registered Charity No. 1096873 for is going to happen … we’re going to Venice! After two years incredibly hard The Anthony Powell Society is a work by Elwin & Susan Taylor, John Roe, charitable literary society devoted to the Jeff Manley, Julian Allason and others it life and works of the English author has been possible to organise a Anthony Dymoke Powell, 1905-2000. conference weekend in Venice, staying at Officers & Trustees the Fondazione Giorgio Cini (whose support is greatly appreciated), the Patron: John MA Powell backdrop to Temporary Kings. President: The Earl of Gowrie PC, FRSL Elwin’s team have put together a Hon. Vice-Presidents: programme of five talks, all by renowned Julian Allason academics, and as the pièce de résistance Patric Dickinson LVO a visit to the normally closed Palazzo Michael Meredith Labia to see the influential Tiepolo Dr Jeremy Warren FSA frescoes. The weekend will also include Society Trustees: a reception and a dinner. Jeffrey Manley (USA) Pricing is not yet fully nailed down, so Dr Keith C Marshall (Hon. Secretary) booking will not open until 1 April, but Dr Derek WJ Miles (Hon. Treasurer) there are more details on page 19. Harry Mount Tony Robinson (Acting Chairman) Trustees. Unfortunately Paul Nutley and Prof. John Roe Stephen Holden have both had to stand Elwin Taylor (Switzerland) down as Society Trustees because of health problems. Both are thanked for Membership & Merchandise Secretary: their tremendous contributions to the Keith Marshall Society over the years – in Stephen’s case Acting Newsletter & Journal Editor: since the Society’s inception – which Keith Marshall have been greatly appreciated. This Hon. Archivist: Noreen Marshall Newsletter’s success is thanks to Stephen. All correspondence should be sent to: For the time being this leaves the Society Hon. Secretary, Anthony Powell Society without two Trustees and an Editor. 76 Ennismore Avenue, Greenford While I can fill the Editor’s chair as a UB6 0JW, UK stop-gap measure, I cannot do so long- Phone: +44 (0) 20 8864 4095 term. So we need volunteers to join the Fax: +44 (0) 20 8020 1483 Society’s Executive as Trustees, and Email: [email protected] someone to step forward to fill the Editor’s comfy armchair. If you are one of those people, please get in touch. Cover photograph © John S Monagan 1984 and reproduced by kind permission. Meanwhile we wish both Paul and © The Anthony Powell Society, 2014. All rights reserved. Stephen a speedy and successful Published by The Anthony Powell Society. Printed and distributed by Lonsdale Direct Solutions, recovery. ■ Wellingborough, UK. 2 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #54 Lady Widmerpool’s Purse or The Message in the Painting – I By Antonio di Leoni with apologies to both Donna Leon and Anthony Powell O Engländer! Seid ihr nicht Toren After removing some crumpled pages of Ihr lasst euern Weibern den Willen. the Gazzettino from the late 1950s that had Wie is man geplagt und geschoren been used as packing material (in his Wenn solch eine Zucht man erhält… opinion, probably the highest and best use to which that publication could be put), he Oh Englishmen what fools you are found among other assorted objects a To let your women have their way. woman’s leather purse with what looked What a bother and nuisance it is like a gold chain and clasp. The crocodile To be landed with such a creature… skin was now a bit powdery but the metal [Mozart, Die Entführung aus dem Serail ] parts were in good condition, and he was able to open its clasp. After his mother’s death, Comissario of Police Brunetti moved a number of cartons As he peered inside it, he recalled how, as from her retirement home into his a young boy, he had found it in a narrow apartment in San Polo. Paola was canal near San Marco. This was before he constantly urging him to sort through these started school. He had just learned to boxes as they were cluttering up the swim, and it was a very hot day at the end limited storage area in the apartment, of the summer. Brunetti and his mates always a problem for Venetians. The were not allowed to swim in the canals, lower areas of Venetian buildings (usually but this one was quiet and not used by used for storage in other cities) were motor launches. It was also relatively subject to flooding during periods of shallow which made it easy to find a large acqua alta. This forced Venetians to find object such as the purse lying on the storage space in areas that were in bottom. It had not been there very long competition for use as living spaces. when they found it as it was still lying on top of the mud. The boys thought the One Sunday morning, he reluctantly purse might contain money since it looked dragged out a dusty box that had begun its as if it was expensive. Rather than risk life as a case of wine from an obscure trouble if they rifled through its contents vineyard in the Alto Adige region (which and had to explain where any new-found had been one of his father’s favorites). He pulled open the top, releasing a cloud of dust that was probably a health hazard given the damp Venetian climate that encouraged the growth of dangerous varieties of mold. He was confident that Lt Vianello could tell him what a serious risk he was taking by probing into such a musty box without wearing some form of protective clothing or mask. 3 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #54 wealth came from, they decided Brunetti There was no date on the letter. The only should give it to his mother. After other document in the side pocket was an rebuking him for swimming in the canal, airline ticket. This was issued to a Lady she took the purse without any apparent Pamela Widmerpool for a trip on British curiosity or further comment. How it then European Airways from Venice to found its way into this box of London. He noticed that it was a First miscellaneous items was impossible to say. Class ticket for the midnight departure. The contents included a small change He set the rest of the contents aside and purse with a few moldy oversized lire took the purse and the letter to show notes, some keys and various items of Paola. She had no interest in the purse feminine grooming such as combs, itself but looked with interest at the clippers, nail files and dried make-up and envelope and the letter. He held them in lipstick. In addition, there was, in a side front of her while she stirred the risotto. It pocket that had been zipped up, an smelled like one of his favorites, probably envelope. He could see that it was porcini cooked in veal stock. addressed to Sir Kenneth Widmerpool at “Where did this come from, Guido?” the Palazzo Bragadin, Cannareggio 3230 and marked Attesa per l’arrivo, the Italian After explaining its progeny, Brunetti for “Hold for arrival”. It appeared to have asked her what she made of it. been opened. In it was a hand-written letter on the stationery of the Italian “Guido, are you involved in some sort of Railroad (the sort of thing they still made treasure hunt game? This letter is available to international passengers in addressed to a character in an English those days); he could make out the novel by a writer named Anthony Powell. message because it was written in ball- He’s not one of my favorites, but I have point ink. It read as follows: read some of his novels including the one that was set in Venice. It’s been a while I am not able to meet you at since I read it, but I think the character conference due unforeseen named Widmerpool was involved in some circumstances. Have left message sort of espionage mission. “B” is containing your instructions from probably Dr Belkin who was supposed to superiors at home of artist D be his contact. I also remember a scene in Tokenhouse at Castello 4348. I which his wife (who was a very nasty placed it behind painting I bought piece of work) threw her purse into a from him called “Any Complaints?: canal. Her name was Pamela, as on the An Army Scene”. He is not aware airline ticket, so the purse probably that I concealed message. I left it belonged to her. The Widmerpools were with the artist, telling him to wrap it both rather larger than life, even properly, and said I would have grotesque, nothing like the characters in unnamed person collect it to hand Henry James who are much more to my over to me at conference.