STOLEN by LESLEY PEARSE

STOLEN

BY LESLEY PEARSE

THE BLURB:-

A beautiful young woman is discovered half-drowned on a Sussex beach...

Where has she come from?

Why can't she remember who she is- or what happened?

She's wearing an old-fashioned dress and her hair has been hacked off. She's obviously been bound by the wrists and ankles. But without knowing her own name or who did this to her, she can't begin to piece together who she is and what led her to this unfamiliar place.

The police are baffled, but when the doctors examine her they make a shocking discovery: she has recently given birth.

Who on earth is she? And where is her baby?

THE REALITY:-

Meh. This was a kind of meh book. It came across as a typical airport purchase/ summer holiday read and there's nothing wrong with that. It had tension and a swift climb towards a climax but, sadly, left me mostly unmoved. My race towards the end was more about hurrying up trying to finish this novel than wanting to find out the conclusion.

It started off with ingredients that aroused my interest- it was set near Brighton, a city I love, and began on a cruise ship, with young and funky main characters. It wasn't all bad and celebrity David Mitchell featured after he bid, at a charity auction, for the right to be turned into a character. It's a nice idea; but I wish the author hadn't written this fact as a prior dedication, as I couldn't get the thought of real-life, geeky Mr Mitchell out of my head, and he's not someone who comes across as a romantic lead – quite the opposite, in fact! It made his sections of the story a bit surreal and maybe even silly. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Fern's and Howard's early lives and these added depth to the despicable characters that they were. I also hated Lotte's parents with a passion unrivalled for the way they treated their daughter (Jesus Christ, I had issues with my parents but- thankfully- nothing like the cruelty this vicious bitch and her chicken-shit-do-anything-for-a-quiet-life husband dished out to their poor girl.)

The story of Lotte's (and later Lotte's and Dale's) captivity made for a good read, although these sections seemed elongated. The violence that Lotte was capable of made me smile and say, 'Go, girl!' So yes, this story did awaken some emotion in me... just not enough. Too many of the characters were flat and just didn't touch me.  Quite frankly, they were also a bit daft in the head to think that Lotte could go on to have a 'normal' life after all the abuse she'd been subjected to.

This was the first novel I've read by this author and I'd give another of her many novels a go. I just won't be rushing to do so.

THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER by KATE MORTON

THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER

BY KATE MORTON

THE BLURB:-

My real name, no one remembers.
The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

In the depths of a nineteenth-century winter, a little girl is abandoned in the narrow streets of London.  Adopted by a mysterious stranger, she becomes in turn a thief, a friend, a muse and a lover.  Then, in the summer of 1862, shortly after her eighteenth birthday, she retreats with a group of artists to a beautiful house on a quiet bend of the Upper Thames...
Tensions simmer and one hot afternoon a gun-shot rings out.  A woman is killed, another disappears, and the truth of what happened slips through the cracks of time.

Over the next century and beyond, Birchwood manor welcomes many newcomers but guards its secret closely- until another young woman is drawn to visit the house because of a family secret of her own...

As the mystery of The Clockmakers Daughter begins to unravel, we discover the stories of those who passed through Birchwood manor since that fateful day in 1862.  Intricately layered and richly atmospheric, it shows that, sometimes, the only way forward is through the past.

THE REALITY:-

I bought this on holiday, in Cornwall, but didn't get to read it until much later.  And then, after I had raced to the end, I felt I had rushed it, so I read it all over again!  And both reads were highly enjoyable...

I read some other reviews about it, and agree with the reviewer who thought the title of the book was irrelevant- the fact that Birdie is the daughter of a clockmaker was not something that was relevant or explored- so could the publishers simply be jumping on the 'somebody's daughter' bandwagon of successful novels?  I've heard that nowadays publishers (and agents) do have ideas for what title will make for a bestseller and then try and find a writer's piece of work that fits that particular mould.  If that's true, then that's disgusting- I know that commerciality is important, but not at the cost of true creativity.

I don't, however, agree with the reviewer who thought that the modern-day character of Elodie was weak (not everyone in a novel can be overpowering) or that the book, set in many different time frames was confusing.  Yes, Kate Morton tends to usually go through two or three different eras and in this work we see the lives of Edward, Lucy, Ada, Leonard, Juliet, Tip, Elodie and Jack (and of course Birdie) depicted but they're all sectioned off and any overlapping happenings explained.  If anything, the author's style of writing is more simplistic than in previous novels and each section is clearly dated.  It's not much of a spoiler alert to mention that the story is narrated by a ghost as that is, very early on, apparent, and I quite liked it.

The concept of a really special house with almost magical warmth really appealed to me and, when you add in a beautiful, atmospheric countryside setting, along with hidden priest holes, and then juxtapose this with filthy, 19th century London, then it's going to be really hard for me to dislike the work.  My only problem was with a touch of reality.  Could Elodie, on an archivist's salary, really afford to rent a flat in Barnes, west London, by herself?  And would she really travel everywhere by bus, including all the way across London and through the rush hour?  Jesus, in reality, she'd never get anywhere!  And would she really have walked all the way from Barnes to Chelsea Embankment before hopping onto a bus?  Trust me, I've walked from Hammersmith Bridge (near Barnes) to Putney Bridge (the next bridge up) and that's quite a trek.  So, add the distance of yet another two bridges and it makes this little trot alongside the Thames a bit of a mission.  A small thing, but it makes this area of the book look unresearched.

On the whole, though, I loved this novel.  I wouldn't say it's the most gripping of Kate Morton's work, but it did seem easier to read with less complex twists and less flowery language (not that I mind those things).  Yes, it did seem, at first, that some characters were not fully expanded upon and loose ends not tied up, but on closer inspection both of these discrepancies were dealt with and anyway, I often think it's nice to let the reader fill in the gaps of a story themselves.  For my own work, I've learnt that it's not necessary to spell everything out in black and white to the reader.  Readers aren't imbeciles.

With a great conglomeration of stories contained within one novel and a host of likeable and unlikeable characters (Birdie and the wonderful Tip were my favourites) I found this an enchanting, highly recommended read.

MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS HATFIELD HOUSE...

I first became aware of the existence of Hatfield House after seeing the Oscar-winning film The Favourite, starring Olivia Colman.  This rather dark movie centred on the close relationship between Queen Anne (r. 1702-1714) and Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (an ancestor of both Winston Churchill and Princess Diana) and Sarah's 'usurper', her cousin Abigail Masham.

Queen Anne was perhaps our saddest monarch ever- most of her seventeen pregnancies ended in miscarriage or stillbirth and her only child to make it past infancy was Prince William, Duke of Gloucester, who died at the age of eleven.

Were Anne and Sarah having a lesbian relationship?  Propaganda at the time suggested that they were, in often explicit language.  Their personal letters were also full of intimate emotional depth, so maybe there was no smoke without fire.  The rumour is nothing new and has existed as long as Anne has.  One thing is for sure; Anne certainly continued to have a healthy sexual relationship with her husband to conceive so many times.

With regard to the house itself, I saw the diagonally-tiled Marble Hall in the movie, was intrigued as to where filming had taken place, stayed to watch the end credits then Googled Hatfield House.  It was easy to reach as a day trip from King's Cross, and Hatfield Station sits directly opposite the house.  The lord of the manor at the time, the 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, was happy to give up his land for the creation of the railway, but insisted that the station was built right by his home.

At the entrance sits this statue of the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, who was three times Prime Minister to Queen Victoria. 

The sweeping vista up to the house, with natural trees to the left and topiary to the right.  It was my birthday and a boiling hot day, hitting the thermometers at 38.7°C.  We later found out that this was a new record and was the hottest day EVER in the UK.  Result!😄

This topiary tree reminded me of a helmet...

Hatfield House was built by Robert Cecil, the 1st Earl of Salisbury, between 1607 and 1611 so is therefore Jacobean.

The contemporary 'Renaissance'  sculpture is by Angela Connor.  Recently commissioned (2016), the fountain was dry and so, sadly, the water feature wasn't showing us its full potential on the day we were there.

Bricks from The Old Palace (the original building in the area) were incorporated into the making of the new house.  Robert Cecil (a dominator of politics who discovered and suppressed the Gunpowder Plot) intended to make a home fit to to entertain the King.

One of two lions protecting the house.  Well, I am a Leo and it was my birthday, so I just had to take a picture of him...😄 

The tour actually starts in the Marble Hall, but we were advised to skip this room and come back later, as a tour group tour was taking place.  Here is a sleeping dog artwork at the base of the Grand Staircase.

This photo shows off the elaborately carved staircase and recently restored glorious ceiling.  There are gates at the bottom of the stairs and these were put there to stop the household dogs wandering up to the state rooms.

The underside of the staircase is just as interesting as every other part of the stairwell.

Pottery with a rather Chinese leaning.  Photographs were only allowed without a flash, so my apologies for quality issues.

We then entered King James's Drawing Room.  This is called the Ermine portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, and is quite famous.  It is attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619).  Below is a bust of the 5th Marquess of Salisbury.  

The Cecils were 'upgraded' from Earl to Marquess in 1789.

The statue above the fireplace is of King James I (1566-1625).

Most of the furniture here is late 18th century.

Of course, we have to have a Vain Old Tart photograph!  Here's me looking rather bleached out (the contrast of the strong sun outside to the darkness of the interior was notable and certainly gave some photos an interesting effect) above an attractive, regal vase.

The Long Gallery runs the length of the South Front.

The gold leaf ceiling, originally white, was converted after the 2nd Marquess visited Venice and saw something similar.

Off to one side is the Chinese Bedroom, which has been radically altered over the years.  The bed and ceiling date from the first half of the 19th century.

Originally, the room was twice this size and part of special apartments set aside for the King...

...More recently it has been used as a billiard room and then a sitting room.

This rock crystal set belonged to Robert Cecil.

The well-proportioned, grand Long Gallery fireplace.  To me, this has a real masculine feel about it. 

A view out over the South Front.  To the left of the photo you can see the hoist which contained men working on the building. 

You can only view this West Parterre from the windows or a viewing point down in the gardens.  We couldn't actually wander down onto it.

The North Gallery is an artery off to one side of the Long Gallery.  The chair and footstool at the far end were made for Queen Anne's coronation, in 1702, and the cradle at the front is Jacobean.  Apparently, part of the panelling slides open and overlooks the Marble Hall.

The view from the other end of the Long Gallery.  A guide told me that this served as Queen Anne's bedroom during the making of The Favourite, and her bed stood at the far end.

  

Full view, with that glorious parquet floor...

One of several ornate timepieces displayed throughout the house.

I apologise in advance for the bad photo- not one I took of this cabinet came out well, but I felt I had to include it as it contains a hat and gloves traditionally thought to have belonged to Elizabeth I.  Note the long, thin fingers, which her contemporaries commented on and admired.

The Winter Dining Room was once a bedroom with the North Gallery (behind the panels) a withdrawing chamber.  It was made into a dining room in the 1780s and used right up until the First World War.  The tapestry at the back is one of the Four Seasons.  This illustrates 17th century everyday life during spring.

The chimney piece is carved in marble, and displays the Earl of Salisbury's arms along with symbols of fruitfulness.

Summer...

Autumn...

Winter, with a pensive SuperDean to the side...

This is a maquette (true-scale mock-up) for the statue of the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, which sits outside the main entrance.  Note that his left leg is uncovered- the Victorians regarded this as risque, so the design was reviewed and it was shrouded for the master work outside.

This parchment roll depicts the ancestry of Queen Elizabeth I, tracing her lineage back to Adam and Eve.  It is 22 yards long and some of her supposed ancestors are King Arthur, King Lear, Julius Caesar and Noah.

The Library contains more than 10,000 books, dating from the 16th century to the present day.  I loved the little nooks on the upper level and the ladders leading up to the balcony.  It would be my ideal place in which to hide away and read on a cold, wintry day.

Above the fireplace a mosaic portrait of Robert Cecil stands sentinel over this room.  It was made in Venice and presented to him as a gift in 1608.

This room stands on the site of what was once the Great and Withdrawing Chambers, which were set aside for the Queen.  We are on the west side of the house.  Traditionally, the rooms on the east side were set aside for the King.

This is where it all began- looking out of the windows, you can see the Old Palace.

Built by John Morton, the Bishop of Ely, in about 1485, it was confiscated by Henry VIII when he suppressed the monasteries.  He used it chiefly as a residence for his children.  Mary (born 1516) had an unhappy childhood here, separated from her mother and declared illegitimate.  But Elizabeth (born 1533) and Edward (born 1537) had a happy time here.  They were excellent scholars- Edward learnt five languages and Elizabeth could speak seven, including Latin and Flemish. 

Looking out over the West Garden...

The moniker for the Adam and Eve Staircase dates back to the late 18th century, when two pictures of Adam and Eve hung here.

It is thought that this Ivory Chinese Palace might have been a diplomatic gift from the Chinese Emperor to King George III.

The Armoury was once an Italian Renaissance-style open loggia...  

...The 2nd Marquess filled in the windows and laid the marble floor in 1834, creating direct interior access between the two wings.

The 2nd Marquess bought most of the armour from the Tower of London in the middle of the 19th century.

I took a photo of the Cranborne Saddle purely because I thought it looked quirky.  I'm not sure if it's comfortable, though- I wasn't about to climb up and find out!

I'm not sure of the significance of a heavy marble bath which was dumped to one side of the Armoury...

Here we appear to have a mock-up of a horse (maybe it was used when teaching promising knights how to joust?), a rocking horse and an oriental screen. 

This organ sits at the end of the Armoury and was supplied by a Dutchman, John Haan, in 1609.  

The Chapel was consecrated in 1614 and is still a regular place of worship.  It was remodelled by the 3rd Marquess between 1869 and 1877.

   

 This area of the house was only miraculously saved from the fire which destroyed the West Wing, in 1835, when the intense heat melted the leaden water tanks in the attics.  It was a thankful coincidence that the wind also changed direction at the same time, so that the fire was driven back.

The stunning stained glass window depicts different scenes from the Old Testament, including Jonah and the whale, Moses in the bulrushes and Jacob's dream.

The windows in the other end.  The fire was started when the 1st Marchioness of Salisbury- a truly individual beauty with an imperious character, also known for her outspoken comments and eccentricities- managed to set fire to her hair whilst writing by candlelight.  The fire took her life.

The gallery retains its original roundels of evangelists and apostles.  These portraits are by Rowland Bucket.

The organ was commissioned by the 3rd Marquess and Giulio Taldini (who was also responsible for decorating the Marble Hall) designed and painted the front of it. 

We then moved on to the final part of the house on the tour route.  This is looking down into the Victorian Kitchen, which has been restored back to 1846.

The kitchen also serves as the shop, and the sales area is right underneath the clock.

I've always loved spiral staircases- although they are not so easy to navigate in heels or mules!

Spit-roast...

Ovens...

The Blue Chips was painted by Lady Rose Cecil (daughter of the 6th Marquess of Salisbury).  It depicts a group of Conservative MPs elected in the 1979 elections and includes John Major, Chris. Patten and Lord Salisbury.  John Major is looking rather louche, and not at all as we remember him!

Preparation island and a vast array of copper pans...

It was refreshingly cool down here- in other words, nothing like it would have been when it was a bustling, working kitchen back in 1846.

The Still Room (which is infested with a SuperDean!) was the province of the Still Room Maid.  It was where she would have prepared light meals, sandwiches, jellies and tea, coffee and hot chocolate (these beverages were very popular during the Victorian period.)

This Still Room was also where jams and preserves were made and stored...

To me, it looked very Downton Abbey!😃  You could almost imagine Carson sitting here, taking his break...

Old-fashioned range...

The central island, and the blue and white crockery is for sale.  

The Pastry Room is north facing, and therefore on the coolest side of the kitchen...

The coolness aids the preparation of pastries, cakes and biscuits...

Essential dried goods, such as flour, sugar and dried fruits.

Sugar cone...

Pots, pans and a SuperDean, as we made our way into the Scullery...

 The Scullery, with a butler's sink at the end.  This room would have been used for all the dirty kitchen jobs.

The gloom at the other end of the Scullery...

The hot air hit us as we took the stairs upwards through the kitchen door, onto the North Front.

We then ventured back into the stupendous Marble Hall, which we'd just skirted before.  It's  this room, with its magnificent diagonally-checked tiled marble floor (which gives the room its name) that I remembered the most from The Favourite.

This is the Rainbow portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, painted in about 1600.

Built at the very start, in 1611, this room remains much as Robert Cecil intended.  It is sometimes used as a dining room and is where the Salisburys would entertain their guests with lavish balls.

The 3rd Marquess commissioned Italian artist Giulio Taldini to add colour to the woodwork and plasterwork of the ceiling, with these classical pictures.

All that survives of the Old Palace is one of the four sides.  When King James I (James VI of Scotland), son of Mary Queen of Scots, inherited the throne in 1603, he coveted Theobalds- the Cheshunt palace where Lord Burghley had often entertained Elizabeth I.  James proposed an exchange with Burghley's son, Robert, who later became the 1st Earl of Salisbury.  This is where Hatfield's association with the Cecils began.

Upon acquiring Hatfield, Robert Cecil immediately made plans to create his grand new house, tearing down the bulk of the Old Palace.  I'm so glad that parts of this quaint and atmospheric building remain- wandering up here, you can almost imagine that you're part of a period drama.  Knot gardens are designed to be viewed from above, and this one was created in 1980. 

Walking towards the garden, dipping under the shady areas.  It was a REALLY hot day and rather oppressive, but we just drank loads of water and got on with it.

There is more than one bowery...

A shot of all of the house taken in the garden...

A statuesque statue in manicured topiary...

More statuesque statues taken from over the hedge.  This was part of the Old Palace Garden and the garden gate was locked against us.

The West Garden...

  

Clever topiary shapes lead us down to the West Garden fountain...

The sound of the flowing water did make me feel cooler- but only marginally...

Closer still, and the recent hot weather had bleached out the grass...

Lily pads but alas, no friendly frogs were perched on them!

Walking towards the Sundial Garden...

The longitude dial was placed here in 2011, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the house.

This 'mini-fountain' is in a semi-enclosed topiary hedge circle...

It is quite calming and very soporific sounding...

Four stone benches make for a shady enclave in which to relax...

This was a rather romantic wooden bench at the end of the path...

The Gardener's Bothy... 

...Which housed an exhibition of archive garden photographs from between 1860 and 1901.

Bothy fireplace.  It looks like an art installation (maybe that was the intention?) with its selection of tools...

Beautiful bluebells in bloom...

Stairs down towards the Old Palace.  I had to go for a nosey- as far as I knew, it wasn't open.

Looking into the bar area.  We later found out that the Old Palace is used for events.

Back in the Garden and this artificial stone carving of Elizabeth I and her courtiers, including William Cecil- father of Robert Cecil and Elizabeth's chief adviser.  The Salisburys have always been active in politics- originally adorned the facade of the Royal Exchange in London.

Skirting round the structured garden...

Staring down the path towards the Gardener's Bothy.  There are a mixture of bulbs and shrubs planted here.

Overlooking the Woodland Garden...

Walking towards the Viewing Bay.  I like the way this photo came out, with the trees casting uniform shadows along the pathway.

Overlooking the West Parterre.  This is a lovely panoramic shot of Hatfield House.

I'm assuming that Harry was a pet- not a recalcitrant servant who asked for a pay rise...😉

We also have Will- these are modern-day graves, so the owner is possibly an ardent royalist...

This is all I could see of the East Garden as it's only open on Wednesdays and my birthday fell on a Thursday, so it was out of bounds to us.

This was taken over the gate.  The Salisburys still live in Hatfield House and this is their private garden.

We then had a bit of a result right after we'd popped into Stable Yard to look at the shops.  We thought the Old Palace was closed, but a sign right by it informed us that tours were taking place that day.  We asked and the next (and last) tour of the day was only ten minutes away.  Could we resist?  Of course not!

Upstairs we looked out over the Old Palace Garden, which consists of three knots and a foot maze. 

The fountain is modern, added in 2004,  and has a gold stone cherub playing a trumpet decorating it.  It's based upon an Italian Renaissance design for a garden fountain dating from 1490.

The big chair is fun to sit on if you're feeling a bit regal and want to pretend you're on the throne (no, not the toilet!😁)  It's not from the Elizabethan age.

The Banqueting Hall has most of its original roof timbers.  It is in here that Queen Elizabeth I held her first Council of State.

These decorative murals are modern and were supplied by the V & A Museum.

The hall is available for events such as wedding receptions, banquets and corporate and private parties.  As we were leaving staff were beginning to set up for a later barbecue. 

The bar we spied from the window earlier...

Regal candelabra...

This is the stairway that Princesses Mary and Elizabeth would have taken up to the top.  Due to it being a scorching hot day, for health and safety reasons we weren't allowed to venture up.

The Old Palace originally formed a quadrangle around a central courtyard, and is one of the foremost examples of medieval brickwork in the country.

After Robert Cecil demolished three quarters of the Old Palace he used the remaining section as stables.  They were in use until restoration by the 4th Marquess, in 1915. 

Stable Yard was then built for the horses.  It is to the left of the photo and was completed in 1915.  Below the windows of the gift shop the names of some of the horses can be seen.  The complex also contains the restaurant and the Real Tennis Court.

Our next port of call had to be St Etheldreda's Church, just opposite the Old Palace.

We walked through this cute little arch...

Wouldn't it be lovely to spend the night in the picturesque room above here?

The church dates from the 13th century and Bishop Morton constructed the tower in the 15th Century.  The church contains the Salisbury Chapel, which was built in 1618

The Cecil Memorial Window was installed in 1920, by the 4th Marquess of Salisbury, in honour of his three nephews, who were all killed in World War I.

Down the aisle...

The Salisbury Chapel houses this monument.  Robert Cecil (1830-1903) was the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury and three times Prime Minister to Queen Victoria.

Memorial for Dame Elizabeth Brocket (upper figure) and her mother, Dame Agnes Sanders.  I took this photo purely because I thought the effigies unusual and rather eccentric.

Another Brocket memorial inside the Brocket Chapel.

A sweeping view of the path leading away from the house and out to The Park.  We had one final mission to complete...

This is the Elizabeth Oak.  It was planted in 1985, by Queen Elizabeth II, to replace the original tree under which Elizabeth I was sitting, reading her Bible, when she was told that she was now Queen.  Is this story true, though?  It was, after all November 17th 1558 when her ascension to the throne happened.  Would she have really been sitting out here in November?

I'd like to think that it is true, and here's the memorial plaque commemorating the planting of the new tree.

I'm not going to be blogging so much in the future- from September onwards I have to devote my time and attention to my Master of Arts degree course in Creative Writing, which continues for a year.

In the meantime, I have a large back catalogue of tourist attraction blogs for your entertainment- just click on the link at the top of my home page (when viewing in web mode) to take yourself to my list, and enjoy!😄

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXXX

XXXXX

XXX

X