At this years Summer School Bishops Castle
Bishop’s Castle Community College 9th June 2007
Programme
At this years Summer School Bishop’s Castle
The Summer School was once again a one day event and was well-attended by 38 members and guests. Bishop’s Castle or Mallard’s Keep is a new venue for the Society as the only other main event held in this pretty historic town was an AGM way back in 1996.
The programme was full and there was no sign of recent "daggly weather" Gladys Mary’s talk on House in Dormer Forest and Seven for a Secret was, according to Gordon Dickins and many of us present, her best yet. She skilfully compared the two novels pointing out that Seven for a Secret contains some of Mary Webb’s best and worst writing and that House in Dormer Forest was a social satire commenting on the wrongs of society after the Great War. It was her most populated and most humorous novel. From her study notes Gladys Mary invited volunteers to play various parts in House in Dormer Forest. This was entered into with great enthusiasm and talent.
To follow this, our second speaker Peter Francis gave an illustrated talk on the Snailbeach leadmines and brought us up to date with developments in the area to make it visitor friendly. Peter has lived most of his life in or near the Stiperstones. His love of the area and its people together with a life long passion for local history, has led to numerous magazine articles, guided tours and books, the latest of which is "A matter of Life and Death : The Secrets of Shrewsbury Cemetery."
After a leisurely lunch which we could take outside under the trees we were divided into groups and taken on a tour of the town by the very knowledgeable local guides. Bishop’s Castle is an absolute gem and a return visit soon is a must!
Summer School Lunch in the Sun
Programme for the day
Our first event of the Mary Webb calendar was exceptionally well-attended by 40 members and friends including 8 new members. The Methodist Church hall proved to be a very good venue despite chaotic parking.
After coffee and a chance to chat and catch up with friends we sat back to listen to Gladys Mary’s talk on the Meole Brace connection.
In 1902 when Mary was 21, the Merediths moved from Stanton-on-the-Hine-Heath to the village of Meole Brace to Maesbrook, which was the old mill house. The house was beautifully situated with its mill race and looked out over fields and meadows along the river Rae. (For a full description of the setting and the Meole Brace period read "The Flower of Light," Chapter 4, Anchorhold by Gladys Mary Coles.)
The house and grounds were to be conducive to the development of Mary’s writing and also to help her recover from a bout of Graves’ Disease. George Meredith fitted a hammock in the garden where she would stay from dawn to dusk absorbing the natural beauty around her. It was here that she started writing her nature essays, later published as The Spring of Joy and poetry, (read The Water Ousel & The Lost Orchard)
All the family loved the house and grounds, her younger brothers loved to explore and her mother, Sarah Alice kept rare breeds of poultry and cattle and was well-known in Shrewsbury cattle market.
As Mary’s health started to improve, she went out into the village and attended the village church, Holy Trinity. George Edward Meredith became popular with the vicar and became warden. He expected the family to attend church "3 times on Sundays." Mary also visited the old and the poor of the village and helped her mother to run the library in Meole school. Mary attended the church as she was expected but had no real conviction for formal religion as she saw God in nature.
On 5th January 1908, George Edward Meredith died which devastated Mary but also deepened her resolve to become a writer. (Read the very poignant poem from this time "Unfinished Embroidery")
In December 1909, the Webb family moved to Brent House, Meole Brace and Mary was to meet and fall in love with Cambridge educated Henry Bertram Law Webb, nephew of the channel swimmer, Captain Webb. Henry became fascinated by Mary when she read at the Meole Brace literary society. They were kindred spirits and their deepening love helped to ease the pain of her father’s death.
Mary and Henry were married on 12th June 1912 at Holy Trinity church. Mary, in her ever unconventional way had invited 70 guests including elderly people from Cross Houses workhouse, an organ grinder, beggar and an old herbalist. The wedding arrangements were not approved of by her mother or by the Webb family.
Following their wedding, Mary and Henry went to live at Weston-Super-Mare where Henry had a teaching post.
Thank you Gladys Mary for such an affectionate and enlightening talk. This really set the scene for the beautiful lunch prepared by Babs Edwards.
The theme of the lunch was appropriately a wedding reception taken from "The Modern Housewife’s Book."
Babs produced a beautiful souvenir menu as a memento of the day. Lunch included such authentic delights as Welsh mutton pie, leek and potato pie, fruit jellies, rhubarb trifle and home made bread. The time and effort involved in providing "The feast for the Famished" was appreciated by all... many thanks Babs.
After lunch we drove to Meole Brace to Holy Trinity church where we were welcomed by verger, Noel Oakley who gave us a talk on the history of the church, its present activities and of course, the connection with Mary Webb. There is a small brass plaque in the second row which states "Mary Webb worshipped here 1902-1912." The church has some very impressive stained-glass windows designed by Edward Burne-Jones.
In the church we could imagine the wedding party and the odd congregation reminiscent of the description of Hazel and Edward’s wedding in Gone to Earth. What a pity no wedding photos have come to light !
We walked from the church to Maesbrook (not the original house which was demolished, but the present one is now a nursing home.) We were able to see the original gardener’s lodge, home of Winifred Downes, the gardener’s daughter who was Mary’s only bridesmaid. Next to the church is Meole Brace Hall, the inspiration for the short story "The Cedar Tree".
Meole Brace still maintains a village atmosphere despite the proximity to the bustle of Shrewsbury.
On our return to Bayston Hill we had a welcome cup of tea and a slice of wedding cake which "didna bend" ( a comment made by one of Mary’s workhouse guests)
Altogether a lovely day, over too soon as all Mary Webb society events are.
Liz Stamps April 07