Lucy Boston dear to my heart not only for the books but because I too am a quilter. On the day of our visit to Hemingford Grey we were the only booking so Diana allowed me a good long look at all the quilts. Lucy is hugely respected in the quilting world especially given she stitched by hand and designed such amazing patterns from a huge range of fabrics…no easy task. There are dedicated groups making replicas of her iconic Patchwork of the Crosses, and just looking at those colours you’ve shared at St Johns…well I can guarantee had Lucy seen them she would have been inspired by them.
So glad you know Lucy Boston's 'other' work of genius Grace - I am utterly amazed by her quilting skills, and how interesting that you're also a quilter. It's lovely to think that she would have appreciated the colours used by the conservation expert Matthew Beesley, based on the Tudor polychromy he so painstakingly researched.
"Boiled sweet colors" indeed! The history of Margaret Beaufort and her generosity to the colleges of Cambridge combined so well with your study of two distinctive restorations of the Bridge of Sighs. The current restoration looks stunning in the photos. I haven't ever been to Cambridge, so this visit was a treat for me.
Thanks Leslie! I had heard of Margaret Beaufort's connection to Cambridge University, but seeing the stonework restored reminded me of how long her influence has lasted. Reading my friend Deborah Spring's new book 'Lady Anne Bacon: A woman of learning at the Tudor court' has given me fresh appreciation of what it took to be a bookish woman during that time. Glad you liked the restoration theme, I think it looks amazing too & it's nice to share these stories!
One of my first historical fiction reads was Anya Seton's "Katherine" about Katherine Swynford, John of Gault, and G Chaucer. So I always enjoy a Beaufort story!
I don’t know, but likely. If I have the right Margaret Beaufort? Margaret’s great grandparents were Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt and Margaret was the mother of Henry VII. I’m not well versed in the royal lines and my main source is Seton’s historical novel of the great grandmother’s life. Such amazing stories!
I always love your Cambridge notebooks, and now I’m wondering if anyone has written a novel about Margaret Beaufort. Have you heard of any? Will got look her up and see what I can find.
Thank you Sarah - Philippa Gregory's The Red Queen is probably the best known. There are all sorts of dark, Lady Macbeth-like rumours connected to her power (that she had the young princes murdered to ensure her son Henry took the throne, etc) but possibly less about her standing as a scholar - which I would be interested to read about! But I can see how her life would make a great story. An extraordinary woman.
Interesting, and I would be interested too! And I can imagine the rumors and gossip that would have been spread about her at the time and over the centuries.
As for the joys if the season. We’re swamped in the colours of autumn here in the Tamar Valley and cobwebs like we’ve never known. Plenty of gossamer webs but also huge thick hammock-like webs that you almost think could fill up with water.
And reading…well I’m deep into Babel by RK Kuang. Set in Oxford in the 1830s, four students and the intricacies of translation in ‘the tower from which all the power of the Empire flows’. Of course all is not what it seems. Alongside, because one book is never enough, I’m loving Winters in the World A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker.
I love the sound of those giant cobwebs, Grace - such a beautiful sight. We had a lot of (admittedly less impressive-sounding) cobwebs in our garden a few weeks ago & it made me reluctant to go out there in the darkness. I think the spiders have now taken refuge inside the house. I've heard good things about Babel, and Eleanor Parker's book sounds fascinating. Funnily enough I had just been reading about 'computus': the science of deciding when the new year should begin, apparently, as well as Easter. I'm enjoying Amy Liptrot's The Outrun, steeped in its wintry depiction of Orkney.
Thank you very much for mentioning my post, it was a lovely surprise! The discovery of the friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Elinor Bellingham - Smith was a very happy discovery. I love the new edition of Green Knowe and have always felt that the illustrations had been cramped previously. I am currently reading Amanda Craig's " The Lie of the Land"which a wonderful sweeping novel and she is such a good writer.
My pleasure Deborah! I loved your very moving post about this artist who's probably unknown to most of us (I have added a brief section in my post about the current Sheila Fell exhibition at my college). It's interesting that Faber have now found a way, I presume, of reproducing Peter Boston's illustrations more faithfully. Glad The Lie of the Land is good - another friend loves her recent novel set in Italy, The Three Graces - shades of The Enchanted April!
I love the work of Sheila Fell and would love to see her work exhibited, rather than just in reproduction. After this Amanda Craig, I will certainly read more of her.
Impressed that you know Fell's painting, Deborah - it was a revelation to me. I think next year she will be getting much more attention, due to all the work the Bradleys have done collecting & researching her lesser-known work.
Thanks so much for the shout out about my screening 😊 I'm staying in college on Sunday night so I will definitely try to get to the English Faculty Library for the exhibition which sounds right up my street as a Cambridge English Woman myself (once upon a time anyway). Plus I've actually never been to the 'new' faculty building - it was still the house on West Road when I was a student...
My pleasure Vicki and hope to see you there on Sunday (will say hello after the Q&A). Planning to check out the English Fac exhibition today if possible, will confirm if it's still on! All the best with your event, it sounds wonderful.
Lucy Boston dear to my heart not only for the books but because I too am a quilter. On the day of our visit to Hemingford Grey we were the only booking so Diana allowed me a good long look at all the quilts. Lucy is hugely respected in the quilting world especially given she stitched by hand and designed such amazing patterns from a huge range of fabrics…no easy task. There are dedicated groups making replicas of her iconic Patchwork of the Crosses, and just looking at those colours you’ve shared at St Johns…well I can guarantee had Lucy seen them she would have been inspired by them.
So glad you know Lucy Boston's 'other' work of genius Grace - I am utterly amazed by her quilting skills, and how interesting that you're also a quilter. It's lovely to think that she would have appreciated the colours used by the conservation expert Matthew Beesley, based on the Tudor polychromy he so painstakingly researched.
"Boiled sweet colors" indeed! The history of Margaret Beaufort and her generosity to the colleges of Cambridge combined so well with your study of two distinctive restorations of the Bridge of Sighs. The current restoration looks stunning in the photos. I haven't ever been to Cambridge, so this visit was a treat for me.
Thanks Leslie! I had heard of Margaret Beaufort's connection to Cambridge University, but seeing the stonework restored reminded me of how long her influence has lasted. Reading my friend Deborah Spring's new book 'Lady Anne Bacon: A woman of learning at the Tudor court' has given me fresh appreciation of what it took to be a bookish woman during that time. Glad you liked the restoration theme, I think it looks amazing too & it's nice to share these stories!
One of my first historical fiction reads was Anya Seton's "Katherine" about Katherine Swynford, John of Gault, and G Chaucer. So I always enjoy a Beaufort story!
That book sounds great, Leslie. have other novels been written about Margaret, do you know?
I don’t know, but likely. If I have the right Margaret Beaufort? Margaret’s great grandparents were Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt and Margaret was the mother of Henry VII. I’m not well versed in the royal lines and my main source is Seton’s historical novel of the great grandmother’s life. Such amazing stories!
I always love your Cambridge notebooks, and now I’m wondering if anyone has written a novel about Margaret Beaufort. Have you heard of any? Will got look her up and see what I can find.
Thank you Sarah - Philippa Gregory's The Red Queen is probably the best known. There are all sorts of dark, Lady Macbeth-like rumours connected to her power (that she had the young princes murdered to ensure her son Henry took the throne, etc) but possibly less about her standing as a scholar - which I would be interested to read about! But I can see how her life would make a great story. An extraordinary woman.
Interesting, and I would be interested too! And I can imagine the rumors and gossip that would have been spread about her at the time and over the centuries.
As for the joys if the season. We’re swamped in the colours of autumn here in the Tamar Valley and cobwebs like we’ve never known. Plenty of gossamer webs but also huge thick hammock-like webs that you almost think could fill up with water.
And reading…well I’m deep into Babel by RK Kuang. Set in Oxford in the 1830s, four students and the intricacies of translation in ‘the tower from which all the power of the Empire flows’. Of course all is not what it seems. Alongside, because one book is never enough, I’m loving Winters in the World A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker.
I love the sound of those giant cobwebs, Grace - such a beautiful sight. We had a lot of (admittedly less impressive-sounding) cobwebs in our garden a few weeks ago & it made me reluctant to go out there in the darkness. I think the spiders have now taken refuge inside the house. I've heard good things about Babel, and Eleanor Parker's book sounds fascinating. Funnily enough I had just been reading about 'computus': the science of deciding when the new year should begin, apparently, as well as Easter. I'm enjoying Amy Liptrot's The Outrun, steeped in its wintry depiction of Orkney.
Thanks for reminding me of our delightful visit to Green Knowe in May. Just been looking back at my photos!
It was a lovely trip, Alison. Can't wait to return and see the garden in its autumn glory while it lasts.
Thank you very much for mentioning my post, it was a lovely surprise! The discovery of the friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Elinor Bellingham - Smith was a very happy discovery. I love the new edition of Green Knowe and have always felt that the illustrations had been cramped previously. I am currently reading Amanda Craig's " The Lie of the Land"which a wonderful sweeping novel and she is such a good writer.
My pleasure Deborah! I loved your very moving post about this artist who's probably unknown to most of us (I have added a brief section in my post about the current Sheila Fell exhibition at my college). It's interesting that Faber have now found a way, I presume, of reproducing Peter Boston's illustrations more faithfully. Glad The Lie of the Land is good - another friend loves her recent novel set in Italy, The Three Graces - shades of The Enchanted April!
I love the work of Sheila Fell and would love to see her work exhibited, rather than just in reproduction. After this Amanda Craig, I will certainly read more of her.
Impressed that you know Fell's painting, Deborah - it was a revelation to me. I think next year she will be getting much more attention, due to all the work the Bradleys have done collecting & researching her lesser-known work.
Thanks so much for the shout out about my screening 😊 I'm staying in college on Sunday night so I will definitely try to get to the English Faculty Library for the exhibition which sounds right up my street as a Cambridge English Woman myself (once upon a time anyway). Plus I've actually never been to the 'new' faculty building - it was still the house on West Road when I was a student...
My pleasure Vicki and hope to see you there on Sunday (will say hello after the Q&A). Planning to check out the English Fac exhibition today if possible, will confirm if it's still on! All the best with your event, it sounds wonderful.