Monday, 29 October 2018

FOOTPRINTS ON THE SAND by JUDITH LENNOX


FOOTPRINTS ON THE SAND
BY JUDITH LENNOX


THE BLURB:-
The Mulgraves are a rootless, bohemian family who travel the continent, staying in crumbling Italian palazzos, Spanish villas, French vineyards- belonging nowhere, picking up friends and hangers-on as they go, and moving on when Ralph Mulgrave's latest enthusiasm dwindles. Faith, the eldest child of the family, longs for a proper home. But in 1940 Germany invades France and the Mulgraves are forced to flee to England. Faith and her brother Jake go to London, while Ralph reluctantly settles in a Norfolk cottage with the remnants of his family.

In the intense and dangerous landscape of wartime London Faith finds work as an ambulance driver, and meets once again one of Ralph's retinue from those distant and, in retrospect, golden days of childhood. Through the war and its aftermath it is Faith on whom the family relies, Faith who offers support and succour, and Faith who is constant and true in her love.

THE REALITY:-
This was the second time around for me- I first read this book in late 1998, which was a bit of a difficult year as my first job in the fashion industry wasn't all it was cracked up to be- after my then-boyfriend found a proof copy in a charity shop. It was my first sojourn into the books of Judith Lennox and, since then, I've read every novel of hers that I could get my hands on. She's up there (along with Rachel Hore, Kate Morton and Katherine Webb, to name but a few) with my favourites. Incidentally (piece of useless information coming...) the proof copy had a few mistakes but, in this 'polished' copy I came across 'missed' spelt 'misssed' on page 366. Little things please little minds and all that... It was quite fitting that I picked up this book, for 50p, in a charity shop in Great Yarmouth, as part of the novel is set nearby, in north Norfolk, so I could easily relate to it, knowing this area and maybe wanting to move there.

'Judith Lennox's writing is so keenly honest it could sever heartstrings' is one reviewer quote on the back. You ain't kidding! Right near the end, the first time I read about (spoiler alert: quit now if you don't wanna know!) Ralph's last expedition, when he gazes over the marshes and reminisces about his wife, Poppy, who died right there, and later pops into nearby Cromer, then dies of a heart attack on the way home, made me cry a river. It is odd- I was in Brighton during the first day of 1999 and I'd just finished the book. I remember thinking about how that scene moved me so. Exactly six months later, my father died of a heart attack. Did I have some kind of premonition? Maybe. All I know is, I'm feeling a bit of a premonition again, but one of change rather than death...

This is one great tome and the author certainly has a fantastic vocabulary- I learnt not only some new words but also some new expressions. With (mostly) likeable characters and a timespan stretching from just after The Great War right up until 1960, and locations both in Europe and England, there is a lot for you to get your teeth into and, even knowing the story, I re-read this novel with fervour. The places of interest came alive for me, and this author has certainly done her research and knows her stuff, as every section seemed very realistic.

The first time I read this I didn't see Jake's (spoiler alert!) continuing existence coming, so that was a nice treat in a novel whose final pages were generally, quite sad and moving. But there was a lovely turn of events for Faith, who you can't help but love, and who deserves so much more than just contentment.  I hope she got her happy ending with her Guy and would like to think that if there was ever a sequel to this novel then she'd finally realise her dream of becoming a mother. It's still possible at 40- I am living proof of that!

This one will be staying in my bookcase for a while.



Friday, 19 October 2018

MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS STRANGERS' HALL...

Strangers' Hall is a museum of domestic history and dates back to the 1320s, when Ralph de Middleton owned a house on this site.  It is thought that the undercroft was built then, to store and possibly display merchandise.
It was a home to wealthy merchants, mayors and various others- including a solicitor and a dance master- when Norwich was in its heyday.  Many parts have been added to its structure since and the property now consists of an extremely interesting and eclectic maze of rooms.

It takes its name from the time of Norwich grocer and mayor, Thomas Sotherton, who resided in the house in the 16th century.  The first 'strangers' were Dutch, Walloon (French-speaking people of southern Belgium) and Flemish refugee workers, forced to flee the low countries as a result of the persecution of Dutch Calvinists by their Spanish, Catholic rulers.  The asylum seekers were weavers, and Sotherton was keen to encourage them to reside in Norwich, believing that their invaluable skills could be well-utilized.  Time would prove him correct, and they brought much prosperity to the area.  Documents survive which show that some may have lodged at Strangers' Hall.

In 1899, local solicitor Leonard Bolingbroke bought the empty and neglected building and  furnished it with his own antiques.  In 1922 he presented the museum to the City of Norwich. 

Strangers' Hall is not open all of the time (Wednesdays and Sundays) but it only costs £1.50 to visit if you pop in during the last hour.
It is a bit of a haphazard mish-mash inside, and the layout seems to have no rhyme or reason (talk about 'upstairs, downstairs and in m'lady's chamber') but it's far from boring!

You enter via the Great Hall, which was believed to have been built when mercer (cloth merchant) William Bailey lived here, in the 15th century.  Leading citizens were expected to entertain lavishly.

This is a view from the balcony, which you can see in the previous photo.


Francis Cock installed the Walnut Room in 1627.  Walnut gave furniture a richness that was much in demand at the time.  Rooms like these allow families to display their fine possessions.
I appear to have a ghostly SuperDean in this photo!

The view from the other corner...

Vain Old Tart, bedraggled from travelling that day!

Lady Paine's 17th century bedroom.  Her husband, Sir Joseph Paine, was a wealthy city hosier who lived at the hall between 1659 and 1667.  He was mayor when Norwich declared its support for Charles II, in 1660.

There is a tapestry on display at the end of the bed...

And a Vain Old Tart on display in the mirror...

The Little Bedchamber.  Perhaps this was a maid's room?  They are not quite sure.

The Great Chamber, displayed as Sir Joseph Paine's private chamber.  The floorboards are incredibly creaky- there would be no sneaking in unnoticed in this house!

Great Chamber fireplace...

Pretty knot garden view from the window...

This cabinet of jugs is on the staircase down...

The Georgian Room was installed in 1748, when Strangers' Hall became the official lodging place of Assize Judges, who regularly came to the city to attend court cases.  It is much lighter and airier than the rooms upstairs.

The view down into the knot garden from here is perhaps more picturesque.  The garden contains plants used for medicinal, culinary and textile-related uses...

The chandelier is stunning...

The Vain Old Tart is not so bad either...

The Music Room.  

The harp.  This photo is not the best, I'm afraid.  

V.O.T.

The Parlour.  Another less than brilliant photo, methinks.

The next room is decorated with display cabinets featuring children's toys...

The Victorian Nursery...

The Victorian Parlour was presided over by the mistress, and was considered to be the heart of the home.

This was labelled The Morning Room- it's perhaps my favourite room in this house (along with the Georgian Room) as it's so cute!

The Victorian Dining Room.  To our modern eyes, this probably looks cluttered, but in those times the accumulation of objects was used to show off the owner's wealth.

Full length V.O.T...

The kitchen is also called The Sotherton Room, named not after Thomas Sotherton, who I mentioned before, but Nicholas Sotherton, who was mayor of Norwich in 1539, and who lived at Strangers' Hall during this time.


The Undercroft is used today for display and educational purposes.

The Stables...

I love the 'sun' wall ornament...

Old, atmospheric stairs...


You pass these twin doors as you walk out into the garden...

...And these two windows...

To the side of the knot garden, and these plants were still flowering in October.

The church of St John Maddermarket can be seen at the top of this garden slope.


The garden and the SuperDean...

This was a mild day, but I'm going to end this blog with a photo I took the first time I visited Strangers' Hall, in May 2015.  The Mad Hatter was having a tea party in the garden and, of, course, I had to join in!

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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Thursday, 18 October 2018

MISS ELAINEOUS VISITS THE MUSEUM OF NORWICH AT THE BRIDEWELL (AND POPS INTO NORWICH CASTLE)...

Before we begin this blog we must start with a strange and obsessive tale...
I really should work as a researcher as I love checking out historical facts and am like a dog with a bone- once I get a whiff of a lead, I won't give up until I get an answer.

I must cast my mind back to the summer of 1976 (I'm almost 100% sure of the year) when I would have been 5.  We went on a day trip to Norwich by bus (I remember singing the nursery song: 'Fiddle-De-Dee, The Fly Has Married The Bumble Bee' all the way there) and ate upstairs at a fish and chip restaurant in Timber Hill.  A bit of Googly nosey parkering has revealed that it was called Valori's (I told you I'm tenacious with my research) and I guzzled a bottle of Coca Cola.
This meant only one thing: and that is that I was desperate to go to the toilet a couple of hours down the line.  The lack of public toilets available in the UK pisses (excuse the double entendre!) me off today, so imagine what it was like forty years ago, when shopping malls, which are usually well-serviced with such facilities, didn't exist.
Anyway, my mum took me down Bridewell Alleyway, pulled my drawers down, and I urinated in a shop doorway, only for the lady who ran this cake shop to come out and say (rather understandably) in her posh voice, 'Oh no, not in our doorway!' and then come back and swill the ground down with a bowl of water.
Me, being not right in the head, had to track down this doorway (I remembered the sloping, chequerboard, tiles) and take a photo of it.

And, just to make sure it was the correct shop doorway, I did more Googly research, and came up with some info about 1970s Bridewell Alley.  I was indeed correct, and the shop was called 'Home Made Bakers' and the proprietors were D. & E.M. Vignaux. 

I'm not normal, am I?😁

Back to the blog, and the Bridewell Museum started life, in 1325, as a rich merchant's house, before becoming a 'Bridewell' (a prison for women and beggars).  From 1828 it served as a factory and warehouse for goods such as tobacco, leather, shoes and boots.  It became a museum in 1925, displaying objects relating to local industry and people.
If you pop in an hour before closing, the entrance fee is only £1.50.

I did wonder about the significance of a gilded sheep hanging from the ceiling (it made me laugh!) and it would have hung outside a shop which imported eastern textiles.

I liked this sedan chair in the first cabinet you view.  I didn't use a flash as my camera EATS batteries even without using one (note to self- get a better camera!)

Textile cabinet and a bit of reflection...

This dress dates back to 1873, and is a Norwich silk wedding dress.
This is the SuperDean's photo, and he said it would make a good dress for his Irish mother to wear whilst out celebrating St Patrick's Day!

A cabinet devoted to Valentine's Day gifts.  The preceding day, February 13th, must have been very busy and profitable for local retailers and merchants!

Historical shop...

Colman's produced mustard here in Norwich, and there used to be a lovely, cute museum (sadly now closed) down the Royal Arcade, devoted to it.

Vain Old Tart (not looking her best...)

Apothecary.  Looking at some of the medical objects and 'cures', let's just say that I'm glad I live in this day and age...


This machine makes wire netting...

I briefly worked in a chocolate factory, when I was 16, and operated a machine exactly the same as this.  The factory called it a 'One Shot' (I have absolutely no idea why) and it coats the fillings with chocolate.


Another job of mine (fashion designer) is represented by this jacquard weaving loom...

And then we come to the shoe cabinets...

Shoe manufacturing is described and I got serious shoe envy looking at these...

Want...

Sparkly beauties...

I had a pair of mule slippers like these as a kid!

My favourites- I loved their crinkly front...

But, the following week I found my own crinkly fronted shoes for £3.50 in a charity shop in Great Yarmouth.  My friends think they're better than the museum piece!😃😃

The museum is not just about industry and some household items feature.  There are more display cabinets to see, but not all of my pictures were good enough to post.

The bar...

...And a Vain Old Tart...

Mock-up of a 1950s living room...

I'll finish with this cute chap.  The canary is the mascot for Norwich City Football Club...

After this, I visited Head In The Clouds, a new age/ ethnic/ alternative clothing and lifestyle shop.  I remember popping in as a young teenager.  It advertises itself as 'Britain's oldest headshop' and has been here since 1971.  Peace and love, man!

I bought this lovely, colourful scarf...

I thought I'd conclude this blog with photographs taken from my visit to Norwich Castle, a day later, as I really didn't take enough pictures for it to warrant a post of its own.  It is a medieval Norman castle, founded when William the Conqueror (r.1066-1087) wanted a fortified place in the town of Norwich.  
He wasn't responsible for the lift, though...😉
The castle has been repaired repeatedly, with its outer Bath stone shell dating from 1835-9.

The museum and art gallery hold significant collections from nature and art in the area.
Here is the view of the modern section.  The galleries snake off from a central rotunda.
 

There were way too many artefacts for me to photograph (we would have been there all day), so I honed in on the few pieces that really appealed to me.
 There was a wonderful Rene Magritte (1898-1967) small exhibition that I chose to absorb, rather than see through a lens.  It was about a lost painting, discovered, in sections, underneath other paintings
Here is a PDF of La Pose Enchantee (The Enchanted Pose), 1927.

This is 'The Largest Teapot In The World' and was made for the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park in 1851.  It's probably Staffordshire pottery, and holds 60.75 litres of liquid.

This figurine is a Seated Nude by Philip Eglin.  It is covered with newsprint depicting the Hugh Grant and Divine Brown scandal of 1996.

These are by Ana Maria Pacheco (b.1943) and are entitled Man and His Sheep I and Man and His Sheep II.  They date from 1986 and are about the relationship between the group and the individual.  I 'get' this work and often think that people are stupid and behave like sheep.


The castle was actually a bit of a let down- we wanted to visit the keep (which was probably built between 1095 and 1110) but the lower section is currently closed for restoration and won't open again until 2020.  Oh well, here is the main floor...



Lavatorial moi just had to take photos of the garderobes...


...And the modern day khazis.  These sinks in the ladies' loos were painted with shoes.  How lovely is that?!😄

We must finish this blog with another strange anecdote...
The first time I visited Norwich Castle was on a school trip, and I was 12.  Me and my best friend decided to nick sweets from the castle shop, but two busybody, tell-tale-tit boys in our class decided to tell our teacher.  This resulted in detentions all round (no police involvement- I think, if they knew, they would have been keen to pass on that one.)
The fallout, though, was IMMENSE.  My partner in crime and another 'friend' (you know who you are, Miss Wonky Gob and Miss Religious Nut) decided to turn their backs on me and encouraged others to do the same.  Well, I just went off and found newer, truer, friends.  I also have issues with my headteacher, as I'm pretty damn sure he convinced my partner in crime to keep away from me, even though she was the instigator.
All three of you are horrible people, and are going to get VILIFIED in my next novel.  

On cheerier note, though, my parents didn't take it too seriously.  My mum said, 'When the headteacher rang to tell me you'd been stealing from Norwich Castle, we expected to come home and find a suit of armour in the hallway!'

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

So I'll leave you with a photo of this chap.  He stands and guards the entrance desk.

TTFN

The Miss Elaineous

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