Dave Hears Good Things.
I went to a lecture on Saturday.
Well, it gets you out of the house, doesn't it?
The speaker, an historian of national repute, had chosen as his subject Wesleyan Women Preachers in East Anglia to 1910.
You can imagine my keen interest, given that I have written a biography of a woman preacher from Norfolk, Sarah Boyce (née Mallet) [1764 - 1846].
Imagine my surprise, therefore, when the speaker (who did not know I was present) started his lecture by referring to my book, My Dear Sally* in fulsome terms. He was complimentary about my scholarship and spoke of my exemplary use of original research in source documents. I don't take compliments well, assuming them to be largely flannel (and I know the truth about myself), but found myself pleasantly warmed by these unexpected remarks.
It was fascinating to find myself agreeing with the speaker time after time, only to realise he was quoting from my book.
I learned nothing new about Sarah (I had hardly expected to) but did pick up a few points about some of her contemporaries. As I am still hoping to write the definitive account of her life (having discovered some additional facts about her after the publication of the book in 2002) I introduced myself to him after the lecture, and asked for a copy of his paper.**
Altogether a very pleasant way to spend my Saturday afternoon.
*Not available from all good booksellers, but I'm happy to supply a copy for a crisp fiver (plus p&p). Only a few left.
**I am available to give lectures myself, and can make them more or less technical, depending on the audience [I have presented papers to University and other Historical Societies, but also to women's groups, been the after-dinner speaker at Round Table meetings, and the like].
13 letters to the editor:
I may be able to get the East Worldham WI to cough up for your expenses and provide you a nice tea if you were able to lecture on Sarah's brother, Timmy.
there's no end to your talents dave is there
why were you so interested in Sarah originally?
I'd been asked to write a local history (which, as it happens, was also published in 2002) of the town in which I lived. Whilst researching it, I came across Sarah's name, as she was born there.
Well done. It's really good to hear your own work bouncing back at you - as long as the bouncer doesn't take the credit.
Could you deliver in French?
What an excellent thing - how exciting.
Was her nickname Beyoncé?
Christopher: non.
Kaz: no.
Recognition at last, how about taking Sarah on tour?...
Didn't Sarah have an intense sister called Peg Mallett she was always banging on about?
That's fantastic, Dave! I've given some well-received papers, but I've never yet heard a paper where the speaker quoted me. That's too cool for words.
That's very nice. I too had a bit of a surprise on Saturday to see that the book wot I wrote last year had received a 5 star review on Amazon.com and what's more, from a complete stranger.
Pedantry alert. I also read Fatty Batter. Yesterday. All 300 pages of it. First time I can remember reading a whole book in one day. I LOLd a very lot - especially at the explosiveness of his colleague's reaction to getting a duck. I could identify. The rather clumsy anachronisms annoyed me though. For instance him attending the schools' under 16s final at The Oval and seeing Concorde fly overhead - as it used to at 6pm every day - and hit his ball under Robin Jackman's Vectra. As he was at least 5 years older than me and I'm 47 this would have to have been no later than 1972. Concorde didn't enter service until 1976 and Vectras didn't appear until the 90s. The kids were all presented with Stuart Surridge Jumbos as trophies which I'm sure didn't appear until the mid 70s.
I'll er...go now.
Richard: I'd also noticed a few points where he seems to be stretching artistic licence. I do hope the whole thing isn't fiction.
Perhaps we could persuade Phil to read it, then go and check out the sweet-shop connection.
Reading a book might be asking too much, but I'm your man for the sweet shop.
And I like the way you present the two extremes of intellect as 'Universities' and 'Women's Groups'.
Glad you spotted that, Phil.
What I meant, of course, is that University and other Historical Societies are interested in the technical and social history - with refences, whilst women's groups are interested in her as a proto-feminist (and in her dresses, of course) whilst Round Tablers want the sexual dirt on her dealings with john Wesley.
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