The “Cripple” Suffragette

It is impossible to list everyone involved in the Suffrage Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Only fifty-nine of the thousands of supporters are named on the Millicent Fawcett statue in Parliament Square. However, looking at each of these individuals gives us a sense of the views held by the many women and men who campaigned for women’s suffrage. One such woman was Rosa May Billinghurst, popularly known at the time as the “cripple suffragette”.

Rosa May Billinghurst, or May, as she preferred, was born in Lewisham on 31st May 1875 to Rosa Ann and Henry Farncombe Billinghurst. During her childhood, she contracted polio, which left her unable to walk unaided. For the rest of her life, she relied on leg irons, crutches or a modified tricycle, earning her the unsavoury nickname. Despite her disabilities, Billinghurst involved herself with social work and taught at a Sunday School.

Passionate about the Women’s Suffrage cause, Billinghurst joined the Women’s Liberal Association, which later became the Women’s Liberal Federation. The WLF aimed to work with the Liberal Party to promote just legislation for women, particularly the introduction of votes for women at elections on the same terms as men.

In 1907, Billinghurst became disenchanted with the Liberal party, so she joined the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) and participated in a march to the Royal Albert Hall the following year, albeit on her tricycle. That same year, Billinghurst helped organise a protest on the polling day of the Haggerston by-election. Haggerston was a UK Parliament constituency before being incorporated into the Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch and, subsequently, the London Borough of Hackney. The by-election occurred following the death of the Liberal MP Sir Randal Cremer (1828-1908). Rather than give the seat to another Liberal politician, a local election was held to choose a new representative for the constituency. Billinghurst and several other Suffragettes canvassed the area on polling day, shouting “keep the Liberal out.” Their efforts were rewarded when the Conservative candidate, Rupert Guinness (1874-1967), won 51.4 % of the vote.

In 1910, Billinghurst established the Greenwich branch of the WSPU and served as secretary during the Black Friday demonstrations. Around 300 women marched to the Houses of Parliament as part of the campaign for voting rights on 18th November 1910. What started as a relatively peaceful demonstration became a violent brawl when male bystanders and the Metropolitan Police began attacking and, in some instances, sexually assaulting the women.

Billinghurst attended the Black Friday demonstration on her tricycle wheelchair. She was amongst the women pulled through the streets by violent men, who assaulted her, deflated her wheels and stole the valves, leaving Billinghurst stranded. Despite this exploitation of her disability, Billinghurst determined to use the experience as publicity for the suffrage cause.

In 1911, Billinghurst participated in another march to the Houses of Parliament. This time, she came prepared to fight the police and bystanders if they attempted any assault. Billinghurst placed her crutches on either side of her tricycle and charged at any opposition. Whilst this deterred the police from attacking her, it resulted in her arrest.

Billinghurst experienced prison life on several occasions. In March 1912, Billinghurst helped the Scottish suffragette Janie Allan (1868-1968) smash windows along Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, which resulted in a stint in Holloway Prison. On this occasion, Billinghurst was sentenced to one month’s hard labour. Being disabled, prison wardens were confused about her sentence and gave her no work for the duration of her sentence.

On 8th January 1913, the Old Bailey sentenced Billingshurst to another eight months in Holloway Prison after she damaged letters in a post box. In court, Billingshurst represented herself and gave a speech titled The Guilt Lies on the Shoulders of the Government, which she later published in the WSPU newspaper, The Suffragette.

“The guilt lies o the shoulders of the Government for delaying the measure, not on the women who continue to fight for the protection of the weak and the oppressed. In our union are women doctors, nurses, inspectors, teachers — women in almost every branch of industry and station of life. We are not hooligans seeking to destroy, but we mean to wake the public mind from its apathy, and to make our cause the burning question of the day, so that something shall be done for women. Gentlemen, I have stated a few facts of my life to show you why I am standing in the dock to-day pleading “Not Guilty.” I am fighting a righteous battle with a high motive. You may think me guilty; I may be imprisoned. In that case, I shall adopt the hunger strike as a protest against imprisonment being given to women instead of the justice they demand.“

Billinghurst carried out her hunger strike threat with several other suffragettes. Fearing an outcry if the prisoners died from starvation, the prison wardens subjected the hunger strikers to force-feeding. Prison wardens restrained the women while a doctor inserted a small tube up their noses or throats into the stomach to administer liquid meals. Force-feeding was traumatic, abusive and not much more nutritious than starvation. After two weeks, Billinghurst became critically ill, resulting in an early release from prison.

Between 1909 and 1914, the WSPU awarded hunger strikers a medal designed by Sylvia Pankhurst (1882-1960). The silver medal, engraved with the words Hunger Strike, hung on a ribbon featuring purple, white and green, the colours of the WSPU. With a silver pin engraved For Valour, recipients could attach their award to their clothes to demonstrate how far they were willing to go in their campaign for women’s voting rights. Silver bars were added to the medals with the dates the recipient underwent force-feeding. Many women experienced the gruelling procedure on several occasions.

Despite the threat of imprisonment and force-feeding, Billinghurst continued campaigning. She spoke at public events in 1913 and chained herself to the gates of Buckingham Palace with a handful of other suffragettes. On 14th June 1913, Billinghurst and other members of the WSPU used the funeral procession of Emily Wilding Davison to further their cause. Davison died after being hit by a horse at the 1913 Derby when she walked onto the track during the race. The suffragettes named Davison a martyr, and 5000 women dressed in white followed her coffin through the streets of London. Several male supporters also joined the ranks, helping to carry the banners of the WSPU.

Attitudes towards the suffragettes did not change much throughout their campaign, with many regarding them as a nuisance. Billinghurst joined the crowds of women petitioning to the King on 21st May 1914, where, once again, the police used violence to disperse them. Whilst Billinghurst was not arrested on this occasion, the police tipped her out of her tricycle.

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Billinghurst followed Emmeline Pankhurst’s lead prioritising war work. Although she was restricted due to her disability, Billinghurst helped where she could throughout the war years. In February 1918, parliament passed the Representation of the People Act 1918, which extended the right to vote to women aged 30 and over who resided in the constituency or occupied land or premises with a rateable value above £5. Whilst this was not equal to men, Billinghurst felt satisfied and stopped campaigning for women’s suffrage. Instead, she helped Christabel Pankhurst (1880-1958) stand in the 1918 general election for the Smethwick constituency. Pankhurst was narrowly defeated by the Labour candidate.

Very little is known about Billinghurst’s life outside of her work with the WSPU. In 1911, it appeared she still lived with her parents, but at some point, she lived in Sunbury-on-Thames with her adopted daughter, Beth, who she adopted in 1933. Other records reveal that after 1914, Billinghurst lived with her brother Alfred John Billinghurst.

Rosa May Billinghurst passed away at a hospital in Twickenham on 29th July 1953, leaving her body to medical science. Sixty-five years after her death, Billinghurst’s name and picture appeared on the plinth of the newly-erected Millicent Fawcett statue in Parliament Square. Although information about Billinghurst is sparse, her name and determination will never be forgotten.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Advertisement

The Horniman Museum

In Forest Hill, Southeast London is a museum devoted to anthropology, natural history and musical instruments. The Horniman Museum opened in 1901, although under a different name, and is now known for its extensive collection of taxidermied animals. The museum resulted from Frederick Horniman’s lifelong passion for collecting artefacts. Horniman gathered around 30,000 items during his lifetime, but the Horniman Museum now boasts a collection of 350,000 objects.

Frederick John Horniman was born in Bridgwater, Somerset, on 8th October 1835 to Quaker parents, John and Ann Horniman. John had founded Horniman’s Tea Company in 1826 in Newport, Isle of Wight. He later moved the business to London, the then-biggest tea trading port in the world. By 1891, Horniman’s was the largest business in the trade. 

Horniman grew up in Croydon, where he attended the Quaker Friends’ School until age 14. Upon leaving school, he joined the family business. During the Victorian era, many immoral traders attempted to increase their profits by adding other items to their products. Tea companies frequently supplemented tea leaves with hedge clippings or dust. The Hornimans, on the other hand, refused to cheat their customers. Instead, John Horniman revolutionised the tea trade by using machines to speed up the process of filling pre-sealed packages. The process was quicker and cheaper than paying workers to fill the packets by hand.

During the 1850s, the government tried to put an end to traders cheating customers by secretly testing their products. In 1855, the test results declared Horniman’s Tea pure and safe for consumption. The company saw an increase in sales following this survey, much to the dismay of its competitors.

In 1859, Frederick Horniman married Rebekah Emslie (1825-95), with whom he had two children, Annie (1860-1937) and Emslie (1863-1932). As the only son, Emslie inherited the tea company on Horniman’s death and sold it to J. Lyons & Co. in 1918. Emslie received a private education and spent some of his youth travelling. He later became a Liberal Party politician. Annie also received a private education at home, but her interests lay in the theatre, which Horniman considered sinful. Nonetheless, Horniman allowed Annie to attend the Slade School of Fine Art, which kick-started her career in the acting world. In 1908, she founded the first repertory company at the Gaiety Theatre in Manchester.

From around 1860, Horniman began collecting objects, specimens and artefacts of interest. He particularly looked for items belonging to ‘natural history and the arts and handicrafts of various peoples of the world’. His passion for collecting soon became a quest to ‘bring the world to Forest Hill’, where he and his family lived, and to educate and enrich the lives of the local community.

Horniman’s mission took him far and wide to places that either appealed to him or may hold a particular interest to people back home. Countries he visited include Burma, Canada, China, Egypt, Japan, Sri Lanka and the United States. Horniman’s family frequently travelled overseas with him, which inspired his son, Emslie, to dabble in anthropology.

For some time, Horniman’s family put up with his eccentric passion for collecting, but by the late 1880s, his wife Rebekah put her foot down. After giving her husband the ultimatum, ‘either the collection goes, or we do,’ Hormian agreed to move to a larger house on Surrey Mount, not overly far from their previous home in Forest Hill.

In 1890, Horniman organised his curiosities into two categories, art and nature, and opened the collection to the public as the Surrey House Museum. Sir Morell Mackenzie (1837-92), a London-based physician, officially opened the museum on Christmas Eve. Over the next nine years, the museum was open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2 pm to 9 pm and on bank holidays from 10 am to 9 pm, attracting over half a million visitors. During the first year, it received 42,808 visitors alone, prompting Horniman to build an extension to accommodate guests and his growing collection of artefacts.

Following the successful extension in 1893, Horniman converted the surrounding land into a public garden, which opened on 1st June 1895. Today, there are 16 acres of land to explore, including a “sound garden” inspired by musical instruments, a wildlife garden and a prehistoric garden.

Since the opening of the Surrey House Museum, Horniman’s vast collection rapidly expanded until it outgrew the building. In 1898, Horniman closed the house and began constructing a purpose-built museum. The work cost around £40,000, which Horniman could afford using the profits of the family tea business. He had also been elected as a Member of Parliament for Penryn and Falmouth in Cornwall, which was another source of income.

The museum was designed by Charles Harrison Townsend (1851-1928), who was simultaneously working on the Whitechapel Art Gallery. The new museum was built from Doulting stone from a quarry in Somerset, dating to the Middle Jurassic era (174.1 to 163.5 million years ago), which seems fitting for a museum featuring several ancient artefacts.

The new museum, known as the Horniman Museum, opened on 29th June 1901. Horniman appointed Dr H. S. Harrison as the Director of the Museum and gave him the responsibility of reorganising the collection. Harrison also introduced several more objects to the museum until his retirement in 1937.

On 5th March 1906, Frederick Horniman passed away and was buried next to his first wife, Rebekah, in Camberwell Old Cemetery. When Rebekah died, Horniman married Minnie Louisa Bennett, with whom he had two daughters. As Horniman’s only son, Emslie inherited the museum and the tea trade. Emslie generously donated money to extend the Horniman Museum, creating a library and lecture theatre in 1912.

When Emslie Horniman passed away in 1932, he bequeathed £10,000 to the London County Council to build further extensions at the Horniman Museum. In 1944, the Royal Anthropological Institute established the Emslie Horniman Anthropological Scholarship Fund to “promote the study of the growth of civilisations, habits and customs, religious and physical characteristics of the non-European peoples and of prehistoric and non-industrial man in Europe”.

Since Frederick Horniman’s death, the museum has been looked after by several Directors. Dr Otto Samson, who was interested in ethnomusicology, concentrated on developing a collection of musical instruments. Later, David Boston embellished the museum with his own findings.

Further extensions to the museum have included the conservatory, constructed between 1987 and 1989, and the Centre for Understanding the Environment (CUE) building. The latter was inspired by Walter Segal (1907-85), who developed a system of self-build housing. Local architects built the centre with sustainable materials, including a grass roof.

In 1999, the Horniman Museum held the first exhibition in Britain about African art and culture. It featured a mix of sculptures, religious or spiritual objects, and information about life on the continent. Gradually, the display expanded to include artefacts from South American countries, such as Brazil. In 2018, the World Gallery opened to contain the growing African and South American collections. It also features items from Europe, Asia and Oceania to educate visitors about the diverse cultures throughout the world.

The Natural History Gallery contains hundreds of taxidermied animals from all continents. There are over 250,000 specimens in the collection, which include 4,700 butterflies, 350 examples of British mammals, and 175,000 fossils. Some of these were collected by Frederick Horniman, such as the insects, and others joined the collection during the 20th century.

The largest animal in the Natural History collection is a walrus from Canada. It originally belonged to the explorer James Henry Hubbard, who exhibited it at the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition in South Kensington. When the exhibition closed, Horniman purchased the walrus and several other animals for the museum. Unfortunately, not many people in Britain had seen a walrus, so the taxidermists overstuffed it, removing all its natural wrinkles.

The majority of the Horniman Museum is free to visit, including the Natural History Gallery and the World Gallery. Ticketed temporary exhibitions are displayed throughout the year, and a fee is charged for the aquarium and butterfly house. The Grade II* listed building is also of interest, particularly the clock tower and mosaic.

The mosaic on the wall of the museum is a neoclassical mural entitled Humanity in the House of Circumstance. Although designed by Robert Anning Bell (1863-1933), a group of young women pieced the 117,000 tesserae together over 210 days. The image reveals several classical figures representing Art, Poetry, Music, Endurance, Love, Hope, Humanity, Charity, Wisdom, Meditation and Resignation. An open doorway signifies birth, while another door symbolises death.

On display outside the museum’s entrance is a red cedar totem pole. Nathan Jackson (b.1938), a native Alaskan, carved the pole for an American Arts Festival in 1985. The carvings represent an ancient Tlingit story about a woman who married a bear.

In 2022, the Horniman Museum won the Art Fund Museum of the Year award, and it is not difficult to see why. The museum contains a wealth of information about the cultures of the world, plus thousands of fascinating artefacts. There is no sense of prejudice or racism in the World Gallery, and the museum claims Horniman did not gain any of his money through slavery, even in the tea trade (although the same cannot be said for those with whom he traded).

The Horniman Museum and Gardens are open daily from 10 am until 5:30 pm. There is a lot to take in, so more than one visit may be required to appreciate all the artefacts. Look out for the earliest known example of a hoop-shaped horn and the Carlton drum kit in the Music Gallery, and the Apostle Clock on the balcony of the Natural History gallery, which shows Jesus’ twelve apostles bowing to Him at 4 pm every day (if it is working).

For information about temporary displays and exhibitions, visit the Horniman Museum website.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Sidney Chambers and Other Stories

Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death
Author: James Runcie
Published: 24th April 2012
Goodreads Rating: 3.68 out of 5
Reviewed: July 2017

In 2014, ITV broadcasted the first episode of Grantchester, a drama series based on books by British novelist James Runcie. Although written during the twenty-first century, the story is set in the 1950s in a village on the outskirts of Cambridge. Sidney Chambers, a young Canon in charge of the Church of St Andrew and Mary, is a polite and friendly character who, despite his reluctance, ends up acting as a detective in a variety of crimes.

Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death is the first book of six in The Grantchester Mysteries. Split into six individual baffling cases, the background story of Sidney’s private life continues to develop throughout. Each crime is committed then swiftly solved by the Canon and his friend, Inspector Geordie Keating, although it is Sidney who ultimately resolves the case.

Murder, jewellery theft and art forgery are just some of the felonies with which Sidney grudgingly gets involved. Unresolved crimes tend to land in his lap rather than offering his assistance willingly. Up at dawn to work on sermons before rushing off to capture criminals, Sidney is never off duty.

A vicar may seem like an unlikely candidate for a detective, but people tend to open up to him and unintentionally reveal delitescent information. Listening to suspects and witnesses without pre-judgement allows Sidney to think things through carefully rather than jumping to conclusions. From the moment the crime is committed until the story’s denouement, Sidney passionately does everything he can to ensure the culprit is discovered.

What makes this series different from other crime novels is the focus on Sidney Chambers’ own life. James Runcie emphasises the loneliness of a bachelor living in a vicarage with only a curate and crotchety housekeeper for company. Readers are drawn into Sidney’s stories and hold onto the hope that his dalliances with the beautiful Amanda become something more concrete.

Those who have watched the ITV series will be familiar with the stories in this book because the producer has stuck to the exact storyline, not missing or adding anything extra. The fact that there were only two years between publishing and screen production shows how well-written and thought-out these stories are. Unlike famous detective novels such as Sherlock Holmes or books by Agatha Christie, The Grantchester Mysteries are not set at the time of writing. Although they are historically accurate, the prose is suitable for present-day readers.

Each story is quick to read, making it a relaxing and enjoyable book. It is not a thriller or horror, although some of the crimes are quite terrible. Instead, it is entertaining and often humorous. It is suitable for crime fiction fans as well as those new to the genre.

Regardless of whether you have watched the television series or not, Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death is a delight to read. Of course, ITV has given away all the endings, but it is a different experience to read it in print rather than seeing it acted out on screen. Featuring the face of James Norton on the cover to work as a TV tie-in, the series will be easy to spot in prime position on bookshelves, both in shops and personal collections.

How to Stop Time
Author: Matt Haig
Published: 6th July 2017
Goodreads Rating: 3.85 out of 5
Reviewed: June 2017

All the world’s a stage/And all the men and women merely players/They have their exits and their entrances/And one man in his time plays many parts …

How to Stop Time is British author Matt Haig’s latest novel, and very interesting it is, too. In the present day, Tom Hazard is a 40-something-looking man who has landed himself the position of history teacher at a comprehensive school in Tower Hamlets. Despite not having any formal training, Tom is the perfect candidate for the role because, despite his looks, he is 439 years old. But that is a secret that no one must ever discover.

The book jumps back and forth between the current time period and flashbacks to various events during Tom’s extensive past. Born in 1581, Tom has experienced a large part of British history and major events around the world. Constantly changing his name and identification, Tom moved around, switching locations whenever people became suspicious of his never-ageing body.

After a couple of centuries, Tom met a man with the same condition as himself, who revealed that there were many people in the same predicament. Promising to be able to help keep him safe, the stranger coerces Tom into a union called the Albatross Society. There are many rules and conditions to follow, the most important being never to fall in love. Unfortunately, Tom has already done this.

In London in 1623, Tom met the love of his life, Rose, who he eventually married and with whom he had a daughter. Although Tom does age, it is at the rate of one year every 15; therefore, he eventually had to leave his family to keep them safe. However, his daughter Marion has inherited his condition, and Tom spends his subsequent years trying to find her. With promises to help him on his quest, Tom reluctantly joins the Albatross Society, despite their questionable ways.

All Tom wants is to lead a normal life, yet the narrative reveals how impossible this has been, both in the past and now in the present. From Elizabethan England to Elizabeth II’s reign, Tom lives through several monarchs, wars, colloquial changes, industrialisation, sanitisation of comestibles, and the introduction of digital technology. Without the added pressure of keeping his true identity disguised, it is very interesting to experience historical events through the eyes of the protagonist.

Presuming that Haig has done his research and that the historical periods are factually correct, How to Stop Time is as educational as it is entertaining. History lovers will enjoy reading about famous people such as Shakespeare and Charlie Chaplin and getting an insight into the daily lives of past societies. Most importantly, Tom is a captivating character who, despite having lived for four centuries, is still as socially awkward as the rest of us.

How to Stop Time contains a fantastic concept about the progression of time and ageing, but its most poignant point is the emphasis on finding and being yourself. Change is an inevitable certainty, as witnessed by Tom, whose current world looks nothing like his memories. Although people must adapt to ongoing changes, living how you want is more important than adjusting to fit in with everyone else. In essence, do not be afraid to let the world see your true self.

Where Are You Hiding, God?
Author: Elisabeth Zartl
Published: 1st January 2013
Goodreads Rating: 4.22 out of 5
Reviewed: July 2017

Where Are You Hiding, God? is a children’s picture book by the Austrian illustrator Elisabeth Zartl. Published in 2013 under the German title Wo versteckst du dich, lieber Gott?, it has been translated into English to reach a wider audience. Primarily targeted at children of Christian families, the book attempts to explain the concept of God.

The short story begins with an anonymous little girl searching for God in a manner that resembles a game of Hide and Seek. She looks in her bedroom, the bathroom and the garden before giving up in defeat. As she sits desolately alone, a gust of wind and a falling leaf prompts her to realise that God does not have a corporeal body, but is everywhere. Exhilarated by her newfound understanding, she exclaims that God is in all the places she looked and that he is inside her, too. God is everywhere.

Aimed at children ages three and over, Where Are You Hiding, God? explores the confusion a child may have in comprehending the idea of God. For a child, knowing something or someone is there but not being able to see them is a difficult idea to grasp. This book, through the demonstration of someone their own age, helps explain their questions and uncertainties.

Elizabeth Zartl’s illustrations capture the attention of those reading or looking at the pages. Filling each page with a full-colour palette, the drawings are child-friendly but realistic, making it easy to process and accurately create a visual narrative of the written words. The language is also suitable for the intended demographic, and although three-year-olds may not be able to read it themselves, they will certainly understand the story.

From a design point of view, the text and illustrations do not quite match up. The full-page artworks make it difficult to place the short sentences so that both elements work together. This is not the fault of the author/illustrator, who would have originally been working with a German text.

Overall, Where Are You Hiding, God? is a sweet short story that can be read to children or grandchildren over and over again. As well as being a source of entertainment, it introduces them to the beliefs they will encounter during their Christian upbringing and prepares them to develop a greater understanding of God.

Valley of the Moon
Author: Melanie Gideon
Published: 26th July 2016
Goodreads Rating: 4.07 out of 5
Reviewed: September 2017

For fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife (Niffenegger, 2003), this captivating story by Melanie Gideon is an alluring, spellbinding work of fiction about loving, being loved and finding somewhere you belong. With a touch of time travel in an otherwise typical reality, Valley of the Moon will excite, enrapture and touch readers’ hearts.

It is difficult to give a synoptic review without giving too much of the plot away. In short, the book contains the two lives of strangers who meet under unlikely circumstances. It is 1975, and Lux Lysander is struggling to make ends meet as a single mother in San Francisco. Estranged from her parents, Benno has become her life; Lux would do anything for him. The other half of the story begins in 1906 in the Californian Sonoma Valley. Joseph has achieved his dream of creating an Edenic community where races and classes can live in harmony. Greengage is a self-sufficient society where everyone is seen as equal, but something happens to shake up the peace – literally. A huge earthquake mysteriously leaves the valley unharmed but surrounded by a deadly fog. No one can leave, and no one can enter, that is until Lux does.

Until the two characters’ lives collide, the narrative is fairly typical, but it quickly takes on a theme that most minds would attempt to debunk. Through a wall of fog, Lux can pass between 1975 and 1906, whereas Joseph and his friends can only stay in their timeline. Lux begins to live a double life: one with her son Benno and one with the antiquated lifestyle of the Greengage community. Unfortunately, it is only possible to pass through the fog on a full moon, and not necessarily every month.

Lux’s modern appearance and colloquialisms baffle the community, but she soon finds herself a place amongst the inhabitants. For a while, Lux keeps her two lives separate, but one slip-up causes her to temporarily lose the love and trust of her only son. Torn between her own flesh and blood and the only place she feels she belongs, Lux has to decide how far she would go for the people she loves.

One of the key themes of the novel is relationships. Although romance develops toward the latter stages of the story, the majority focuses on familial love and love between friends. Lux and Benno’s relationship is particularly important, especially when their love becomes strained by Lux’s secret dalliance with the past. The other significant theme is about finding oneself. Lux lives in an era where despite developments in women’s equality, single mothers are still shunned. Conversely, in 1906 when historically things were worse for women, the egalitarian society feels much more like home.

Lux’s temerity is to be admired as she continues to visit the past despite it being beyond the bounds of possibility. More applaudable is her determination to win back her son as well as her distant parents.

Despite being set for the most part in the 1970s and 80s, Valley of the Moon has a futuristic air about it, with an element of fantasy and science fiction. It is almost a version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Lewis, 1950) but for adults with more realistic themes. Melanie Gideon admits that she got the idea for the novel from the film Brigadoon (1954), in which the protagonist stumbles across a magical land in the woods. With some similarities, Gideon has created her version of this fairy-tale-like scenario.

Journeying through a range of emotions, Valley of the Moon is a story that engages readers from beginning to end. With ups and downs, the author explores the lives and personalities of the main characters, which develop beautifully over time. This book is not likely to disappoint its readers.

Where the Wild Winds Are
Author: Nick Hunt
Published: 1st January 2017
Goodreads Rating: 3.86 out of 5
Reviewed: September 2017

From the moment the great storm of 1987 almost blew six-year-old Nick Hunt away, he has had the urge to travel. So many travel books are on the market, and it is difficult to produce something new and exciting, but after coming across an interesting map of Europe, Hunt was determined to go on a journey that not many have attempted before. With a map listing the named winds of Europe, Hunt sets off on a quixotic quest to follow the winds.

Beginning in the Pennine Mountains, Nick Hunt takes the reader on a personal journey through the continent as he explores the towns and valleys the winds flow through whilst hoping the elusive tempests will occur so that he can experience them himself. With a mix of euphoria and disappointment, Hunt details his arduous journey providing additional knowledge along the way.

Some winds are more evanescent than others – one, discouragingly, not appearing at all – whereas one is so strong, Hunt witnesses a waterfall being blown upwards. Ignoring the warnings of the locals, Hunt, dead set on completing what he intended to do, takes us on a long walk from Italy to Croatia, a trek through the Alpine valleys of Switzerland, and a final expedition to the south of France.

Wind may seem like an odd topic to write a book about, but the Helm, Bora, Foehn and Mistral are no ordinary breezes. Their violence makes Hunt’s journey a dangerous and daring endeavour and is full of stories about past disasters that occurred as a result of the strong, temperamental weather.

As well as teaching us about these four winds, Nick Hunt has collected facts and stories about the general areas he passes through. Personal stories of the inhabitants break up Hunt’s narrative, although myths, legends, history and superstitions frequent the lengthy chapters as much as the winds themselves.

Giving wind a name provides it with a personality, as though it is something tangible that can be met and observed. Nick Hunt notes that artists such as Turner and Constable were interested in the weather and fascinated by the effects the wind had on the surrounding landscape. Another artist affected by the weather was Vincent Van Gogh – some of his paintings took place in France amid the powerful Mistral. Just as the wind can be seen in his starry night skies, the scenery in France is evocative of a Van Gogh painting.

The winds not only affect the lands they blow through, but they also have a strong impact on the well-being of the inhabitants. Some experience physical symptoms such as headaches, nose bleeds, dry skin and so forth, whereas others find themselves growing irritable, depressed and confused. The author himself has the opportunity to undergo the effects of these winds. Hunt also suggests that Van Gogh’s deteriorating mental health was a direct consequence of residing in the path of the Mistral.

From witchcraft to the Greek god Aeolus, there are several theories about why these strong winds blow. There are, of course, meteorological explanations, which Hunt attempts to explain, but admits he finds as baffling as the next person. Regardless of the reason, these winds exist, and it is captivating to learn about this aspect of Europe.

Where the Wild Winds Are: Walking Europe’s Winds from the Pennines to Provence is a fantastic, beautifully written book. Nick Hunt’s narrative is so personal that it becomes more than a travel documentation or informative non-fiction. As we read, we get a sense of the emotions, and physical hardship Hunt experienced, yet at the same time, we learn so much about European culture and Europe’s winds. Whether or not you are interested in travelling, this book will take you on a journey you will never forget.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance

Until 11th June 2023, the Victoria and Albert Museum is hosting the first UK exhibition showing the works of Renaissance master Donatello (c. 1386-1466), whom they call “the greatest sculptor of all time.” Visitors may question why only one-third of the sculptures on display belong to Donatello, with the rest created by other artists of the Renaissance era. Several of Donatello’s works remain in buildings where they cannot be easily removed. Others suffered damage or disappeared during wars. Many records of Donatello’s life and work are also missing, making it more challenging for historians to piece his story together. The majority of the V&A’s information about Donatello is told through the sculptures of other artists, which demonstrate Donatello’s influence and expertise.

Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi, to give him his full name, was the son of a Florentine wool merchant. As a young man or teenager, Donatello, as he became known, received training in a goldsmith’s workshop before briefly becoming the pupil of Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455), an Early Renaissance sculptor. In 1401, Donatello visited Pistoria in Tuscany, where he met Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446), the founding father of Renaissance architecture. Together, they travelled to Rome to study architectural ruins.

Returning to Florence, Donatello helped Ghiberti sculpt statues of prophets for the Baptistery of Florence Cathedral. Between 1409 and 1411, Donatello produced his first colossal work, the seated figure of Saint John the Evangelist, which has since been moved to the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo. Art historians use this sculpture to demonstrate the progression from late Gothic Mannerism to Early Renaissance. Although Saint John’s upper body is artificial and idealised, the drapes of cloth and the saint’s hands are much more realistic.

Donatello created a statue of the Biblical figure David for Florence Cathedral. The city of Florence adopted David as its symbol because the hero represents independence, strength and youthful beauty. The marble sculpture depicts David standing over the head of Goliath, the giant Philistine he had knocked down with a single stone. Donatello modified the statue in 1416 after the city decided to install it in the town hall as a civic emblem.

During his early career, Donatello produced sculptures for many churches in Florence, including the guild church of Orsanmichele, the Cathedral and the Santa Croce. He also collaborated with Michelozzo di Bartolomeo (1396-1472) on the Antipope John XXIII funerary monument (1370-1419) and the funerary monument of Cardinal Rainaldo Brancacci.

Between 1425 and 1430, Donatello sculpted the Pazzi Madonna, a marble bas-relief sculpture of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child. Donatello used a technique called stiacciato, which involved scratching mere millimetres into the surface of the marble. To create a sense of perspective, the thickness of the carving gradually decreases from the foreground to the background. Donatello used stiacciato many times during his career, prompting the historian Giorgio Vasari (1511-74) to write, “Donato [i.e. Donatello] worked best of all sculptors in this genre, with art, drawing and invention.” It is unknown who commissioned the Pazzi Madonna, but it now resides in the Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany.

At some point in Donatello’s early career, Cosimo de’ Medici (1389-1464) began financing his work. Being a wealthy banker, Cosimo held a lot of influence in Florence and often controlled the results of elections. Eventually, citizens began to rebel against Cosimo by forming an anti-Medici party, resulting in Cosimo being imprisoned and then sent into exile to Rome. Donatello followed his patron to the capital city, where he remained until 1433. Whilst there, Donatello worked for Santa Maria in Aracoeli and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City.

Donatello returned to Florence at the same time as Cosimo and signed a contract to work on the pulpit at the cathedral in Prato, Tuscany, with Michelozzo. The project was the last time the two sculptors worked together. At the same time, Donatello frequently returned home to work on projects for the Duomo and the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo. He also travelled to Venice to sculpt the wooden statue of St. John the Baptist for the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.

Despite negative attitudes towards the Medici family, Donatello continued working for Cosimo and accepted a commission to produce a bronze statue of David for the courtyard of Cosimo’s Palazzo Medici in Florence. The date of its execution is debatable, with some suggesting it was produced during the 1440s and others preferring the later date of 1460. Nonetheless, David was the first freestanding bronze statue of the Renaissance as well as the first naked sculpture produced since antiquity.

David poses nude apart from a hat and boots and holds the sword of Goliath in his right hand. Unlike Donatello’s clothed marble statue of the Biblical hero, the bronze David appears effeminate despite the obvious male anatomy. Renaissance historians suggest the youth’s nakedness implies the presence of God, as does the giant sword, which David could not possibly wield. David did not defeat Goliath through physical strength but through his faith in God.

During Donatello’s career, nudity did not cause controversy, but from the 16th century onwards, people commented that something was unsettling about the statue. One government member wrote, “The David in the courtyard is not a perfect figure because its right leg is tasteless.” David’s right foot stands on one of the wings of Goliath’s helmet, while the other wing makes its way up the boy’s right leg towards his groin. Others complained that the statue came across as homosexual, although this is likely unintentional because homosexuality or sodomy was illegal in Florence during the Renaissance.

More recent analyses of the bronze David suggests Donatello felt inspired by Hermes or Mercury, the messenger of the Greek and Roman gods. Much earlier, Vasari wrote that Donatello must have sculpted it from life because it looked so lifelike. More commonly, scholars believe Donatello modelled David on classical sculptures of the Greek youth Antinous (111-130 AD), deified by the Roman Emperor Hadrian (76-138 AD).

In 1443, the family of the late Captain Erasmo da Narni, better known as Gattamelata, called Donatello to Padua to sculpt a larger-than-life equestrian statue of the much-loved man. The statue stands in the Piazza del Santo facing the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua. Equestrian statues were uncommon and only made from stone to adorn tombs in cemeteries. The Equestrian statue of Gattamelata is the first of its kind produced in bronze and displayed in a public place. For the next two centuries, sculptors modelled similar statues on Donatello’s prototype.

Whilst in Padua, Donatello worked for the Basilica of St. Anthony, producing a relief of the Madonna and Child for the high altar and six statues of saints for the choir. He also sculpted four episodes of the life of St. Anthony and a monumental bronze crucifix. The latter was Donatello’s largest work in bronze, measuring 180 by 166 cm. Originally, Donatello sculpted a nude Christ for which the Basilica supplied a textile loincloth. At a later date, a Baroque artist added a bronze loincloth and made several copies of the crucifix.

Donatello remained in Padua until 1453, after which he returned to Florence to continue working for the Palazzo Medici and local churches. Among these works is a bronze roundel depicting the Virgin and Child with four angels. It is uncertain whether Donatello received a commission for this work or if he made it to gift to his doctor, Giovanni Chellini, which he did in 1456. In his account books, the physician recorded, “while I was treating Donato called Donatello, the singular and principal master in making figures of bronze of wood and terracotta… he of his kindness and in consideration of the medical treatment which I had given and was giving for his illness gave me a roundel the size of a trencher in which was sculpted the Virgin Mary with the Child at her neck and two angels on each side.” Subsequently, the roundel became known as the Chellini Madonna, and the hollowed-out reverse side of the design served as a mould for glass replicas.

No one knows what illness Donatello suffered, but he lived for another ten years, passing away on 13th December 1466 at around 80. During his final years, Donatello worked on the designs for twin bronze pulpits for San Lorenzo. On his death, parts of the pulpits remained unfinished and were completed by lesser artists.

The V&A exhibition Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance displays a range of Donatello’s work, evidencing his skill with marble and bronze. Whilst his large sculptures stand out, some of Donatello’s bas-reliefs are equally impressive. Donatello produced the Lamentation over the Dead Christ shortly after his time in Padua, but it is unknown by whom he received the commission. The bronze relief depicts the dead Christ supported by his mother, Mary, and surrounded by John the Evangelist, Mary Magdalene and other mourners. Due to the unfinished appearance of the figures, some suggest it was a trial piece for a commission, such as the doors of Siena cathedral. On the other hand, the surface has been cleaned and treated several times, indicating it has often been used as an item of devotion.

Towards the end of the exhibition is the newly restored Medici Crucifixion, which Donatello probably gifted to Roberto Martelli, an ally of the Medici family. After a year-long restoration at the Bargello Museum in Florence, the polished bronze shines with very thin laminates of gilded copper, silver and gold strategically placed throughout the design. The relief is much busier than Donatello’s other works, with a crowd of people delicately chiselled in the lower half, receding into the background. Christ hangs on a cross between two criminals, looking close to death, although he cannot have been long nailed to the cross. To Jesus’s left, a Roman hammers the final nail into the thief’s foot while balanced precariously on a silver laminate ladder.

Surrounded by works from other artists, Donatello appears far superior to his contemporaries and followers. Rather than copying the styles of his tutors, Donatello developed a unique technique, which became the aspiration of subsequent Renaissance sculptors. The V&A fills in the gaps in Donatello’s life with sculptures and reliefs by those who worked alongside, learnt from or were inspired by him, such as Michelozzo, Filippo Lippi (1406-69), Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1530) and Alceo Dossena (1878-1937).

The Times gives the exhibition a rating of 5 stars, calling it “Pure magic from marble“. Whilst it is an impressive sight, some may feel disappointed with the disproportionate number of sculptures by Donatello. Some items are labelled “possibly” or “probably” by Donatello, which is not the same as knowing it was sculpted by the master himself. Nonetheless, magazines and newspapers list Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance as one of the must-see exhibitions this year.

Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance is open until Sunday 11th June 2023. Tickets cost £20 but there are various concessions available. Tickets must be booked in advance, except for members of the V&A, who also receive free entry to the exhibition.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

The 8th Wonder of the World

In the small London district of Rotherhithe is a museum devoted to the history of the “eighth wonder of the world”. Situated in the Brunel Engine House, the Brunel Museum celebrates the construction of the first underwater tunnel. Next to the building, the Grade II* listed tunnel shaft and the world’s first caisson marks where the beginning of the tunnel began, which eventually reached the opposite side of the River Thames, opening in 1843 as a foot passage from Rotherhithe to Wapping.

The Thames Tunnel was the result of Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s architectural genius. Started in 1825 by Marc Brunel (1769-1849), the project faced several issues, particularly flooding, for which Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806-59) sought solutions. Whilst the Brunels intended the tunnel for horse-drawn carriages, it was mostly used by pedestrians as a tourist attraction. In 1869, it became a railway tunnel for the East London line, and since 2010 is part of the London Overground railway network.

Due to the rapid expansion of the London Docks, Londoners needed a new land connection between the north and south banks of the Thames. During busy periods, people could hop from one boat or barge to another until they reached the opposite bank, but this was not a practical method of crossing the river. Whilst there are many bridges across the Thames, another would restrict the size of boats entering the dockyards. The only solution was to dig a tunnel under the water. Ralph Dodd (1756-1822), a British civil engineer, attempted to produce the first underwater tunnel in 1798 between Gravesend and Tilbury, but constant flooding prevented the construction.

In 1805, a group of Cornish miners made a second attempt to dig a tunnel under the Thames, this time between Rotherhithe and Wapping. Used to working with hard rock, the workers did not have appropriate tools for the soft clay by the river. After four years of trying and failing, the engineers concluded that “an underground tunnel is impracticable”. Marc Brunel, on the other hand, disagreed.

After studying the two failed tunnels, Marc Brunel invented and patented the tunnelling shield. This technology acted as a temporary support structure, preventing the tunnel from collapsing while under construction. Believing the shield was the solution to underwater tunnel building, Brunel sought funding for another attempt at the Rotherhithe and Wapping tunnel. With financial support from several private investors, including Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), Brunel formed the Thames Tunnel Company in 1824 and began the construction the following year.

Brunel began constructing a shaft on the Rotherhithe side of the river, approximately 46 metres from the water. Using a steam-powered pump, Brunel cut through the earth with a 15-metre-wide iron ring. As the machine sliced through the ground, Brunel’s workers manually removed the soil from the hole. By November 1825, the Rotherhithe shaft was complete, and another was constructed in Wapping on the opposite side of the Thames.

To create the tunnel between the two shafts, Brunel used his iron tunnelling shield, which weighed over 7 tonnes. Whilst the shield worked well, the unsanitary conditions caused illnesses and delays. For hundreds of years, the River Thames served as London’s main sewage system, which slowly seeped through into the tunnel. The methane gas in the sewage often sparked small fires when ignited by the worker’s oil lamps. At best, the engineers only extended the tunnel by two metres a week.

Although the tunnelling shield prevented the tunnel from collapsing, water frequently leaked through the ceiling. On 18th May 1827, by which time the tunnel was 167 metres long, the tunnel flooded. Brunel’s son, Isambard, repaired the damage by lowering a diving bell to the bottom of the Thames and throwing bags of clay over the hole. To celebrate saving the tunnel, the young Brunel held an underground banquet. The artist George Jones (1786-1869) captured the event in a painting, revealing a long table set for 50 guests, including the Duke of Wellington. The Coldstream Guards played music during the meal, making it a rather noisy affair. In the foreground, Jones portrayed Marc and Isambard Brunel, although Marc Brunel did not attend the banquet.

Sixth months after work recommenced, the tunnel flooded again on 12th January 1828, killing six men. Isambard Kingdom Brunel was among the injured and dragged from the tunnel unconscious. Marc Brunel sent his son to Bristol to recover from the incident and attempted to continue the construction. By August, the project faced financial problems, forcing Brunel to halt the progress and seal the tunnel.

It took seven years to raise enough money to continue building the Thames Tunnel, by which time the original tunnelling shield had rusted. After installing a new, improved shield, work started again in March 1836. Before completion, workers faced delays from five more floods, several fires and gas leaks. Finally, in November 1841, the tunnel reached the shaft on the Wapping side of the bank. After installing roads, lights, and spiral staircases and building an engine house on the Rotherhithe side, the Thames Tunnel officially opened on 25th March 1843.

The Thames Tunnel cost £454,000 to dig and a further £180,000 to make it safe for pedestrians. The original plan aimed to make the passage suitable for vehicles, but a lack of funds prevented this. Instead, people paid a penny to pass through the tunnel, which soon became a tourist attraction, with around two million visiting every year. The American traveller, William Allen Drew, described it as the “eighth wonder of the world”, although he had not yet experienced walking through the tunnel. When Drew finally visited, he admitted he felt “somewhat disappointed in it”.

There is no official “eighth wonder of the world”, and it is unlikely the Thames Tunnel deserved the title, despite being the first of its kind. Other nominations for the eighth wonder include Niagara Falls, Angkor Wat, the Great Wall of China, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Machu Picchu, the Taj Mahal and Stonehenge. It seems far-fetched that the Thames Tunnel would win the position against these nominees.

In September 1865, the East London Railway Company purchased the Thames Tunnel for £800,000. They wished to use it as a railway link between Wapping and the South London Line. Sir John Hawkshaw (1811-91), an English civil engineer, built the railway track through the tunnel, which opened on 7th December 1869. Wapping Station, which repurposed the disused construction shaft, eventually opened in 1884. The East London Railway later became part of the London Underground, which wanted to make cheap repairs to parts of the tunnel. A Grade II* ruling in 1995 prevented this, meaning extra care must be taken to preserve the original architecture. As of 2010, the tunnel between Wapping and Rotherhithe forms part of the London Overground line.

Marc Brunel’s determination and invention of the tunnelling shield, alongside the support of his son, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, paved the way for future underwater tunnels. A second underwater tunnel opened in London between Tower Hill and Vine Lane in 1869, and Sir John Hawkshaw constructed the Severn Tunnel under the River Severn between 1873 and 1886. Hawkshaw belonged to the original Channel Tunnel Company, which aimed to build a tunnel under the Strait of Dover. This feat was not achieved until 1994.

With so many underwater tunnels in existence, the world’s first success is largely forgotten. The Brunel Museum aims to keep the history of the Thames Tunnel alive with a detailed exhibition inside the former engine house. In 2011, a concrete floor was added to the shaft above the tracks. Visitors can climb down to this level of the shaft and see the smoke-blackened walls caused by old steam trains. Occasionally, concerts and exhibitions are held in the shaft.

The engine house has been used as a museum since 1961 but has needed lots of work and refurbishment over the years. In 1975, the Brunel Exhibition Rotherhithe Trust prevented the building’s closure by providing money to repair structural decay. In 2007, the museum underwent major restoration work to create a larger exhibition space and better toilet facilities. These refurbishments coincided with the addition of the concrete floor inside the shaft.

Since 2019, the Brunel Museum has received development funding from the Heritage Fund to continue improving visitor experience and for the protection of the Grade II* listed building and shaft. The museum has recently acquired a collection of Marc Brunel’s Thames Tunnel watercolour designs, which detail his ideas and progress. Some of these are on display, and others are shown digitally on interactive screens.

The Brunel Museum is currently open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. From 1st April, opening times will change to Fridays, Sundays and Mondays between 11 am and 5 pm. General admission for adults costs £6, while children and the over 65s cost £4. Special events and group talks are available at various times of the year.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Battersea Power Station

Designated a Grade II listed building in 1980, Battersea Power Station is a decommissioned power station on the south bank of the River Thames, London. Constructed between 1929 and 1941, the station burned coal to create electricity until it closed in 1983. For many years, the building stood empty while several companies attempted to develop plans for its use. Finally, with the help of Malaysian investors, Battersea Power Station reopened as a combination of apartments, offices and a shopping centre in autumn 2022.

The London Power Company proposed the construction of a new power station in 1927. Many protested against the plan because they feared it would be an eyesore and damage the environment. After reassuring the locals the emissions would be “clean and smokeless”, the company commissioned the industrial architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) to design the building. Scott, famed for developing the iconic red telephone boxes, produced plans for two stations, A and B. The construction of Station A began in 1929, with John Mowlem & Co building the facade.

Scott initially proposed square chimneys, but these were switched to cylindrical chimneys during the construction process. Whilst the chimneys are 50 metres high, they sit on a 51-metre-tall building, meaning they reach 101 metres above ground level. Station A, completed in 1935, comprises the western pair of chimneys and the boiler house. It cost £2,141,550 to build, and 207 accidents occurred during the process, six of which were fatal.

During the Second World War, Battersea Power Station continued running, despite the steam from the chimneys making it visible from the sky. Royal Airforce Pilots benefited from the smoke, particularly on foggy nights, because it helped them determine their location. Similarly, the German Luftwaffe used the smoke for navigation, so they never bombed the power station.

Construction of Station B began in 1944 and gradually started operating between 1953 and 1955. Scott’s design for the second station was the mirror image of Station A, resulting in the iconic four-chimney layout. The final chimney was ready for use in 1955, making Battersea Power Station complete. The boiler room was now so large it could fit the entirety of St Paul’s Cathedral.

With Station B complete, Battersea Power Station could produce up to 509 megawatts (MW), making it the third-largest generating site in the UK. London Power Company initially operated Station A, but by the time Station B came into use, the government had nationalised the UK’s electricity supply, thus transferring the station’s ownership to the British Electricity Authority (BEA).

The station was responsible for powering a fifth of London’s electricity, so when an electrical fire occurred on 20th April 1964, a wide-spread area experienced power outages. Unfortunately, one affected building was the BBC Television Centre which was due to launch BBC 2 that evening. As a result of the fire, BBC 2 could not go on air until 11 am the following morning.

Aside from producing electricity, Battersea Power Station became an iconic structure in popular culture and featured in many films and television programmes. Even before the construction of Station B, the building appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Sabotage (1936). In more recent years, it has been a setting in Children of Men (2006) and the 2020 video game Watch Dogs: Legion. Most notably, Battersea Power Station appeared on the album cover of Animals (1977) by Pink Floyd.

Designed by Storm Thorgerson (1944-2013), Pink Floyd’s Animals album cover featured an inflatable pig floating between two chimneys of Battersea Power Station. For the photoshoot and music video, the band tethered a helium-filled 12ft pig called Algie to one of the southern chimneys on 2nd December 1976. A marksman stood nearby with a gun to shoot the pig balloon down in an emergency. The following day, the band returned to the station to add the finishing touches to their video but forgot to inform the marksman. Inevitably, the balloon escaped its moorings and quickly disappeared from view. The pig flew over Heathrow, causing delayed and cancelled flights, while pilots up above panicked about the strange object in their flight path. Eventually, Algie the pig balloon landed in a field on the coast of Kent, frightening a herd of cows.

Before the Pink Floyd fiasco, Station A ceased operating on 17th March 1975 due to increased running costs. Rumours began to spread about Station B following suit, resulting in a campaign to save the building. In 1980, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine (b.1933), awarded the building Grade II listed status, which meant the building could not be demolished, extended, or altered without special permission from the local planning authority. As a result, when Station B ceased operating on 31st October 1983, the building remained standing and empty.

In 1983, the Central Electricity Generating Board, responsible for looking after the building, held a competition for redevelopment ideas. The winning idea proposed a theme park with shops and restaurants. John Broome, the owner of Alton Towers Resort, purchased Battersea Power Station for £1.5 million, but he estimated the development costs at £35 million. The theme park would need to attract 2 million visitors annually to make a profit. Undeterred, Broome started converting the site, and British Rail considered installing a shuttle service between London Victoria and Battersea.

After removing the roof to extract the old machinery, Broome halted the project in 1989. Costs had escalated to an unaffordable £230 million, so Broome ditched the theme park proposal. New ideas flooded in, such as a mixture of offices, shops and a hotel, but the building remained stationary and open to the elements for several years.

In 1993, Parkview International, a Hong Kong-based development company, purchased Battersea Power Station for £10,000. The building came with £70,000 of debt and significant damage from bad weather and flooding. Ten years later, Parkview International began a £1.1 billion project to restore the building and develop it into a retail, leisure and housing complex. Various architects submitted plans for the interior of the complex and extra buildings surrounding the area. The local Battersea Power Station Community Group actively campaigned against these schemes, stating the housing would be unaffordable and “If you surround it with buildings 15 storeys high, you don’t have a landmark any more.”

Further problems arose after construction workers discovered that parts of the chimneys had corroded. Impossible to save, Parkview International sought permission from English Heritage and the London Borough of Wandsworth to demolish and replace the chimneys of the Grade II-listed building. Unfortunately, this unexpected cost put an end to Parkview’s redevelopment plans.

In 2006, Real Estate Opportunities (REO) purchased the site for £400 million, intending to create a 980-foot-high “eco tower” and reopen the building as a power station. The plan included using the chimneys as vents for the biomass and waste fuelled station, while the interior of the building housed a shopping centre and museum. Rather than replacing the roof over the boiler house, REO proposed developing an open-air park in the space. REO claimed the materials used would reduce energy consumption in the buildings by 67%.

REO’s plans were due to go ahead in 2011, but the failure to secure a financial backer put an end to the proceedings, and REO went into administration. New proposals for Battersea Power Station came flooding in, including Sir Terry Farrell’s (b.1938) urban park and a new stadium for Chelsea Football Club. Finally, on 7th June 2012, Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY), partnered with Malaysian developers SP Setia and Sime Darby, won the bid. They proposed to restore the power station, create a riverside park and high street and construct 800 homes.

Construction commenced in 2013 on phase one of the latest project. The entire scheme comprises six phases, three of which are complete as of writing. Phase one involved the development of Circus West Village, a complex to one side of the power station. Completed in 2017, the village contains 23 restaurants, cafes and retailers, and houses over 1500 residents.

Phase two also commenced in 2013. It involved the restoration of the Art Deco power station and the reconstruction of the chimneys. Although the majority of the building work was completed by 2017, the interior required more work. Eventually, the main body of the power station opened to the public on 14th October 2022. Where the engine room once stood, shops, bars, and restaurants fill the space. There are also 254 apartments and a cinema.

To make Battersea Power Station more accessible, the London Underground agreed to create a new branch of the Northern Line. Branching off at Kennington Station, the 1.9-mile-long track serves two new stations: Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. The construction cost £1.1 billion and opened on 20th September 2021.

Since the opening of the main shopping centre, phase three reached completion. Known as the Electric Boulevard, it contains 1,300 sustainable (and supposedly affordable) homes and a handful of shops, cafes and restaurants. Phase four promises more housing and an NHS medical centre. Phases five and six will also provide housing as well as outdoor areas.

Despite the promises of affordable houses, the Battersea Power Station shopping centre feels like a rich person’s playground. Upmarket shops and brands fill the various levels of the building, including Calvin Klein, Mulberry, Omega, Ralph Lauren and Rolex. Similarly, restaurants cater for those with extra cash to spend, notably Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. The successful businesses will help pay for the £10 billion restoration project, but it is currently only targeting a niche clientele.

A unique highlight at Battersea Power Station is Lift 109, which carries visitors 109 metres to the top of the northwest chimney. At the top, tourists are treated to a 360-degree view of London. The (overpriced) experience allows people to watch planes landing at Heathrow Airport in the distance and gaze down at the many significant buildings that make up London’s skyline.

It is too early to say if Battersea Power Station’s make-over is a success. It is not yet reaching its target footfall, but it promises many events and exhibitions in the future, which will help attract much-needed visitors.

Whilst Battersea Power Station features parking facilities, it is easy to get to on the underground. Battersea Power Station underground station is situated next to the shopping centre; alternatively, the River Boat service provides regular transport into central London. Tickets for Lift 109 start at £15.50 when purchased online but are considerably more expensive at weekends or if purchased on-site.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Painter of Kings and Demons

When asked to name some Spanish artists, the majority will answer Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí before thinking of Francisco Goya. Goya is a name recognised by many, but the same cannot be said about his long life. Considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Goya bridges the gap between the Old Masters and modern art. During his career, Goya worked for the Spanish court before turning to darker, delusional themes that suggest he struggled with his mental health.

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes was born on 30th March 1746, in Fuendetodos, Aragón, Spain, to lower-middle-class parents. Around his third birthday, the family moved to the city of Zaragoza, where his father oversaw the gilding and ornamentation of the Santa Maria del Pilar (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar). At 14, Goya studied under the painter José Luzán (1710-85) before moving to Madrid at 18 to study with Anton Raphael Mengs (1728-77).

Twice, Goya applied to study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, but after the second failed attempt, he decided to try his luck in Rome, Italy. A gap of at least a decade is missing from Goya’s biography after he moved to Rome, leaving historians to speculate about his movements. Early biographers suggest Goya either worked for a Russian diplomat or earned money as a street acrobat.

Records reveal Goya earned second place in a painting competition held in Parma in 1771, then returned to Zaragoza to paint frescoes in the Basilica of the Pillar and the Charterhouse of Aula Dei. Around this time, Goya began studying with Francisco Bayeu y Subías (1734-95), through whom he met and married Bayeu’s sister, Josefa (1747-1812), in July 1773. Their first child, Antonio Juan Ramon Carlos, was born thirteen months later.

Bayeu helped Goya earn a commission for a series of tapestry cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Factory in 1777. The project lasted five years, during which time Goya designed 42 patterns, which later hung in the residences of the Spanish monarchy. Unfortunately, the work put a strain on Goya’s physical health, and he frequently succumbed to illnesses. With some tapestry cartoons measuring eight by ten feet, the task became too difficult for Goya. He also felt it restricted his artistic development because tapestries could not capture the same tones and textures as paintings.

Goya’s fortunes changed in 1783 when Count José Moñino of Floridablanca (1728-1808) commissioned Goya to paint his portrait. Moñino was a favourite of King Charles III (1716-88) and his half-brother Luis (1727-85), whom Goya briefly befriended. In 1786, the king offered Goya a salaried position as his personal painter, which transferred to King Charles IV (1748-1819) in 1789.

As First Court Painter, Goya earned 50,000 reales a year, with an allowance of 500 ducats for transport. Among his work for the king is the life-size group portrait of Charles IV of Spain and His Family (1800-1801), which features 14 figures, including Goya. Critics liken this painting to Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas (1656), in which the artist includes himself looking at the viewer from behind a canvas. Unlike Velázquez‘s informal group portrait with figures conducting various tasks, Goya shows the royal family’s importance through stiff poses. Rather than only painting Charles IV, his wife and his children, the king wished to include other family members, such as his brother, his sister, his future daughter-in-law, his son-in-law and his first grandchild, Carlos Luis (1799-1883).

Goya’s connection with the king earned him many prestigious commissions amongst the highest ranks of Spanish nobility. Patrons included the Duke of Osuna, the Duke of Alba and Prime Minister Manuel Godoy (1767-1851). It is widely believed the latter commissioned Goya to paint La maja desnuda, the first life-size female nude in Western art without allegorical or mythological meaning. Goya also painted a clothed version called La maja vestida, in which the unidentified model reclines in the same pose. Suggestions for the model’s identity range from María Cayetana de Silva, 13th Duchess of Alba (1762-1802), to Pepita Tudó, Godoy’s mistress. Unable to pinpoint who the lady is, many critics believe she is a product of Goya’s imagination.

In the early 1790s, Goya suffered from a mysterious illness, leaving him deaf. The condition affected Goya’s mental health, which is evident in his paintings. Goya began depicting nightmarish elements in his work, such as Yard with Lunatics, which shows “a yard with lunatics, and two of them fighting completely naked while their warder beats them, and others in sacks.” Goya claimed it was a scene he witnessed at Zaragoza, yet his choice to paint it while recovering from an illness says a lot about his state of mind.

Art critics suggest Yard with Lunatics reflects Goya’s fear that he was going mad. Many historians believe Goya suffered from viral encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which causes tinnitus, deafness and delusional thoughts, among other more serious symptoms. Others suggest Ménière’s disease, which affects the inner ear. Lead poisoning is another theory because Goya used large amounts of lead white paint. It is impossible to determine a definite diagnosis, but the illness marked a turning point in Goya’s career as an artist.

In 1808, the French invaded Spain, leading to the Peninsular War, which lasted until 1814. Joseph Bonaparte (1768-1844), the older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), usurped the Spanish throne, leaving Goya in a precarious position as First Court Painter. Goya claims he kept neutral during the war but continued to produce paintings for French patrons. After the restoration of the Spanish King Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) in 1814, Goya continued working in the royal courts but never painted anything at the request of the king. Any portraits produced of Ferdinand were commissioned by other members of the court.

Goya witnessed several events during the Peninsular War, which may have contributed to his health woes. He also lost his wife in 1812, and only one of their seven children lived past infancy. In 1814, Goya painted two war scenes titled The Second of May 1808 and The Third of May 1808, which art historians believe he did not witness in person but heard about in stories. The first painting, also known as The Charge of the Mamelukes, depicts an uprising of Spanish people against the Mamelukes of the French Imperial Guard. The French received instructions to charge and subdue the rioters, but instead, the revolt became a chaotic, ferocious melee.

The Third of May 1808 is set a few hours after the riot. Hundreds of Spaniards involved in the uprising were rounded up and shot in various locations around Madrid. Unlike The Second of May 1808, in which Goya attempted to depict the Spanish as heroic, the second painting has no motive other than to record the executions. Art historian Kenneth Clark (1903-83) described it as “the first great picture which can be called revolutionary in every sense of the word, in style, in subject, and in intention.” The position of the man standing with his arms raised later inspired Gerald Holtom’s (1914-85) international peace symbol:
“I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.”

From 1819 onwards, Goya began to retreat from public life. Whilst he continued completing some royal commissions, much of his work he produced privately. He moved to a small cottage outside the city, which people referred to as La Quinta del Sordo (The House of the Deaf Man). Fearing old age and madness, Goya’s paintings became even darker. Fourteen artworks produced between 1819 and 1823 are collectively known as the Black Paintings because they demonstrate Goya’s bleak outlook on humanity. Goya poured his fears and the panic, terror, and hysteria he experienced during the war into these artworks, which include Saturn Devouring His Son, Judith and Holofernes, and Witches’ Sabbath.

Goya’s Black Paintings were never exhibited in his lifetime, and he likely never intended to show anyone these works. The disturbing themes indicate Goya was not of sound mind during his final years, but so does how he produced the paintings. Rather than using canvases or wooden boards, Goya painted directly onto the walls of his cottage. Fred Licht (1928-2019), in his book Goya: The Origins of the Modern Temper in Art, wrote, “these paintings are as close to being hermetically private as any that have ever been produced in the history of Western art.” Following Goya’s death, the walls were carefully demolished to preserve the murals, which now reside in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

Despite his hermit-like ways, Goya had a live-in maid called Leocadia Weiss (1788-1856), a widow with a young daughter, Rosario, who also lived at the cottage. Weiss met Goya at the wedding of his son Javier, which suggests she may have been related to the bride’s family. Weiss left her unhappy marriage to Isidore Weiss, a Jewish jeweller, in 1811, leaving many wondering about the identity of Rosario’s father, who was born three years later. Some suspect Goya, who is listed as Rosario’s godfather, but there is no evidence Goya and Weiss were ever romantically attached.

Although Goya struggled with his health, he taught Rosario how to draw. She studied with him until 1823 when she started receiving lessons from the architect Tiburcio Pérez. Goya spent the final year of his life paralyzed on his right side following a stroke, eventually passing away on 16th April 1828. He left nothing in his will to Weiss or her daughter, and both women contested the will, suggesting a closer relationship than maid and pupil, but Goya’s son denied them anything. Weiss spent the remainder of her life in poverty, as did her ex-husband. Rosario continued to develop her artistic career but passed away at age 28 from cholera.

Following his death, Goya was buried at a local church. Later, the Spanish consul reinterred his body in the Real Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida (Royal Chapel of St. Anthony of La Florida) in Madrid. On digging up Goya’s body, they discovered the skull was missing. The whereabouts of Goya’s skull remain a mystery.

Goya’s 82 years of life have been immortalised in contemporary films, such as Goya’s Ghosts (2006), starring Stellan Skarsgård (b.1951) as Goya and Natalie Portman (b. 1981) as the artist’s model. Goya has influenced many artists since his death, including Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) and Salvador Dalí (1904-89), who admired his Black Paintings.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Reader, I Murdered Him

Jane Steele
Author: Lyndsay Faye
Published: 22nd March 2016
Goodreads Rating: 3.89 out of 5
Reviewed: March 2017

“Reader, I murdered him.” Jane Steele is a gothic retelling of the renowned Jane Eyre written by the celebrated Charlotte Bronte. Crime writer, Lyndsay Faye, creates an entirely new story whilst appropriating the skeletal structure of the original classic. However, Jane Steele is nothing like Miss Eyre, with whom everyone is familiar. She is far more headstrong and independent. She is also a murderer.

Before readers are discouraged to hear that their beloved Jane is portrayed as a criminal, the murders that occur are more of a homicidal or self-defence nature, as opposed to serial killing. The first death, occurring when she is a nine-year-old orphan, is not her fault, but it prompts Jane’s wealthy aunt to pack her off to boarding school, and thus the similarities with Jane Eyre commence.

Written in an autobiographical manner, Jane describes her years at the virulent school, where she and the other girls experience abuse at the hands of the schoolmaster. As readers will recall, Eyre’s life improves in her later school years, but Jane Steele’s education comes to a premature end, resulting in her fending for herself in 19th-century London.

As the blurb indicates, Jane returns to the house she grew up in after the death of her aunt to become a governess for the current owner’s ward. Mr Charles Thornfield, a bachelor, is Jane Steele’s version of Rochester, minus the wife in the attic. The contents of the cellar are a different matter.

From a romantic point of view, all happens in a similar manner to Jane Eyre, but this is where the comparisons end. With concealed crimes and secrets, as well as an unsolved murder, the story becomes the thriller it initially proposed to be. The incisive Jane Steele takes matters into her own hands – figuratively and literally – as she determines to resolve the unanswered questions.

Although not written with the intent to be comical, the stark contrasts between the original and the retelling create humorous scenarios. The nature of the main character, in comparison with the time frame, a period where women had very few rights, makes the narrative far more exciting and amusing than the earlier novel – although not necessarily better.

Lyndsay Faye maintains the atmosphere of the 1800s with her affinity for eloquent turns of phrases and choice of words. She is a prolific author full of wonderful ideas; her ability to create a new story out of a well-known classic is a formidable skill. What is admirable is the way in which Faye has made Jane Steele a novel in its own right and not merely a rip-off of Bronte’s work.

The skilful composition and wording will likely be loved by all, its only downfall being the reaction of hardcore Jane Eyre fans. Those who wish for the classics to be left alone and not pulled apart by contemporary authors or film directors may adopt a negative attitude towards the publication of Jane Steele. On the other hand, many will love this gothic retelling, appreciate the similarities and enjoy the new twist to the storyline. 

How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen
Author: Joanna Faber and Julie King
Published: 10th January 2017
Goodreads Rating: 4.41 out of 5
Reviewed: April 2017

The highly rated How To Talk books were developed by Adele Faber as a guide for parents, who face daily struggles with their children’s behaviour. Now her daughter, Joanna Faber, and childhood friend, Julie King, are parenting experts and have contributed to the series. This latest addition, How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, is a survival guide for parents with children between the ages of the terrible twos to the semi-civilised-sevens. Covering topics from food battles to sleep issues, parents are bound to relate to something in this book and be able to put some of the advice into practice.

Most of the content encompasses the tried and tested methods Joanna and Julie encourage parents to consider as part of a parenting workshop. Split into topics, the reader is given a set of tools to work with that may help to turn a situation away from a tantrum and a harassed parent. These tools are demonstrated with real-life stories from the Mums and Dads who used them.

As well as the usual behaviour troubles that most children develop, the book also includes ways to cope with children who have sensory issues or are diagnosed with Autism. These youngsters do not process the world the same way as other people their age, which can be very frustrating for parents. Armed with a new set of tools, adults will be able to support their children as they grow up in a world they do not understand and make them feel safe and understood.

Illustrated with cartoons, each chapter ends with a short summary of ideas to try in any situation. By providing these recap points, parents can locate a tool or idea in a moment of desperation and put it into practice immediately. The layout and clear headings offer an easy way of finding the relevant information, meaning that harried parents do not have to skim paragraphs and pages to find what they seek.

By including real-life scenarios, Joanna and Julie highlight that there is no one-size-fits-all when dealing with unruly children. Each child is different and needs to be treated appropriately. However, the experts provide enough information so that when one tool fails, there is another as a backup.

After reading How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, you will feel empowered to tackle anything your child throws at you. Of course, there is no guarantee that you will become a parenting master overnight, but you will be more confident about dealing with the little rascals.

How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen is a book that feels realistic with no psychological jargon to make you feel inadequate. Joanna and Julie are both parents and have had to resort to taking their own advice – and sometimes failing. The writers are human and not childless psychologists who believe they know what they are talking about. So, if you are tearing your hair out and do not know what to do to make your child happy, this How To Talk series is something to check out.

Spontaneous
Author: Aaron Starmer
Published: 23rd August 2016
Goodreads Rating: 3.33 out of 5
Reviewed: April 2017

Dubbed the “funniest book about spontaneous combustion you will ever read” by the acclaimed best-selling author John Green, Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer is a story about growing up and blowing up. Seeing a classmate explode in front of you during third-period pre-calc class is not something you ever expect to happen. Nor do you expect this to be the first of many to randomly occur throughout your senior year, but for Mara, this is her appalling fate.

Mara’s senior year was not all that exciting until the first explosion, but after a few more students from her class spontaneously combust, it is clear she is not going to have a normal final year of school. Only affecting the seniors, Mara and her friends are ostracised from society while FBI agents try to solve the problematic situation. With bombs, terrorists and government conspiracies eventually ruled out, the class is left abandoned to explode at their leisure – although they would rather not!

Mara, with her boyfriend, Dylan, and best friend, Tess, attempts to continue living their lives. They encourage students to start their own school so they can still graduate at the end of the year. But with an increasing number of messy ends, they begin to doubt they will make it that far.

Full of crack-pot ideas that will leave readers laughing, Mara’s dry sense of humour gets her through most of the year, but the painful loss of her friends and acquaintances soon catches up with her. It is hard not to despair when you know you could detonate at any moment.

The easiest way to describe Spontaneous is bonkers, absolutely bonkers. For a start, spontaneous combustion is uncommon for any living creature. Mara’s inappropriate humour and acidulousness only add to the farcical state of affairs, providing a comical and entertaining narrative. However, as Mara begins to acquiesce to her new situation and live as if regularly being sprayed with blood and guts is normal, the story takes a sombre downturn.

Annoyingly, the conclusion of Spontaneous is ambiguous, leaving attentive readers with no answers. Had Starmer not imaged a solution, or was it too difficult to explain? Whatever the reason, it leaves us with a dissatisfying ending.

On the other hand, the ending of a book is only a fragment of the story. The beginning and middle were of the author’s optimum quality. Combining typical teenage emotion and behaviour – romance included – with a horrifying crisis results in a book that will make you “feel all the feels” – to borrow a Mara term – and enjoy every moment.

Spontaneous will entertain young and old adults, although perhaps not the more sensitive reader. With uncensored language and no sugarcoating, Mara gives us all the gory details blow-by-blow (literally). Be prepared for laughter, shock and unadulterated pleasure.

The Inexplicable Logic of my Life
Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Published: 7th March 2017
Goodreads Rating: 4.13 out of 5
Reviewed: February 2017

Over the past couple of years, social media, particularly Tumblr, has been raving over Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s multi-award-winning novel, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. As a result, I have wanted to read this book to see what the fuss is about. Unfortunately, libraries and bookstores in the UK do not appear to stock any of Sáenz’s novels. When I saw an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of The Inexplicable Logic of My Life was available to review on NetGalley, I took the risk, having not read any of Sáenz’s work, and requested a copy. I am glad I did. The Young Adult novel turned out to be a thing of true beauty. The prose is almost poetic and full of emotion; it not only tells the story but also makes you feel it.

The narrator, Salvador “Sal”, is beginning his final year at El Paso High School with his best friend, Sam. Normally, the first day of school is something he looks forward to, but he feels different this year. Something within Sal has changed, something indescribable but there all the same. Something that makes punching someone in the face an automatic reaction.

Sal’s dad is gay. Although not his real dad, Vicente adopted Sal into his extended Mexican American family after the death of his mother when he was three years old. He could not have asked for a better parent, but something is niggling in his mind: who is his biological father?

Whilst Sal soliloquizes about his feelings, the reader is introduced to best friend Sam – a girl who, despite an erudite vocabulary, is not afraid to cuss and swear. Sam also understands what it is like question who you are, as does Fito, another friend with terrible relations. Tragic events pull the three together, giving them a new chance at being part of a family despite not being blood-related.

Sal, Sam and Fito try to help each other through their problems, ruminating together over their pasts and contemplating the unpredictable future. Despite each character suffering from grief, their friendship gives them a purpose and encouragement to carry on.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life covers so many themes it is impossible to categorize. Sam, Fito and Vicente are all encumbered with something that could ostracize them from society – their sexuality, race, drug addict parents – but they never let this get in their way. Sal, on the other hand, struggles somewhat, believing he no longer knows who he really is. He questions everything: how does he fit into the world around him? What right does he have to graduate and go to college?

With great efficacy, Sáenz explains through Sal’s voice the importance of believing in yourself, letting yourself be loved, and accepting things for what they really are. All the main characters are trying so hard to belong; they do not realize they always have belonged.

The Inexplicable Logic of My Life is a story of grief, death, family, friendship, fathers and words; a graceful, almost lyrical narrative that gets to the heart of human existence and uplifts the spirit. The expressive language has a great emotional impact on the reader – have your tissues at the ready – and resonates within the soul. With quotable lines that you will wish you had written yourself, I guarantee you will love this book.

See You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan
Author: Jack Cheng
Published: 28th February 2017
Goodreads Rating: 4.05 out of 5
Reviewed: March 2017

Carl Sagan (1934-1996) was an American astronomer and cosmologist famed for sending the Golden Record into space, full of sounds from Earth for any living being in the universe to find and listen to. Now, his youngest fan, 11-year-old Alex Petroski, intends to follow in his footsteps, recording sounds and information about his everyday life onto his “Golden iPod”. Told through the transcripts of these recordings, the readers (and the aliens) follow Alex on an unexpected epic journey in which he discovers things about himself that he never expected to.

Alex is a very independent child, having grown up with no father, a mentally vacant mother and a rarely there brother. Despite his young age, he has been taking care of himself and his mother, cooking meals, shopping etc. Now he is taking himself on a journey to another state to attend SHARF – a Rocket Festival – where he hopes to launch his iPod into space. With the help and kindness of strangers, particularly from a silent man named Zed, Alex makes it safely to Albuquerque, New Mexico. However, his journey is far from over.

It is impossible not to love Alex, his naivety and acuity of mind. Disappointed with the failed attempt at sending his iPod into the cosmos, he is distracted by thoughts of discovering more about his long-dead father. With encouragement from Zed and the reluctance of his disgruntled friend Steve, Alex sets off on his mission, recording all his experiences along the way. However, instead of the happy ever after he is seeking, Alex discovers some unexpected truths.

See You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan is a funny, moving story about an overly optimistic child who, despite his upbringing, has been sheltered from the negativity of the world. Unable to understand his adult companions’ dilemmas, Alex will make readers laugh with his innocent ways of viewing the world. On the other hand, his simplistic view of life will pull on the heartstrings as he begins to realise things are not as straightforward as he initially believed.

Although published by Puffin and therefore classed as a children’s book, See You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan is much more appropriate for an adult reader. The humour is targeted at those able to understand the innocent blunders of an 11-year-old, which would be lost on a reader of Alex’s age.

The author, Jack Cheng, writes in the style of a child’s speech. Long, breathless sentences, often full of too much irrelevant information, fill up the pages, but this only adds to Alex’s adorableness.

Viewing the world through the eyes of a child, especially one as unique as Alex, gives a new perspective on the trivialities of life. His laid-back personality will make people realise that some things are taken far too seriously or unnecessarily complicated. Without a doubt, Alex will be an inspiration to all.

Be warned, there are references to abuse and schizophrenia, but See You in the Cosmos, Carl Sagan, is a pleasant, hard-to-put-down read that will remain in the mind long after its conclusion.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

Laurence Housman

In 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May unveiled a statue of the Suffragist leader, Dame Millicent Fawcett, in Parliament Square, London. Sculpted by Gillian Wearing, it honours the centenary of (some) women winning the right to vote. It is the first statue of a woman to stand in Parliament Square and honours not just Fawcett but 63 other people who supported women’s suffrage, too. The names are inscribed on the plinth next to a small engraving of each person, including four men. One of the men is Laurence Housman, an English playwright, writer, illustrator, and founding member of the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage and the Suffrage Atelier.

Laurence Housman was born on 18th July 1865 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, to Edward and Sarah Jane Housman. He was one of seven children, including Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936), who became a classical scholar and poet, and Clemence Housman (1861-1955), an author and illustrator. Housman’s father worked as a solicitor and tax accountant, but his mother passed away in 1871. Edward Housman remarried a cousin, Lucy.

Housman had a close relationship with his siblings, particularly Alfred and Clemence, with whom he enjoyed creative pastimes, such as putting on theatrical performances and creating a family magazine. Meanwhile, Housman’s father turned to drink as his business floundered, leaving the family in financial distress. Fortunately, the Housman brothers received scholarships to study at Bromsgrove School, a local boarding school that allowed day students.

In 1882, Housman attended an art class with his sister, Clemence. The following year, they each inherited £200 from a relative, which they spent on art courses at the Lambeth School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. Housman’s interest in illustration led to positions at London publishing houses, where he produced the artwork for several books, including Christina Rossetti‘s Goblin Market (1893) and his sister’s novella, The Were-Wolf (1896). The latter was an erotic fantasy featuring a female werewolf.

Housman also dabbled in writing and published several poems, hymns and carols during the 1890s. By the turn of the century, Housman’s eyesight began to fail, so he concentrated entirely on writing. He had already published several fairytales, such as A Farm in Fairyland (1894), but his first major literary success was the novel An Englishwoman’s Love-letters (1900), which he published anonymously. The book initially caused a scandal until the public discovered it was written by a man rather than an Englishwoman.

Many of Housman’s works contained Christian undertones. Aside from novels, Housman penned plays such as Bethlehem (1902), Angels and Ministers (1921), and Little Plays of St. Francis (1922). Once again, Housman caused a scandal for depicting biblical characters on stage, and many plays were only performed privately. Another play, Victoria Regina (1934), caused problems because the Lord Chamberlain, Rowland Baring, 2nd Earl of Cromer (1877-1953), ruled that “no British sovereign may be portrayed on the stage until 100 years after his or her accession.” As a result, Victoria Regina could not be performed until the centenary of Queen Victoria’s accession on 20th June 1937, when it opened at the Lyric Theatre, London.

During his career, Housman published around 100 pieces of work, including an autobiography, The Unexpected Years (1937), in which he discussed his controversial writing. He did not mention much of his personal life in the book due to his homosexuality, which was illegal at the time. Despite this, Housman was quite vocal about his sexuality and invested time in helping homosexuals who were stigmatized by society. Housman joined the Order of Chaeronea, an underground organisation for homosexuals. Housman also founded the British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology, which later became the British Sexological Society.

Housman identified as a feminist and devoted himself to the women’s suffrage movement, for which he is remembered on the plinth of the Millicent Fawcett statue. In 1909, Housman and his sister Clemence founded the Suffrage Atelier with the artist and author Alfred Pearse (1855-1933), known under the pseudonym “A Patriot”. The Atelier accepted artists and illustrators, primarily women, who wished to use their skills to assist the campaign for women’s suffrage.

The Suffrage Atelier was not the only group producing artwork for the suffrage movement, yet it was the only one to pay its workers. Working as a studio rather than a party or union, the Atelier produced illustrations and designs, which they sold to groups of suffragists or suffragettes. The Suffrage Atelier primarily worked with the Women’s Freedom League, an offshoot of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU).

One of the posters designed by the Suffrage Atelier emphasised how unfair it was to deny women the right to vote. At the time, women could run for mayor, work as nurses, doctors, teachers and factory hands, or be stay-at-home mothers, yet not vote in parliamentary elections. Conversely, men who had been convicts, “lunatics”, proprietors of white slaves, unfit for military service, or drunkards still retained their voting rights. This poster and many of the Atelier’s publications could be quickly reproduced and circulated using block printing, such as woodcuts and linocuts. Despite limited colours, the pamphlets, posters and banners helped spread the women’s cause across the country.

Housman allowed the Suffrage Atelier to use his house at No. 1 Pembroke Cottage Kensington in London as their base. The building also became a central hub for the suffrage movement, offering women writing lessons and hosting talks by motivational speakers. In 1911, Housman opened his doors as a safe house for women participating in the Census Boycott. Led by Emmeline Pankhurst (1858-1928), women declined to partake in the census by either refusing to fill in the census forms or staying out of the house on the designated night. Participants of the boycott used the slogan, “If women don’t count, neither shall they be counted,” to put pressure on the anti-suffrage Liberal Government.

In 1911, Housman compiled a book called An Anti-Suffrage Alphabet, using illustrations by several members of the Suffrage Atelier. Housman aimed to raise money for the suffrage movement through sales of the book, which mocked negative views of women with a short rhyme for each letter of the alphabet.

“R are the reasons why women can’t vote – Lord Carzon has plenty from which you can quote. “Irrefutable reasons,” but while you are quoting don’t mention the countries where women are voting.”

“W’s the washing which woman must do day in and day out, on polling day too. If she wants a day off you had better say “Bosh” and tell her such fanciful notions won’t wash.”

Housman also designed the “From Prison to Citizenship” banner, which the WSPU carried during a procession on 17th June 1911, a few days before the coronation of George V (1865-1936). Known as the Women’s Coronation Procession, the WSPU demanded women’s suffrage in the coronation year. The procession was “the largest women’s suffrage march ever held in Britain and one of the few to draw together the full range of suffrage organisations”. Around 40,000 people joined the march from Westminster to South Kensington, with Charlotte Despard (1844-1939) and Flora Drummond (1878-1949) leading on horseback. Housman’s banner was carried by the suffragettes who had spent time in prison for their militant actions.

Aside from the artwork Housman created, he began dedicating his writing to the suffrage movement. He also edited other people’s work to give it a feminist twist. Housman wrote several newspaper articles that urged women to join the campaigns and penned a series of poems for Votes for Women, the official newspaper of the WSPU. Housman set several of his fictional works in a future where the women’s campaigns, particularly the Census Boycott, were successful.

To persuade other men to support women’s suffrage, Housman formed the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage with several other writers and journalists, including Gerald Gould (1885-1935), H. N. Brailsford (1873-1958) and Israel Zangwill (1864-1926). The league produced a monthly paper through which they persuaded a handful of men to write “Votes for Women” on their ballot papers at the 1910 general election.

Housman frequently spoke at rallies and participated in protests, which resulted in his arrest on more than one occasion. At one rally, Housman read Rudyard Kipling’s (1965-1936) poem Tommy (1890), replacing every instance of “Tommy” with “Women”. ‘O it’s Women this, an’ Women that, an’ “Women, go away.”‘

Following the First World War, after women over 30 gained the right to vote, Housman and his sister left the capital and settled in Ashley, Hampshire. With less focus on women’s suffrage, Housman concentrated on writing novels, short stories and plays, as well as overseeing the recently established British Society for the Study of Sex Psychology. In 1921, Housman became the Vice-President of the Ethical Union (now Humanists UK), of which many members had belonged to women’s suffrage groups, including the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage. The organisation aims to represent “people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs”. Housman, who had previously written about Biblical characters and hid Christian themes in his novels, may have seemed like a peculiar candidate for the Vice-President, yet his main focus was improving schools and education, which in some instances had been restricted by the Church.

In 1924, Housman and Clemence moved to Street, Somerset, which remained Housman’s home for the rest of his life. He continued to support the Ethical Union, remaining Vice-President until 1957. On 25th September 1929, Housman delivered a lecture at Conway Hall on The Religious Advance Towards Rationalism. He explained, “while society advances toward rationalism, it should also advance toward religion, but to a religion different from past forms. This religion will derive from human experience … Experience has actually led us, along the path of science, to perceive the limits of scientific understanding: to see that science cannot explain the origin of existence. Science leads, then, to a primordial sense of mystery, which can be called a religious sense. Also, the gospel story, whether historically true or not, advocates love, and love is permanently relevant to mankind.”

In 1945, Housman opened a bookshop in Shaftesbury Avenue, London. Although the shop shares his name, it was founded by the Peace Pledge Union (PPU) in his honour. The PPU promoted pacifism and was closely connected with the Ethical Union. Housman desired the shop to promote “ideas of peace, … human rights and a more equitable economy by which future wars, and all their inherent suffering, might be avoided.” The shop moved to Kings Cross, London, in 1959, where it remains one of the longest-running radical bookshops in the country. Over time, it has started stocking new and used books on feminism, anarchism, anti-racism, anti-fascism, LGBTQIA+ politics, socialism, and nonviolence. It remains a non-profit bookshop and is managed by a trust.

Housman and his sister continued living with each other in Somerset until Clemence’s health began to fail. Housman and his neighbours initially cared for Clemence at home until they had no choice but to send her to a nursing home in Glastonbury. Clemence passed away on 6th December 1955, aged 94. Housman continued to live in their house in Street without his lifetime companion, eventually passing away at age 93 on 20th February 1959.

Following Housman’s death, The Times posted an obituary describing him as an “idealist and iconoclast… a figure of versatile and idiosyncratic distinction.” Whilst Housman did not entirely reject Christianity, the newspaper portrayed him as agnostic. In Housman’s autobiography, he wrote, “One hears a good deal of talk nowadays about the decay of religion; and the Victorian age is spoken of as though it had been an age of faith. My own impression of it is that it combined much foolish superstition with a smug adaptation of Christianity to social convention and worldly ends.” Housman still believed in something, but not the form of Christianity imposed during the Victorian era and used against women’s suffrage campaigners and homosexuals.

Despite Housman’s decades-long campaign for reform, his fame diminished over time, although he has remained an inspiration for humanist organisations. The Millicent Fawcett statue has unearthed Housman’s name, but it is unlikely he will ever receive the same recognition as the suffragists, suffragettes and other campaigners.

Housman wrote at least ten novels, 25 short stories, 55 plays, and several poems and works of non-fiction, the majority of which are now out of print. Housman’s play, Victoria Regina, was adapted for American television in 1961, starring Julie Harris (1925-2013) as Queen Victoria and James Donald (1917-93) as Prince Albert. Unfortunately, there have been no revivals and adaptations of his works since.

“I have had pleasures and disappointments; but though the disappointments are perhaps more numerous and present to my recollection than the pleasures, I continue to find life worth having.“
– Laurence Housman, The Unexpected Years (1937)

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!

William Blathwayt of Dyrham

Situated in an ancient deer park near the village of Dyrham in South Gloucestershire, England, is a baroque English country house, once belonging to William Blathwayt (1649-1717). Since its takeover by the National Trust in 1961, the grounds, and more recently, the house, has been open to the public.

William Blathwayt, born in London in 1649, was the grandson of Justinian Povey (d. 1652), a former accountant-general to Queen Anne of Denmark (1574-1619). Blathwayt’s father, a barrister, passed away when Blathwayt was young, and his mother remarried. Fortunately, Blathwayt’s parents, and presumably step-father, came from wealthy backgrounds, allowing Blathwayt to train as a barrister, like his father. In 1665, he was admitted at Middle Temple, one of the four Inns of Court.

Blathwayt’s uncle, Thomas Povey (1613-1705), found him a diplomatic position in 1668 as Clerk of the English embassy at The Hague, the Netherlands. Blathwayt held the same appointment at the Embassy in Copenhagen and Stockholm in 1672 before touring several European countries. When Blathwayt returned to London, he became a Clerk of the Privy Council in Extraordinary and, in 1679, was promoted to secretary of trade and plantations.

During the 1680s, Blathwayt served as Secretary at War, effectively launching the War Office, and was responsible for establishing the charter of the Crown colony of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, which later became the state of Massachusetts. Blathwayt was “very dexterous in business”, as John Evelyn (1620-1706) recorded in his diary, and promoted trade in America. During his career, he also served as the whig politician for Newtown on the Isle of Wight (1685) and Bath (1693-1710).

On 23rd December 1686, Blathwayt married Mary Wynter, daughter of John Wynter of Dyrham Park. When John Wynter died in 1688, Blathwayt gained possession of Dyrham Park, where he built a large mansion house. Using much of his wealth, Blathwayt furnished the building with paintings by Dutch Old Masters and lavish fabrics.

Blathwayt used an existing Tudor building as the basis for his mansion. He commissioned Samuel Hauduroy, a Huguenot architect, to modernise the west front during the 1690s, including an Italianate staircase leading from the terrace to the grounds. In 1698, Blathwayt added a stable block with enough room for 28 horses. The upper floor of the stable contained extra sleeping quarters for servants. Finally, in 1704, William Talman (1650-1719), the architect of Chatsworth House, removed the remains of the Tudor building by reconstructing the east front and adding a statue of an eagle – the family crest – on the roof.

The Blathwayt family continued to own Dyrham until 1956, during which time the majority of the interior decor remained largely the same, except for the addition of furniture by eighteenth-century designers. During the Second World War, Baroness Anne Islington rented the house as a home for evacuees. She redecorated several rooms, which the National Trust have worked hard to return to their original appearance.

Most rooms feature dark wooden panelling decorated with Delft tiles. Through Blathwayt’s royal connection as Secretary at War to William III (1650-1702), Blathwayt had access to a range of Dutch art, including delftware, furniture and paintings. Blathwayt commissioned a purpose-made state bed with crimson and yellow velvet hangings in the Anglo-Dutch style and purchased Dutch vases and such-like. Around the house are hung many bird paintings by Melchior d’Hondecoeter (1636-95) and still-life and landscapes by other Dutch masters, such as Abraham Storck (1644-1708) and David Teniers the Younger (1610-90).

In a doorway at the end of one corridor hangs A View Through a House (1662) by Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten (1627-78). The painting captures a moment in time, as though a door has just opened, and the viewer is seeing the interior for the first time. A dog and cat, mid-movement, glance at the viewer from the first room, while an open doorway reveals a couple more rooms of the fictional scene. In the middle room, two men and a lady sit beside a window, perhaps negotiating a marriage. On the other side of the glass, a ghostly figure peers in, which many interpret as the lady’s lover, about to interrupt the proceedings and declare his love.

When hung correctly, Hoogstraten’s painting creates the illusion of a long corridor within the house. Blathwayt’s uncle, Thomas Povey, either purchased or commissioned it for his home in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, where it attracted the attention of diarist Samuel Pepys (1633-1703). Blathwayt purchased A View Through a House from his uncle in 1693.

In 1701, Blathwayt added an orangery to the southeastern side of the building. This acted as a greenhouse for exotic plants and fruit trees. In 1800, the English landscaper Humphry Repton (1752-1818) added a glass roof to allow more sunlight into the room.

The orangery served more than one purpose; it helped hide the servants’ quarters from the main house. At the time, the servant quarters were not much to look at, but in the 1840s, they were modernised to make room for a kitchen, dairy, bakehouse and several larders. Servants ate separately from the rest of the house in the Servant Hall, where they were frequently joined by tenant farmers. William Talman, who constructed the east side of the house, added a new stable, which is now used as a tearoom for visitors.

The house is situated in 274 acres of gardens and parkland, which was once home to 200 fallow deer. Unfortunately, a tuberculosis outbreak in 2021 forced the National Trust to cull the herd. It is hoped that deer will eventually return to the park when it is safe to do so.

Walls, artificial lakes and cascades of water were added to the grounds during the late 18th century. The gardens behind the house were designed by George London (1640-1714), although some features, such as a Dutch water garden, were replaced in the late 18th century by Charles Harcourt Masters. Whilst Masters was a well-known architect during his day, London is famous for working on gardens at Hampton Court Palace, including the hedge maze, Chelsea Hospital, Longleat, and Chatsworth House.

Within the grounds of Dyrham Park is the Anglican parish church of St Peter. It was built during the 13th century, although it had a complete refurbishment in the 17th century to compliment the style of the mansion house. Although the church is small compared to other religious buildings in nearby cities, it contains a north and south aisle, chancel, south-west porch and a bell tower. The encaustic tiles in the south aisle come from the original church, but the font is Norman (11th-12th century), suggesting it was moved to the building from elsewhere.

Similar to many old buildings, Dyrham Park has been featured in several television programmes and films. Notable period dramas include the 1999 BBC mini-series Wives and Daughters, based on the works of Elizabeth Gaskell; Servants (2003), set in the 1850s, The Crimson Field (2014), which took place during the First World War; Jane Austen’s Sanditon (2019), and Poldark (2015-18), as the home of George Warleggan. Aside from period dramas, Dyrham Park was also the setting for one episode of Doctor Who (2010), in which an 8-year-old boy is terrorised by crude-looking dolls. The house was also the setting of The Remains of the Day (1993), starring Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.

Due to ongoing restoration works, Dyrham House is currently only open to the public at weekends, but visitors are welcome to explore the grounds, gardens, tearoom, shops and basement. Entry costs between £12 and £16.50 for adults depending on what day they visit. Children cost between £6 and £8.30, although family tickets are available. Please note, ticket prices are due to increase from 1st March. National Trust members can visit for free.

---

My blogs are now available to listen to as podcasts on the following platforms: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Spotify.

If you would like to support my blog, become a Patreon from £5p/m or “buy me a coffee” for £3. Thank You!