Win tickets to see on stage Senders of the first three correct crossword sweetly innocent Mrs Wilberforce who, solutions opened will each win a pre- alone in her house, is pitted against a gang Christmas treat – a pair of top-price tickets to of criminal misfits who will stop at nothing. The Ladykillers at London’s Gielgud Theatre. The tickets will be valid for performances The famous Ealing comedy comes to life on between Monday 19 and Thursday 22 stage in a hilarious and thrilling new adaption December, subject to availability. There is by Graham Linehan (writer of Father Ted), no cash alternative. Include your name, directed by Sean Foley (The Play What I address, membership number and a Wrote). The stellar cast includes Peter Capaldi telephone number or e-mail address so that (from The Thick of It), James Fleet (The Vicar the theatre’s representative can contact you of Dibley) and Ben Miller (The Armstrong if you win. Closing date: 7 December. and Miller Show). Marcia Warren plays the Across 6 (with 14) Crowning glories lit up in Library show (5,11) 7 This goes around twisted body parts as a measure of substance (9) 10 Saint penetrated by sharp object in disorder, and it hurts (7) 11 Auden's caused joy for girl and boy, amongst others (7) 12 Foolish Amin has nothing before a twitch (7) 13 He's immortalised in Oxford showpiece (7) 14 (see 6) (11) 19 Descartes married and was quite restored (7) 21 World body adds garment only to remove it (7) 23 US video cunningly mixed (7) 25 Lenin gets awkward (7) 26 Fat welder turned to old pots (9) 27 Monsters emerge from bog resurrected (5) Down 1 Meredith's intellectual dandyism (8) 2 When the words here do this, you've triumphed (3,3) 3 Type to suggest a new slant on a story (10) 4 Philosophical grinder (4) 5 La Serenissima and her local entourage (6) 6 Mend it by becoming a couple again (6) 8 Sailboat rises saucily (7) 9 One of Anton's three (6) Solution to autumn puzzle: Across: 1 Husbands, 5 Arabic, 10 Canst, 11 Boston spa, 12 Baseballs, 13 Upset babies blur basic fault under new wallpaper (3,7) 15 Play up and play the game, he urged (7) 13 Gasps, 14 Arnold, 15 Pen name, 18 Reforms, 20 Wesker, 22 Troop, 16 Milton has him telling tales under the hawthorn (8) 24 Constrict, 25 Neediness, 26 Omaha, 27 Elapse, 28 Irish Sea. 17 Shortly, old-fashioned Labour leader did a deal (6) Down: 1 Hecuba, 2 Sans serif, 3 Autobiographies, 4 Dabbled, 18 Judge whether ship (without name) will end up amid turbulent seas (6) 6 Reorganisations, 7 Basis, 8 Clansmen, 9 Uses up, 16 Americans, 20 Fifty in assorted ovens – Aga sagas? (6) 17 Pretence, 19 Secret, 20 Windsor, 21 Ithaca, 23 Opera. 22 A dab toy has short surgical procedure (6) 24 Junk mail, but meaty (4) The five winners who received CDs of The Writing Life, were: Donna Foster of Sutton, Susan Pomeroy of Harpenden, Jean Tarry of Bury, Elizabeth Woodruff of Seaford and Dr Edward Brett of Hampstead. Members of the Council Council Members Volunteer Co-ordinator Jean-Anne Ashton Jean-Anne Ashton (ex-officio) T +44 (0)20 8964 2292 President Peter Barber Legal Advisor John Holroyd-Doveton The Marquess of Salisbury PC DL Dr Peter Beal Deputy Treasurer Alan Cushnir Vice-Presidents Dr Ruth Coman The Rt Hon the Lord Bragg of Wigton FRSL Nina Evans Friends of the British Library The Lord Jones of Birmingham Frances Hawkins The British Library Ed King The Rt Hon Frank Field MP 96 Euston Road Robert Kirton The Rt Hon William Hague MP London NW1 2DB Sir Geoffrey Leigh FRSA Michael Leapman T +44 (0)20 7412 7734 Penelope Lively CBE FRSL Prof Kate McLuskie Prof Sir Andrew Motion FRSL Dr David Shaw F +44 (0)20 7412 7017 Cdr Michael Saunders Watson CBE DL Paul Stevenson [email protected] The Rt Hon the Lord Steel of Aikwood KT KBE DL www.bl.uk/friends Officers Chairman The Lord Hameed of Hampstead CBE DL Membership Secretary Nichole Chapman Registered charity number 328095 Deputy Chairman Dr Christopher Wright OBE Editor Michael Leapman Treasurer Graham Allatt FCA Activities Co-ordinator Nina Evans Secretary Stephanie Kenna 8 Issue 75 Winter 2011 Quarterly Newsletter FRIENDS www.bl.uk/friends OF THE BRITISH LIBRARY Registered charity no. 328095 Crowning glories of illumination Some of the Library’s most magnificent treasures are revealed Written and illustrated on a roll of parchments in its latest major exhibition, which opened in the PACCAR Gallery glued together, it starts with on 11 November. Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination the Anglo-Saxon kings and shows the cream of the manuscripts collected by medieval and moves on to the early Tudor monarchs. Most are from the Old Royal Library, presented Normans, with William to the British Museum by George II in 1757. (Not to be confused the Conqueror identified with the King’s Library, acquired 66 years later, now housed in the as William the Bastard, as tower that forms the focal point of the St Pancras building.) he was known at the time. Edward IV can lay claim to be the founder of the Royal Library A small group of manuscripts and the first section of the exhibition is devoted to his collection. devoted to the instruction of future Although his reign was dominated by the Wars of the Roses, monarchs features a poem, The he found time to commission nearly 50 spectacular manuscripts, Regement of Princes, written in 1411, mainly on historical themes. Of these, 16 are on display, including offering political advice to the future one that portrays the author, Jean de Wavrin of Bruges, presenting Henry V. The highlight of the next the book to the King. section, on the diffusion of knowledge, The next area examines has sections of Matthew Paris’s the interaction between the celebrated map, drawn at St Albans Christian church and the in about 1250, depicting the pilgrimage monarchy. Here can be seen route from London to Jerusalem, with one of the oldest items on spirited illustrations of the buildings and show, a charter drawn up natural features that the pilgrims would have encountered (pictured). in 964 to commemorate The final section deals with the affinities between England King Edgar’s introduction of and mainland Europe and includes one of the most famous Benedictine rule at New Minster manuscripts from the Old Royal Library, The Shrewsbury Book, Abbey in Winchester, with a given to Margaret of Anjou, the wife of Henry VI, by the Earl glorious depiction of Christ in of Shrewsbury in about 1445. It is notable for its powerful Majesty. Fast forward nearly frontispiece images and for the forthright presentation of 500 years to a superb psalter Henry’s claim to be the rightful King of France. commissioned by Henry VIII, Remarkably, nearly all the manuscripts are in near-pristine in which he is identified with condition, their colours as vibrant as when first revealed to their King David. royal owners. Dr Scot McKendrick, the Library’s Head of History The third section is the central and Classics and the exhibition’s curator, explains why this is: they part of the exhibition, with royal have, for the most part, been stored between hard covers, away identity as its theme. Among from daylight, ever since they were produced. several documents aimed at establishing the legitimacy of the Continued on page 2... Norman monarchy, the most intriguing is a genealogical chronicle of the English Kings, compiled in England in the very first years of the fourteenth century (pictured). Inside this issue Page 2 Free admission agreed Don Prichard dies Page 3 Why I volunteer Page 4 New £50,000 grant Don Prichard, deputy chairman of the Friends from 2002 to 2007 and later acting co-ordinator of the volunteers, died in Page 5 Sam Leith September at the age of 79. On page 2 Graham Allatt, our Page 6 Gifts from the Shop treasurer and a close friend of Don’s, writes about his life Page 7 New visits and events and enthusiasms. Page 8 Win theatre tickets Among Friends Crowning glories of Free admission agreed illumination (continued) The Library has agreed to allow Friends agreement on free admission was not in Says Dr McKendrick: “They are a window free admission to its charged-for exhibitions place when the charging structure for this into a now remote world and an insight into from next summer, in the belief that this exhibition was finalised, Friends will be the aspirations of those for whom they were will result in a significant increase in our admitted to it at half the price they would made – the English royal family.” membership. Earlier this year, faced with otherwise have paid: in other words for While nearly all the exhibits are from the a cut in its Government grant-in-aid, £4.50 or £3.50 respectively. For Library’s own holdings, a few exceptional the Library decided that it would have subsequent exhibitions, Friends will be items have been loaned from elsewhere, to charge for the twice-yearly major admitted free, under an agreement that including a portrait of Edward IV from the exhibitions in the PACCAR Gallery, most was expected to be ratified by the Council Royal Collection, an exquisite tapestry from of which had hitherto been free. Smaller soon after this Newsletter went to press. the Burrell Collection in Glasgow and the exhibitions, including those in the Folio Christopher Wright, our deputy skull of a lion dug up at the Tower of Society Gallery and the Sir John Ritblat chairman, comments: “We believe that London.