The Pilgrim Rabbit Around and about St Mary’s Church Keeping you in touch August 2020 (Special issue) We are continuing to produce our series of Special Issues of The Pilgrim Rabbit to maintain interest in the heritage of our beautiful church during the COVID-19 situation. These are being produced in digital form only at present, to reduce costs and enable us to produce them more frequently. Please forward this digital version on to anybody who might be interested. Anyone is able to opt in to receive future copies by emailing the church using the address on the back page. All past issues are also available on the website at https://stmarysbeverley.org/heritage/the-pilgrim-rabbit-newsletter/. “I like this church” Throughout the 30 years he lived in wrote to his long term companion Philip Larkin, Beverley East Yorkshire Philip Larkin was a Monica Jones: and St Mary’s frequent visitor to Beverley and he has an association with several “Beverley didn’t make a great Philip Pullen landmarks in the town. The walk impression on me: I went to the Minster and also into the Parish For the past three years as part of the begins at the Beverley Arms, near Church (almost as big) but did not ‘Walking East Yorkshire Festival’, I plaque number 23 of the ‘Larkin Trail’ really grasp much. The Parish Church have been privileged to run a town and ends inside St Mary’s. Both of had a lovely painted roof, with all the walk based on Philip Larkin’s these places were well known to early kings of England (or so I Beverley. Sadly this year, as a result Larkin and held some significance in imagined them to be) over the choir. of the pandemic, the event has had his life. There was also a beautiful street of to be postponed until next year. In Philip Larkin, who many would argue mansions & chestnut trees called this article I explore some of the was the greatest English poet of the North Bar Without. But the town was places visited during the walk, 20th century, arrived in East Yorkshire too busy for my liking, & had no including St Mary’s church. on the 20th March 1955 to take up his bookshop (I confirmed this by verbal position as Librarian at the enquiry). I don’t think I really want to University of Hull. Initially he live there: too far and too large. It’s stayed in a series of temporary funny how one sometimes has a very lodgings in Cottingham. The first quick and definite impression about of these was Holtby House, then liking a place, isn’t it?” a university hall of residence which had once been the family A day later, he wrote in similar vein home of Winifred Holtby, the to his mother: esteemed novelist and author of “Yesterday I cycled to Beverley in the ‘South Riding’, parts of which are afternoon and looked round. It is an set in Beverley. extremely busy little place, rather During the first few months of his overcrowded with motorists, and residence Larkin spent much time although part of it are very pretty I exploring the local countryside, found it had no bookshop and this set chiefly by bicycle. On 16th April me against it. I stayed for dinner 1955 he made his first visit to (melon, steak, & raspberry & apple tart, with a glass of burgundy) and Beverley, a six mile cycle journey which he managed to complete cycled back between 8 and 8.30. Feel in an impressive 35 minutes. His very stiff today in consequence! My The Larkin Trail plaque “I usually pedal miles & initial views of the town were muscles really are awful – like miles at the weekend, always ending up in the somewhat mixed. On returning perished rubber.” Beverley Arms for tea.” to Cottingham that evening he Page 1 It is typical of Larkin that he should During this visit Larkin also came When planning the itinerary for the camouflage his appreciation of a across an exhibition of paintings by walk I always felt that St Mary’s place with a number of qualifying the Friends of Beverley Minster. would be an appropriate setting at statements about its apparent “Just as I was bounding out”, he which to end, and to reflect on the shortcomings. In fact, over the years, told Monica, “I saw a drab little powerful words and images of one of he came to like Beverley very much, picture high up – oils – it didn’t Larkin’s most well-known poems, making frequent visits to shop, for look bad. A label on the back said ‘Church Going’. I first read the poem Sunday afternoon tea and for dinner, ‘Jenny’s Shop 1950, Lillian Walton, in St Mary’s during an event to mark usually at the Beverley Arms. On one £2’ in a clear old fashioned hand. I National Poetry Day, and it is such a occasion he even attended a jazz went down to the Library – powerful experience to read it out concert given by Chris Barber, one of hesitated – shied – cleared out – loud in a building that resonates with Larkin’s favourite musicians, at the then in the porch saw that this was all the historical and spiritual Regal Cinema and Ballroom. Beverley the last day – so went back & significance which Larkin’s words was a place where he would often bought it. Cluttering myself up with depict. take visitors too, including the poet junk. But it seemed so humble & Vernon Watkins, the Faber editor modest – and so much better than Larkin was quick to point out that this Charles Monteith and the then Poet the others, that I fell. A very drab, was not a poem about faith (although others have interpreted it as such) Laureate Cecil Day-Lewis, who at the Hully picture.” time was the first poet in residence at but about the ritual surrounding it. the University of Hull. Nevertheless it seems to me to carry great spiritual meaning “Today I took the Day-Lewis’s to and ultimately reflects Beverley & showed them the something of Larkin’s Minster”, he told his mother in ambivalent relationship to November 1968. “Poor Day-Lewis religious belief and its place in doesn’t seem very well: his mouth our lives. The final stanza of this is all swollen up & he seems easily great poem makes this clear, I tired. And he’s not nearly 70! think: Makes me think what a splendid old creature you are.” A serious house on serious earth it is Larkin was also a devotee of the In whose blent air all our town’s artistic legacy. “This compulsions meet afternoon I finally went to see the ‘Jenny’s Café 1950’ by Lillian Walton Are recognised and robed as Elwells in Beverley Art Gallery”, he The last stopping point during the destinies. wrote to Monica Jones in May 1971, Larkin walk is at the war memorial “& very nice they are too. There are in Memorial Gardens. It is a fitting And that much never can be obsolete one or two of the old Beverley Arms place in which to note Larkin’s Since someone will forever be kitchen (you remember the one that solid respect for the annual surprising used to hang there).” Armistice ceremonies. “The A hunger in himself to be more eleventh day of the eleventh serious month”, he wrote to his mother in And gravitating with it to this ground 1971, “I’m afraid I didn’t stop work Which he once heard was proper to at the 11th hour, though I wore my grow wise in poppy. It’s strange how few people If only that so many dead lie round. do now. Memories are short, alas." Another reason Larkin liked St Mary’s Standing by the memorial is also a so much was his discovery of the good place to consider Larkin’s Pilgrim Rabbit. He and Monica were moving poem ‘MCMXIV’, one of great devotees of the Beatrix Potter the most sadly overlooked poems stories, and rabbit imagery was a about the First World War. distinctive feature of their private Somehow, this ancient part of conversations and endearments (he Beverley seemed to be exactly the would often start his letters to her right place in which to contemplate with the words ‘Dear Rabbit’, or ‘Dear the poem’s pre-war images of ‘tin Bun’, ‘Dearest Bunny’). “In Beverley I Larkin’s photograph of Monica Jones on advertisements/For cocoa and went into St Mary’s and found the New Walk, Beverley, probably taken in twist, and the pubs/Wide open all rabbit”, he wrote to her in July 1955. 1956. day’. Page 2 “I like this church: I hope one day time Larkin“ did not have the to me to erect a barrier against you’ll see it.” Nevertheless he smallest glimmer of faith”. Wilson memorialisation in the Abbey. We dismissed the effigy as“ not a very puts this down to the influence of who are Christian believers see God’s attractive one” and, like many others, his father Sydney, who was a fully work in all that is good and beautiful, questioned its representational signed-up atheist, although it is see the love and joy of God working intention (was it a rabbit or a hare?), interesting to note that his mother, through those who share in God’s and drew attention to its apparent Eva, became a regular churchgoer wonderful work of creation, even connection with‘ Alice in after and her husband’s death and when they are unaware of their share Wonderland’.