Thursday, December 4, 2014

Childhood



This is one of my blog posts to be filed under 'other places'.
I think the place where you spend your first ten years is more firmly etched in your mind than anywhere you may subsequently live. This is certainly true in my case.


I had the good fortune to grow up in a particularly magical place  - Thorndon Park in Essex in England - where we lived in what had once been a gamekeeper's cottage on a grand estate. Our garden opened directly on the huge acreage that had been the deer park and grounds laid out by Capability Brown for Lord Petre in the 18th century.  Back in the 1950's we children were allowed to wander in the woods in search of adventure.


Deep in the woods was the neglected little Roman Catholic chapel where the Lords Petre and their servants were buried. I only ever went inside once with my mother. A woman was scrubbing the black and white flagstone floor and multicolored lights from the stained glass windows speckled her back. An image that has remained with me for ever. I only discovered recently that the Chantry Chapel was designed by a friend of Pugin's (Pugin designed the Houses of Parliament!) 
Anyway, these woods and Thorndon Hall


are the setting for Jane in Winter a children's book I wrote some years ago. Though aimed at readers between the ages of about eight and twelve it's also a memoir of childhood.
For the fantastical parts of the story - the domain of the evil Queen Ida deep under the lake - I used my memories of the splendid Palais Gharnata in  Marrakesh, Morocco -


a most amazingly decorated place.


Jane in Winter is about autumn in England in the 1950's - and family and food and the days leading up to Christmas. I've recently re-edited it to remove errors. It's available both for Kindle (only $2.99) and as a paperback. I think you'll enjoy it!


A view of Thornton Hall - Myrtle Hall in the book - from the Brentwood side.
So if you need a little light nostalgic reading or a present for a young reader...
For my other books go here.
Happy reading!





17 comments:

  1. i throughly enjoyed the book, especially the description of the evil queen's palace!

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    1. You are very kind! Your weather looks a bit chilly!

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  2. Ah, the little chapel with all the dog graves. We were very lucky to be able to roam around in an estate with complete freedom apart from watching out for the odd golfball. Big very old (older that Cap Brown planting) oaks - branches sweeping across the ground just at the right height to scramble on. And avenues of crimson rhododendrons (more recent than Cap brown planting) that released carpets of petals to roll in. A 50's childhood of exploration + discovery. Must go back and take alook again.

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    1. Julia,
      When I was editing the little book, I thought I would do a little research. Anyway William Wardell, the architect, was a rather interesting, if odd, character. See here http://www.hct.org.uk/chapels/east-england/petre-chapel/27
      A rather keen Catholic he emigrated to Australia (for his lungs!) where he designed Cathedrals and Government House in Melbourne.
      The Petre Chapel was one of the few things he did in England.

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  3. interesting. I will go back soon - if you want some photos let me know which, what but not necessarily why.

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  4. What a wonderful place to explore as a child in the 50's! And of course, exotic Marrakesh. I have not read Jane in Winter yet but I think I shall look for the paperback version. I so loved your Ruth and Gisela novel for adults. I also shared your post on my FB page to give you some additional exposure.

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  5. I think you are absolutely right Elizabeth. Certainly the places I played in in rural Lincolnshire stay very fresh in mymind, and although I have now lived longer here in North Yorkshire (27 years) than I have lived anywhere, I still feel I know Lincolnshire best of all.

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  6. Thorndon Park looks a beautiful and magical place, Elizabeth!
    Congratulation for your new book! I certainly would love to read it.

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  7. Elizabeth, I agree with you about the power of those childhood memories of places, particularly places a child is/was allowed to explore on her own.

    I recommend your book to all.

    Go ahead and order a copy...I can just about imagine how much a much younger version of myself would have loved unwrapping a copy of Jane in Winter on Christmas morning, and wanting to start reading it not long after the just-about-midday Christmas dinner.

    xo

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  8. I just ordered Jane In Winter. A little, light, nostalgic reading for young readers sounds just about right for me at the moment.
    I'm getting quite a nice Elizabeth Wix library, although I don't have everything, yet.
    Barbara

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  9. Jane in Winter is one of my favorite reads. :-)

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    1. I'm always so thrilled when people enjoy my stories!

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  10. This time of year does tend to bring up memories of childhood, I think, and what a magical place to grow up in! I love the chapel in the grounds in particular - what a gem.

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  11. My Partner was living near Thorndon Park when we met and we used to go there to pick up wood chips for the garden!

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    1. Dear Em!
      This is so interesting!
      Obviously not as exciting as Dartmoor but wonderful nonetheless! Cheers!

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I look forward to hearing from you!