From The Glue Works

The newsletter of the Margery Allingham Society

No.11 - July 2005

Dear Members,

Welcome to The Glueworks and a special welcome to all new members. We look forward to meeting you at one of the following Society events which have now been fixed.

Enter them in your diary now.

On Saturday 10 September there will be a visit to Popes Hall in Chappel in Essex

to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Beckoning Lady. Popes Hall is generally regarded as the inspiration for the house after which the book is named It was for many years the home of Grace Allingham, a cousin of Herbert and Emmie, Margery Allingham's parents, and a courtesy aunt to Margery and her siblings. Margery was a frequent visitor to Popes Hall during her residence at viaduct Farm in Chappel in the early 1930s. The house is now the home of Mr and Mrs Lockyer, who have generously invited us to spend the afternoon with them.

Arrangements for Saturday 10th September visit to Popes Hall are given on the form enclosed

On Saturday 8 April 2006 we shall visit The Museum of Garden History,

located in a deconsecrated church close to Lambeth Palace in London. This event will celebrate Margery Allingham as a gardener. The Museum itself is a considerable attraction and there will be time to enjoy what it has to offer. There will be an exhibition of relevant material, some from the archive, and talks on gardens in Margery's life and work. As a preliminary to the day, Margery's published account of her garden at D'Arcy House will be reprinted in the forthcoming 'Bottle Street Gazette'.

Saturday 20 May 2006

marks the 102nd birthday of Margery Allingham and the 106th of Albert Campion. We shall meet as usual for lunch at the University Women's Club in Mayfair. Our guest will be the distinguished crime writer Ann Cleeves, who will be celebrating her twentieth anniversary as a mystery writer next year. She published her first book; A Bird in the Hand, in 1986 and now has a further eighteen titles to her credit. Her first detective is a naturalist, George Palmer-Jones, but later titles feature police detectives: Stephen Ramsay, in a series of novels set on the Northumberland coast; Peter Porteus in The Sleeping and the Dead; and Vera Stanhope in her most recent novel, Telling Tales (2005). If you don't already know Ann's work; it is well worth your attention.

Happy reading

Greetings from all at the Glueworks.

Arrangements for Saturday 10th September visit to Popes Hall

Trains run from London, Liverpool Street to Chappel/Wakes Colne, with a quick change at Marks Tey. From the other direction, they run from Ipswich and Colchester to Marks Tey. There is also a direct train from Sudbury to Chappel/Wakes Colne.

On Saturday mornings the 10.38 from Liverpool Street is due to arrive at Marks Tey at 11.29, to link with the 11.33 to Sudbury, which calls at Chappel/Wakes Colne at 11.39. The 10.42 from Ipswich gets to Colchester at 11.01 and the 11.17 from Colchester is timed to reach Marks Tey by 11.23. The 11.00 train from Sudbury is due at Chappel/Wakes Colne by 11.13. If all goes according to plan we should converge at Chappel around 11.40, in good time for lunch at The Swan in the village. Those arriving by train will be grateful for a lift to the pub and to Popes Hall and back to the station. If you intend to drive to Chappel please let us know if you will be able/willing to give lifts to others attending.

Return trains run as follows: The 5.15 from Chappel/Wakes Colne links with the 5.23 from Marks Tey to Liverpool Street, and with the 5.23 to Colchester, and with the 5.29 to Ipswich. The 5.39 from Chappel/Wakes Colne goes to Sudbury.

If you are planning to come to Popes Hall, please complete the form below and return it to Marianne by Saturday 13 August 2005

From The Glue Works: Previous Issues

Current Issue No.17 - January 2008 No.16 - November 2007 No.15 - July 2007 No.14 - January 2007 No.13 - Summer 2006 No.12 - February 2006 No.11 - July 2005 No.10 - March 2005 No.9 - Nov/Dec 2004 No.8 - July 2004 No.7 - February 2004 No.6 - August 2003

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