Horrid horrid Hove! No place for a feminist writer!

Horrid horrid Hove - Copyright Janet Cameron

Ivy Compton-Burnett was born in Pinner in Middlesex in 1884, the daughter of a doctor. Young Ivy had twelve brothers and sisters, and in 1891, their father decided to move his large family to Hove, because he'd been told that the Brighton air was good for the children. Their first address was 30 First Avenue, a road that runs from the main Western Road down to the seafront, but in 1897, there was another move to the slightly more prestigious address of 20, The Drive.

Horrid, Horrid Hove!

The early life of the young Ivy Compton-Burnett was traumatic; first of all, her brother became ill and died, and then another brother met his death in the First World War. Two tragic younger sisters committed suicide together. The death of four loved siblings naturally had an appalling effect on Compton-Burnett.

Perhaps the tragedy in her life prejudiced Compton-Burnett against Hove. She was unimpressed by neighbouring Brighton too. In the biography she wrote about the writer, Hilary Spurling says: "Ivy detested Hove to the end of her life and steadfastly refused to visit friends who lived in Brighton." Compton-Burnett always insisted, "It's a horrid,horrid place!"

Ivy Meets her Soulmate

In 1914, Ivy Compton-Burnett moved to London and five years later, the now middle-aged writer met another writer, Margaret Jourdain. Hilary Spurling describes Margaret as belonging to: "the genre of New Woman... a small but growing band of unattached, self-assured, purposeful spinsters accustomed to make their own way in the world." Margaret Jourdain wrote what Ivy liked to describe as "serious books." Spurling's biography gives an account offered by a new acquaintance, James Lee-Milne in 1942. "Margaret Jourdain is patently jealous of Ivy Compton-Burnett," he said, "whom she keeps unapproachable, except through herself, and even when approached, guards with anxious care."

The two women remained together until Margaret's death in 1951.

Novels with a Homosexual Theme

The accusations of amorality were due to the twenty novels written by Compton-Burnett, some of which contained an underlying homosexual theme. It's claimed in Spurling's Appendix Two, that the author drew heavily on characters from real life. She didn't bother to disguise them, but simply transferred them from fact to fiction.

In 1955, Compton-Burnett received the James Tait black Memorial Prize for her novel,Mother and Son, awarded annually by the University of Edinburgh, and she became a Companion of the Royal Society of Literature and was awarded the DBE in 1967.

Other notable novels written by Compton-Burnett were Pastors and Masters, 1925, andManservant and Maidservant, 1947.

Sources:

·      Ivy, The Life of I. Compton-Burnett , Hilary Spurling, Richard Cohen Books, 1995.

·      Local Knowledge.

·      Adapted from LGBT Brighton and Hove, Janet Cameron, Amberley Publishing, 2010.

Shocking Hallowe'en Dance of the Brighton and Hove Witches

by Janet Cameron

Lucky Stones may Protect Against the Trials of Hallowe'en

The ancient magic of witchcraft is celebrated at Hallowe'en, reaffirming the life force and ensuring the old powers will never be lost. 

One dark night at Hallowe'en, a gathering of thirty witches, all members of a coven known as the Order of Artemis and led by the High Priest of Hove, prepared themselves to perform naked in special Hallowe'en rites. Artemis, for whom the coven is named, is one of the most venerated of ancient Greek Goddesses and the equivalent to the Roman Diana. She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and sister of Apollo and her special role is Goddess of the Hunt.

The purpose of the ceremony held by the Order of Artemis was to communicate with the dead and to invite them to return to earth with special messages for friends and relatives.

Herne, the High Priest, Explains the Power of the Coven

"One might be my father or grandfather - unless they have been reincarnated, of course," said Herne, the High Priest, who was, at that time, a fifty-three year old businessman and a father-of-two. Herne declined to reveal his real name because there is still a lot of prejudice against witches. "My neighbours don't know I am one. We shall be raising power by means which will include dancing and sex."

Herne was anxious to convince anyone who would listen that, although the ceremony included sex, it would be "properly controlled."

"It's always used at the Great Sabbath to summon up power, but it's a small part of the ceremony and not a wild orgy. Witches always work naked," said Herne. However, it should be pointed out that while this may have been true for Herne's coven, in general, adherents of the Wicca do not include nudity and sexual activity within their rites and celebrations.

The Coven Members - Pillars of the Community

The coven consisted of policemen, housewives and civil servants, all of whom regarded the secret Hallowe'en ceremony as a reaffirmation of the life force. They had faith in spells, and sometimes they created specific spells to help others, for example, sick or unhappy people. They would find jobs for the unemployed and reconcile married couples about to get a divorce. Herne said the people they helped did not know about the spells and that no spell was ever cast to the advantage of the coven.

The High Priest preferred to describe his craft not as witchcraft, but "wisecraft" or "The Wicca" and stressed it was nothing to do with black magic or Satanism. He said, "We are a nature religion and worship the old gods." The Order of Artemis had twenty-six members including a chef, an author, lawyers and a computer scientist. That Hallowe'en night they were joined by four people from another coven, including Herne's wife Athene, making a grand total of thirty.

Farmers Seeking Witches

Rites were normally held outdoors. The coven preferred traditional sacred places, stone circles, especially those at the junctions of ley lines and other places that carry mystic power. Farmers actively pursued the coven to perform on their land because it increased fertility. One farmer's lamb yield rose from nine to sixty after the coven had performed their secret rites on his farm, while another travelled thirty-five miles to persuade the witches to use his land.

Wiccan Gods and Goddesses Worshipped Since Medieval Times

Today, many Wiccans, as followers of the religion "Wicca" are called, worship both a Horned God, associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality and hunting, and a Triple Goddess who embodies maiden, mother and crone. The God is sometimes symbolised as the sun and the Goddess as the moon. The God is also sometimes depicted as The Green Man. Some covens focus only on the Goddess, whom they see as complete in herself.

The Horned God and the Great Mother Goddess have been worshipped in the British Isles since early medieval times.

Adapted from Paranormal Brighton & Hove, Janet Cameron, Amberley Publishing, Gloucestershire, 2009.

The Brighton and Hove Gazette, 31.10.1980.

It's Hallowe'en - so Beware of Apparitions in Brighton's Spooky Twittens!

Copyright Janet Cameron

When the lights goes out and all is quiet - don't linger in these little back lanes of Brighton - for there may be something else lurking - something sinister and very strange.

The layout of the lanes in Brighton's Old Town still survive in their original format from the eleventh century. Originally, they were the site of the little fishing settlement of Brighthelmstone. They were burned down by the French in 1514, but once was enough for all those who loved Brighton. 

So, when the French tried it again in 1545, the alarm was raised and plucky Englishmen from all surrounding areas descended on the lanes and fought off the foolhardy French. Today the lanes are an enchanting labyrinth of delightful shops, pubs and inns, bustling with Bohemian activity, and many with a spooky story to tell.

The Medieval Monk

A medieval monk is said to drift along Black Lion Lane, one of the Old Town's most interesting twittens, and disappear through an old arched stone wall. Some people believe the monk was bricked up inside as a punishment for having an affair with a young girl. It's also been said that this is unlikely because the wall is only 200 years old, so the medieval monk couldn't be bricked up in there. All the same, ghosts walk through walls and doors and appear to climb stairs that aren't there, so maybe he was bricked up in an even older wall that no longer exists, but was replaced some time later.

Dying for Love

Another account claims the ghost of a nun haunts the area. It's said that in the twelfth century, a priory stood here, St. Bartholomew's, and soldiers were ordered to guard the building to protect the nuns from the local ruffians. A nun and a soldier, who had been assigned to guard duty, fell in love and began an affair, and they decided to run away together. Unfortunately for them, they were captured by the young man's fellow soldiers and the soldier was executed.

The nun was bricked up alive in the wall and abandoned to starve to death, and it can be assumed this was carried out by holy orders. It was a usual practice to brick people up to avoid bloodshed which was against religious convictions. It's hard to imagine how it's less sinful to leave someone bricked up alive to suffocate slowly to death than to arrange a quick execution. It must have been little consolation to the poor, young woman that, as she suffered, the other nuns were praying for her soul.

The nun's ghost is also said to walk through the 200 year-old-wall in the photo, but again, as before, the wall may have replaced another wall considerably older, or it could have been a different wall in a different place and the route followed by the ghost has some other explanation.

 

A Very Keen Brighton Sewing Machine Rep circa 1878

The following tale appeared in the Cliftonville and Hove Mercury of 13 September 1878, as though it were just an ordinary newspaper report. It seems clear though, that the anonymous author, the paper’s ‘Brighton Representative’ was having a little Victorian fun, but the irony only masks a real social problem.

It concerns the death of a sewing machine canvasser through persecuting a gentleman to buy a machine. ‘Jones,’ states the Brighton Representative rather pompously, ‘told us himself so he must answer to the truth.’

It seemed that some time previously, Jones was persecuted almost to death by a sewing machine agent who wouldn’t give up trying to sell him a machine. In desperation, Jones built himself a diving bell and went out to sea for 400 miles, then descended 200 miles into the ocean to try to get some peace. But no such luck. The moment his feet hit the ocean floor, he saw the sewing machine man coming down in his diver’s equipment and carrying with him a sewing machine shuttle feed and sixty testimonials about the excellence of his sewing machines.

Immediately, Jones rose to the surface and prepared to sail home, but as the ship’s anchor was hauled over the side, it dropped and upset the cook’s caboose and scattered live coals into the powder machine which caused an horrific explosion. This blew Jones 200 miles up in the air. As he began to descend, he again encountered the sewing machine man, this time in a balloon, with ‘six bucketsful of samples of the lockstitch and a model of the reversible hammer.’

Eventually Jones sailed home but as he approached the dock, again he saw the sewing machine man on the landing stage. Jones persuaded the captain to tell the man he’d died of yellow fever on the voyage. This news so saddened the agent that he seized a pistol and threatened to blow out his own brains. ‘The melancholy event,’ says the paper, ‘executed great admiration amongst all who witnessed it’, but Jones said, ‘’Pon honour, I will never encourage a sewing machine man again.’

After reading such an amusing yet heartfelt send-up, one can’t help drawing analogies with modern-day sales techniques. Perhaps the author should be commended for seeing the humorous side of high-pressure salesmanship. Today, of course, we try to combat such coercion by the implementation of a ‘cooling off’ period.

Brief Overview of Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove – More to See, More to Do

The trouble with Brighton and Hove is that we have everything you need for a delightful lifestyle or holiday, far too much to cover in one article. We have stunning architecture, including fine Regency houses and Victorian villas, many now converted into flats or apartments.

We have fascinating old pubs and bars, theatres and cinemas, festivals, street musicians, a seafront electric railway and a Marina that’s like a small self-contained town, also with eating places, modern shops and factory outlets.

There’s also a great choice of good, seafront hotels and frequent bus services that serve the city and other places of interest, like Chichester, Eastbourne, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells.

The Palace Pier and the West Pier

The lively 1722 foot long Brighton Pier, formerly known as The Palace Pier, was opened on 20 May 1899 and its shops, stalls, bars, amusements, music and scary fairground rides throb with vitality. Our old West Pier was built in 1866, but gradually deteriorated over time, despite our best efforts. There were fires in March and May 2003, and in June 2004, gale force winds destroyed the middle of the pier. It is now a skeleton of its former self and people are debating what to do about it. But, strangely, although some say it is an eyesore, other Brightonians are fond of it exactly as it is!

The Starlings Create a Famous and Stunning Display

A famous sight in Brighton features an ordinary, shiny little black bird. Starlings flock over our piers at sunset. As many as 40,000 birds wheel, swoop, dip and rise in glorious formation as the sun goes down in a blaze of red and orange below the horizon. Visitors make a point of witnessing this amazing spectacle. The starlings flock to avoid danger from predators, such as peregrine falcons, but they are also social birds. People believe that they exchange information about good feeding places.

The now-derelict West Pier, Copyright Gareth Cameron

It's a tense moment, waiting for the birds to drop, suddenly and simultaneously, to roost on the piers. Sadly, conservationists fear numbers are beginning to plummet, due to the disappearance of their natural habitat, caused by modern farming practices. Their numbers are increased in late autumn by migratory birds from across the Channel.

The Royal Pavilion and the Royal 'Dirty Weekend'

This distinctive, former residence of the Prince Regent, later George IV, was opened to the public in 1850. The Prince Regent first visited Brighton in 1783. He believed the sea air and seawater would be good for his gout. An additional bonus was that he was free to meet discreetly with his paramour, Mrs. Fitzherbert, well away from annoying London gossip. This, it's claimed, gave rise to the saying, 'A dirty weekend in Brighton.' It's said the King wept when he first laid eyes upon his exotic Palace by the sea.

During WWII, Hitler had his sights on The Royal Pavilion for his future headquarters - once he'd achieved his planned invasion. This meant he left it alone when sending his bombing raids to Britain.

In 1974, Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest at The Brighton Dome, which was built as part of The Royal Pavilion estate.

Our Medieval Lanes

The lanes date from around the fifteenth century and the narrow, winding little streets and twittens are reminiscent of the wealthy fishing village Brighton once was. Although raided and burnt down by the French in 1514, the lanes still follow their original medieval construction. Here, there are quaint, tiny, specialised shops, old inns, restaurants and bistros.

Brighton and Hove, City of Freedom

In Brighton and Hove, young people work out or do Tai Chi on the seafront. Middle-aged men skateboard, old ladies wear flowers in their hair. Two or three elderly ladies regularly bathe as the sun comes up, winter and summer, regardless of the temperature.

Currently, Peter Turner, a pensioner and grandfather of 74 years old has reached the finals of 'The Face of Brighton' talent competition with his breakdancing routine. He’s a regular at the Tru nightclub in West Street and dances until midnight. What’s amazing is that he is in remission from oesophageal cancer, but, according to the Argus newspaper, he was ‘not ready to hang up his dancing shoes yet.’ Peter Turner says, ‘When I am in the club, the girls come over. They used me as a coat rack last Saturday, which I suppose is better than being used as a cat-scratching post.’

Cosmopolitan Brighton

According to the Argus newspaper, the English Language School in Hove said their school had catered for 53 nationalities. Spokesperson Phil Hopkins said: ‘Our biggest groups are Italians and Spanish but we are increasingly getting a lot of students from the Far East, Korea, China and Japan, who need more than one language for careers in business.'

The Royal Pavilion, Copyright Janet Cameron

A Brief History

Once, Brighton was known by its Anglo-Saxon name, Brighthelmstone, or Brighthelm. Brighton was merged in 1997 with its slightly more sedate neighbour, Hove, to become one borough. In the year 2000, Brighton and Hove was, deservedly, awarded city status.

Urban British people started wanting a day out in Brighton when the railways were being built in the 1870s and the bank holiday was invented. Brighton's economy flourished as people were drawn by the health benefits of sea-bathing, using special bathing machines to preserve their modesty.

Today, Brighton and Hove is not so modest! Nowadays, the city is more likely to be described as "London-by-the-Sea." It is as alive, vibrant and as architecturally elegant as England's capital city, with the added advantages of wonderful air and, of course, the sea.

Sources:

"Still swinging" by Anna Roberts, The Argus, November 10, 2010.

"Our 94 mother tongues" by Naomi Loomes, The Argus, November 12, 2010.

Brighton History Centre, Local Studies

Hove Library, Local Studies.

Buddhist Centre, Hove, and World Peace Garden

Pear Tree Well - the Source of Perfect Water

Copyright: Janet Cameron

A leaflet dropped through my door today, and I thought, what a great idea.  Needs telling about, although I would like to add I haven't yet sampled their product or service, so you will have to make up your own mind.

"This water," says the leaflet, "comes from a small, deep, underground stream, far away from the contamination of chemicals."

The leaflet makes the point that soil these days is seriously short of nutrients and this affects the quality of the food we eat. Whether it will actually improve your health and sense of wellbeing - well I won't know until I've tried it. If you try it, please post your comments below about your experience.

Framfield is the site of a former Druid settlement that dates from around 2091 BC.  The suppliers say it contains a "perfect balance of all minerals, trace elements, and transition metals that you body needs to keep you well."

If you want to find out more, here are the contact details:

Phone: 01825 890444
enquiries@peartreewell,co.uk