Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #18 From the Secretary’s Desk The Anthony Powell Society The Anthony Powell Society Registered Charity No. 1096873 The duties of an honorary secretary are by no Newsletter means of a trivial character and the society that The Anthony Powell Society is a is served by a capable and willing worker is very charitable literary society devoted to the Issue 18, Spring 2005 ISSN 1743-0976 fortunate. The occupant of the post must be life and works of the English author prepared to go through a good deal of what may be described as drudgery. Anthony Dymoke Powell, 1905-2000. An Honourable Retirement Contents Personal Endowments – It goes without saying Officers & Executive Committee An Honourable Retirement … 1 Society President Hugh Massingberd is that a man of some education and tact should be From the Secretary’s Desk … 2 selected for the post. The former is essential, Patron: John MA Powell stepping down due to ill health. Our Venusberg Revisited … 4 Chairman Patric Dickinson celebrates Hugh’s because he is commonly entrusted with the The Tranby Croft Scandal … 5 correspondence … of the body for whom he is Hon. Vice-Presidents: friendship with AP and his work for the Hugh Massingberd Society. The Widmerpool Award … 7 acting. John S Monagan (USA) Christmas Competition Results … 8 Minutes – Though it is the chairman’s duty to Event Invitations … 9 It is a matter of huge regret to all of us that take notes … of the business done and decisions *Chairman: Patric Dickinson Literary Centenaries in 2005 … 10 Hugh Massingberd has felt obliged on arrived at, the secretary will keep his own notes *Hon. Secretary: Dr Keith C Marshall Dance and Spurling Republished … 10 health grounds to give up being President … He need not do so in an elaborate manner, *Hon. Treasurer: Kevin Jewell of the Society. Since taking office in 2001 Local Group News … 11 since what is requisite is a record of the salient he has given unstinting support to all its National Portrait Gallery Book … 12 facts. Save when the matter is of moment and *Committee Members: activities, his practical advice a Centenary Corner … 13 there is serious difference of opinion, he should not note the names of the various speakers and Dr Christine Berberich, considerable help at every stage and his Centenary Year Events Calendar … 14 what they said. When decisions are unanimous Dr Nicholas Birns (USA), genial presence a great asset at numerous Christmas Quiz Answers … 16 it will suffice to enter: “It was unanimously Leatrice Fountain (USA), meetings. He has been the ideal person to Society News & Notices … 17 agreed …”. Stephen Holden, occupy the post. From the APLIST … 18 Tony Robinson, Letters to the Editor … 25 Should the Secretary Speak? – As a rule the Prof. Ian Young (N Ireland) secretary should not appear in too many roles. Being both a fan and a friend of Anthony Society Merchandise … 27 In committee he cannot help having to talk Newsletter Editor: Stephen Holden Powell, it was Hugh who gave the address Membership Form … 28 often, answering questions, and tendering at Powell’s memorial service at the advice, since he holds all the ropes in his own Hon. Archivist: Noreen Marshall Grosvenor Chapel in May 2000. hand. But in public his duty should be limited to PR/Media Adviser: Julian Allason (Members of the Society may be interested reading letters and making announcements, All correspondence should be sent to: to know that this tribute has now appeared leaving to others the functions of oratory. in print, being one of the addresses Hon. Secretary, Anthony Powell Society Parting Advice – Every secretary sooner or later 76 Ennismore Avenue, Greenford brought together by Angela Huth in her recognises the wisdom of certain homely recently published Well-Remembered proverbs … “If you want a thing done, do it Middlesex, UB6 0JW, UK Friends: Eulogies on Celebrated Lives). yourself” … “It is the unexpected which Phone: +44 (0)20 8864 4095 [Hugh’s memorial service address is also happens”. He must, therefore, be chary of Fax: +44 (0)20 8864 6109 on the Society website – Ed.] Powell also delegating duties to other than perfectly Email: [email protected] looms large in the pantheon of idols who trustworthy persons … Nor will it do harm to cudgel his brains for new ideas or “happy form the basis of Hugh’s charming * Members of the Executive Committee who are thoughts” for the more adequate discharge of his the Society’s trustees. All officers are resident autobiographical work Daydream duties. The secretary should not be too in England or Wales unless stated. Believer: Confessions of a Hero- hidebound or conventional. Worshipper (2001). [Extracted from The Chairman’s Guide and Continued on page 3 © The Anthony Powell Society, 2005 and the individual Secretary’s Companion, published by Ward authors named. All rights reserved. Membership Special Offer Lock, circa 1930] Published by The Anthony Powell Society. Printed and distributed by Express Printing, 5 years for price of 4 — see page 17 Peterborough, UK 2 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #18 Anthony Powell Society Newsletter #18 Continued from page 1 the Conference itself the following day? Venusberg Revisited the heart of Lucy, with Da Costa the likely The tables are to some extent turned with And as a longstanding member of the victor. However, on the voyage to the Hugh’s occasional appearances in Powell’s Travellers’ Club, who better to discourse by Mike Jay “Little new country in the Baltic” Journals. He was always assured of a on “Anthony Powell at The Travellers”, Lushington meets the shady Count Bobel warm welcome at The Chantry, again on site, in 2002? Venusberg is the second of Powell’s five and the fragrant Ortrud with whom he appreciated not only for his retailing of pre-Dance novels and was published in commences an affair which extends during genealogical and journalistic gossip but In short, there have been few more 1932, one year after his debut novel, his tenure in the Baltic. While there we also for his prodigious love of food. It is assiduous keepers of the Powell flame. Afternoon Men. Again the protagonists are see the diplomatic parties with Counts and good to see this quality amusingly evoked We owe Hugh a vast debt for serving as dizzy young things but this time the world Princesses, the seedier nightclubs and the by Powell in an entry for June 1990: the Society’s first President. We very is a mixture of a small diplomatic society set piece is the skiing trip to the hinterland. much hope that he will be strong enough and journalism. The main action is set Powell attempts farce when Bobel imposes Hugh’s appetite is renowned. I was to partake in at least some of the centenary within “The capital of a Baltic country” himself and two of the nightclub girls into therefore anxious that enough to eat should celebrations. It wouldn’t be the same Lushington’s rooms at the wrong moment. be provided. Hugh had Creole soup, beef with shorter scenes set in London and on and mushroom pie, gooseberry crumble, so without him. board a steamer to the Baltic. The dialogue remains crisp, short and with a couple of slices of plum cake at tea snappy but there is far more substance one hopes he kept from fainting before In appreciation of Hugh’s work he has Powell sets Venusberg in that historical than in the earlier novel. The chapters reaching the restaurant car on the way back. been elected an Honorary Vice-President blink of the eye when the Baltic States remain short. The characters are more of the Society. enjoyed freedom between 1920 and 1940, developed and there is more attempt at The Journals also bear witness to Hugh’s before both the German army and then the striking and pithy description. Everyone is notable success as obituaries editor of The Soviet tanks rolled over their tiny a character with a story to tell and Daily Telegraph. In the recently released neighbours. Despite Powell’s now seemingly aware of his role in the plot. film Closer, one of the principal characters distinctive yet Powell’s appreciation of people’s frailties works in the obituaries department of a deceptive is transformed as sharp humour. newspaper, which he describes as “the … this short lightness of style Siberia of journalism”. While this may novel remains we savour a Just before Lushington’s scheduled once have been the case, nothing could be definite menace further from the truth nowadays. The both consuming departure, a ball is held at the ‘House of only just beneath the Knights’. Ortrud is in a bad mood and quality and interest of published obituaries and amusing ... the surface with have increased enormously over the last fatefully leaves, not with Lushington but local political twenty years, and Hugh’s inspired with Da Costa. There is yet another Anthony Powell Resides Here tensions, riots, bombings, revolutions and editorship is generally regarded as a attempted assassination of General Kuno, CRAWFORD DOYLE BOOKSELLERS seeks assassinations around every corner. determining factor in this very welcome the head of police. Kuno, typically, and sells early editions of Anthony development. Powell’s works together with those of inadvertently avoids the bullets which find other distinguished British authors such The hero is the diligent English journalist, and kill both Da Costa and Ortrud. Lushington, who faithfully compiles his But that is only one of the many hats that as Evelyn Waugh, P. G. Wodehouse, Lushington returns to London and Lucy. Virginia Woolf, Henry Green and reports back to London and through his As the boat slips from the Baltic quay Hugh has worn.