New blow for Pickwick Papers theory

The debate about whether Charles Dickens wrote Pickwick Papers at The Lion in Shrewsbury rumbles on, but the bad news for the hotel and the town is that a second expert has discounted the theory.

In a recent blog I commented that the view and tradition at The Lion was that the author wrote part of Pickwick Papers when he stayed there. I said in the book: It is probable that Dickens stayed at The Lion more than twice, with some saying he wrote Pickwick Papers here.”

The experts agreed that Dickens visited Shrewsbury on a number of occasions, but they are adamant he didn’t write Pickwick Papers (pictured below) while he was in the town.

Dr David Parker, the former curator of the Charles Dickens Museum in Doughty Street, London, who also taught English literature at the University of Sheffield, the University of Malaya and the Open University, said: “Dickens started writing Pickwick Papers in 1836 when he was living in chambers at Furnival's Inn, Holborn, and finished it in 1837 when he was living at 48 Doughty Street.  Much of the book was written at those two addresses.” 

Now Michael Slater, Emeritus Professor of Victorian Literature at Birkbeck College, University of London, who has published a book entitled Charles Dickens giving a comprehensive account of the author’s life, in has joined the debate.

Michael, who is a past President of the International Dickens Fellowship, a former editor of its journal, The Dickensian, and an ex-Trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum, emailed to say: “I have to say that I have never come across the suggestion that Dickens wrote Pickwick at the Lion in Shrewsbury and cannot imagine what it is based on. He was at the time a very busy Parliamentary reporter for the London Morning Chronicle and was also busy getting married and setting up house. I think the visits to Shrewsbury must have come later.”

Signed copy of book is prize in town photographic contest

This weekend is the deadline for a photographic competition for which one of the prizes is a signed copy of Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel.

Shrewsbury Tourism Association Ltd is seeking to find the iconic photograph that can be used to represent Shrewsbury in their Visitor Guide and Town Map in a free competition.

Judges want the photographs of Shrewsbury or the local Shrewsbury area to present the town as an imaginative, friendly and welcoming place.

There is no age limit, but there is a maximum of ten entries per person.

Photos need to be digital colour images submitted as jpegs, maximum file size of 6MB, on CD or by e-mail with your entry form to deborah@visitshrewsbury.com or Shrewsbury Tourism Association Ltd C/o 1 Mayfield Gardens, Shrewsbury, SY2 6PZ.

Entries will be judged by the Directors of Shrewsbury Tourism Association Ltd. The results of this competition will be announced on the http://www.visitshrewsbury.com/ website as soon as possible after the closing date.

Other prizes include two tickets to the Shrewsbury Flower Show (pictured below) donated by The Shropshire Horticultural Society, a £20 book token donated by Pengwern Books, Shrewsbury and a pen from the newly opened pen section of ‘Write Here’, Shrewsbury.

Hard copies of the competition forms can be picked up at Pengwern Books Level One, Market Hall, Shrewsbury and Write Here, 15 High Street, Shrewsbury or downloaded at www.visitshrewsbury.com

For all queries please e-mail deborah@visitshrewsbury.com

Great night at the Lord Hill

What a great evening it was on Tuesday this week when I gave the first of my talks to big organisations in Shrewsbury about The Lion Hotel book.

I spoke to members of the Rotary Club of Shawbury and Mid Shropshire at the Lord Hill Hotel in Shrewsbury and it was good to meet to meet up with many old friends.

The talk must have gone down well as practically everyone there bought a copy, some buying four.

Incidentally, I was really impressed with the meal served up and can recommend the Lord Hill.

Afterwards programme secretary Peter Love emailed me to say: “Many thanks for your most interesting and entertaining talk which was greatly appreciated by the Rotarians.”

John is pictured below with his books and with Willie Strachan, this year’s president of the Rotary Club of Shawbury and Mid Shropshire. Picture by Peter Love.

More good news for the book is that The Lion Hotel has kindly provided a link on their website to this blog.

Next stop it’s off to speak at Minsterley and Pontesbury this Sunday.

If you would like a signed copy of the book for the special price of £5 plus £1 postage please email John@jbutterworth.plus.net or ring my mobile on 07955 262633. 

150th anniversary of the end of an era for Shrewsbury

Today marks the 150^th anniversary of the end of an era for Shrewsbury.

The Shrewsbury Chronicle announced: “July 27, 1861. Sale at the Lion, property of Mr George Curtis, 30 first-class coach or post horses, now engaged in working the Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth Mail and Coaches and well-known on the road for their fast pace and powers of endurance. Will be sold without reserve in consequence of the opening of a portion of the Welsh railway, and the retirement of Mr Curtis from working the Aberystwyth coaches.”

When the Shrewsbury Railway Station opened in 1848  offering five-hour train journeys to London the stagecoaches could not compete with the new transport which provided a cheaper, faster and more comfortable journey for passengers and the mail..

However, Shrewsbury and the owner of The Lion, Isaac Taylor, did not give up the transport battle without a fight.

On one unforgettable occasion, the Shrewsbury Wonder left its base in London at the same time as the Birmingham train and actually arrived in England’s second city first. Also Taylor had plenty of support in the town.

When the Hon. Thomas Kenyon, of  Pradoe, Shropshire, a famous whip, amateur coachman and Holyhead Road Commissioner, was rewarded with a commemorative plate at a dinner in Shrewsbury, a toast was drunk proposing ‘confusion to the rail-roads and a high gallows and a windy day to all enemies of the whip.’

The late 18^th century and early part of the 19^th century had been a golden age for Shrewsbury.

By 1835 there were 23 coaches leaving Shrewsbury every day with 15 from The Lion and 200 horses were accommodated in the town every night. Pictured below is one of the stagecoaches riding through Shropshire.

It was mainly due to Robert Lawrence, a former owner of The Lion, who persuaded the London-Dublin mail coach to come via Shrewsbury rather than Chester that the town had enjoyed such success and wealth from the stagecoach service.

Businesses were also helped by the legendary driver from The Lion, Samuel ‘Sam’ Hayward, who ran the Shrewsbury Wonder coach for 16 years without mishap and was a legend for his punctual timekeeping on the route to London.

Although The Lion Hotel led the fight to keep the stagecoaches for many years, the end of the road for the Golden Age of Coaching came with that sale on July 27, 1861.

It was the end of an era, but the memory still lives on as some of today’s Shrewsbury’s Park and Ride buses are named after the town’s stagecoaches.

First of the big talks for book

I am just off tonight to give the first of my talks to big organisations in Shrewsbury about the Lion Hotel book.

I am speaking to members of the Rotary Club of Shawbury and Mid Shropshire at the Lord Hill Hotel in Shrewsbury.

It will be good to see many friends there as the club was a good supporter of the Shrewsbury Chronicle when I was editor and together we raised many thousands of pounds for charity through the Tree of Light campaign, where people remembers their loved ones at Christmas.

Interestingly, I was in Keswick last week where a couple of Rotarians were handing out leaflets for their own Tree of Light. I mentioned my support – and they invited me to come up and give a talk to their members.

It’s certainly been a busy week for the book with Salop Leisure placing another big order for the book and my agent to sell to the shops, Ludlow Books, said there had been great interest throughout the county and they said they were planning to order more copies at the end of this week. Pictured below are the books on sale at the main reception desk at the entrance to Salop Leisure.

After tonight’s talk it is on to four days at the Shrewsbury Flower Show where I selling the book on the Salop Leisure stand and also giving two talks.

On Thursday, August 11 I will be at Shrewsbury School speaking to the Shropshire Society who come up from London and have a dinner on the night preceding the show. This is a joint venture with the Freemen of the Borough of Shrewsbury.

Then on Sunday, August 14 I am at a lunch given by the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Cllr Tony Durnell, in a Flower Show marquee to which he invites other county chairmen and civic dignitaries.

Before then I am speaking in Pontesbury and Minsterley this weekend and then on Monday lunchtime to Longton Probus Club.

Tea in the Castle with the Mayor - and buy a book

Visitors to Shrewsbury who book on one of the guided town tours are invited to tea afterwards with the Mayor, Cllr Tony Durnell, in the Castle and Regimental Museum (pictured below).

Every Wednesday during July, August and September tourists enjoy tea, a scone and a chat with the Mayor in his parlour plus a chance to look at the civic treasures in the Castle.

“It is always very popular, particularly with the Americans, who like to pose for pictures with me in all my regalia,” said the Mayor (pictured below).

This summer he is also offering the visitors to the Castle the chance to buy copies of Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel which has already proved very popular with his guests.

“Both my wife and I have enjoyed reading the book as there is so much about the town’s history. I thought I knew the history of Shrewsbury, but even I have learnt a lot.

"So we have no hesitation in recommending it to those who are newcomers to Shrewsbury,” added the Mayor.

“We have sold some books already and look forward to selling plenty more over the next few months.”

For anyone interested in a guided tour of the town go to Shrewsbury Tourist Information.

If you think politics is bad today. . .

You may think some people in politics today are corrupt and want only to enhance their own reputations and their pockets, but it is nothing compared to 200 years ago.

Two famous politicians who stayed at The Lion Hotel were John ‘Mad Jack’ Mytton and Benjamin Disraeli. 

‘Mad Jack’, who was born on September 30, 1796, inherited the family seat of Halston Hall, near Oswestry, when he was 21.

As it was then worth about £60,000, the equivalent to nearly £5m today, with an income of £10,000 a year and equivalent to £716,000 today, there was little incentive for him to work hard.

‘Mad Jack’ (pictured below) was sent to Westminster School where, after one year, he was expelled for fighting a master and then to Harrow where he lasted just three days before he was thrown out again. Despite his educational record, he was still given a place at Cambridge where he arrived with 2,000 bottles of port to see him through his studies.

In 1819, he decided to continue the family tradition by becoming MP for Shrewsbury and was easily elected – helped no doubt by offering constituents £10 each if they would vote for him and spending £10,000 on bribes.

 ‘Mad Jack’ found the debates boring and attended Parliament only once – and that was for just 30 minutes. He preferred to spend his time horse racing, gambling and hunting and his horse Euphrates won The Gold Cup in 1825.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Disraeli (pictured below) was MP for Shrewsbury from 1841 until 1847 and later became prime minister twice in 1868 and 1874 before retiring from politics in 1880.

He was articled to a solicitor, but he didn’t enjoy law, preferring to spend his time as a philanderer, a dandy and gambling on the Stock Market where he lost heavily.

His past was seized upon by his political Liberal opponents who accused him of abusing Parliamentary privilege by standing for Shrewsbury to avoid bankruptcy and imprisonment.

Crowds in Shrewsbury taunted him with anti-Semitic cries of Shylock and waving pieces of roast pork on sticks at him. One heckler arrived with a cart telling Disraeli: “I have come to take you back to Jerusalem.”

The Shrewsbury Chronicle report in their edition of Friday, July 2, 1841, just days after the election on Tuesday, June 29, which Disraeli won, showed how bitter and violent the campaign had been.

It said: “A band of thieves and bullies from Birmingham, who had been specially hired for the occasion, and brought over by Wilding, a butcher, on the Sabbath, were instantly let loose on the crowd in Barker Street, Shrewsbury. An indiscriminate attack ensued; the friends of the Whigs and innocent lookers-on were immediately struck down by bludgeons and instruments nicknamed ‘life preservers’ and when their victims were on the ground, blows and kicks were inflicted without regard to life. The street became covered with blood, similar to a slaughterhouse, whilst from the adjacent windows raised the shrieks of agonised females who witnessed the sanguinary attack.”

The full stories of ‘Mad Jack’ Mytton and Benjamin Disraeli in Shrewsbury are told in Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, price £6.99. Signed copies are available for £5 plus postage, email me at John@jbutterworth.plus.com 

Book on sale at Shrewsbury Flower Show

I never cease to be amazed by this blog and where in the world it reaches. Yesterday I had hits from Israel, Finland and Romania plus many others in Europe, America and Asia.

The other benefit is that it has led to many invitations to give talks on The Lion Hotel book to various groups and organisations, including the prestigious Shrewsbury Flower Show.

I have always been a regular at the show, organised by the Shropshire Horticultural Society, which is one of the longest running flower shows in the country and featured in the 2005 Guinness Book of Records.

Held in the The Quarry, (pictured below) the two-day show attracts thousands of visitors from all over Britain. This year it is on Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13.

By kind invitation of Tony Bywater and all at Salop Leisure I will be promoting and selling the book on their stand for both days.

Helped by Shrewsbury Tourist Information leaflets will be given out on their stand at the entrance to the park offering visitors £2 off signed copies of the book if they bring it to me on the Salop Leisure stand.

Normally I am at the show for one or two days, but this year I am breaking all records as I am there for four days.

On the Thursday evening (August 11) I am speaking about the book to the Freemen of the Borough of Shrewsbury and the Shropshire Society in London who come up every year for the Flower Show and hold a dinner the night before in the Moser Library at Shrewsbury School.

Then on the Sunday lunchtime I am again speaking about the book, this time to the Mayors and council leaders from throughout Shropshire who have a lunch together in one of the marquees before the show is dismantled late in the afternoon so the Quarry Park is back to normal and open to the public again the next day.

With talks to Rotary and Probus clubs over the next few weeks plus visits to three exhibitions in Keswick, Newark and Gorsley, near Ross-on-Wye, where the book will be on sale, it is going to be a hectic few weeks.

If you would like a signed copy of the book for the special price of £5 email John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Expert refutes Shrewsbury link to Pickwick Papers

My blog about Charles Dickens a few days ago certainly provoked a good discussion and plenty of reaction. I commented that the view and tradition at The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, was that the author wrote part of Pickwick Papers when he stayed there. I said in the book: It is probable that Dickens stayed at The Lion more than twice, with some saying he wrote Pickwick Papers here.”

One expert agreed that Dickens visited Shrewsbury on a number of occasions but he is adamant he didn’t write Pickwick Papers while he was in the town.

Dr David Parker, the former curator of the Charles Dickens Museum in Doughty Street, London, said the author most probably didn’t even write a small part of the book at The Lion.

Dr Parker, who also taught English literature at the University of Sheffield, the University of Malaya and the Open University, said: “Dickens (pictured below) started writing Pickwick Papers in 1836 when he was living in chambers at Furnival's Inn, Holborn, and finished it in 1837 when he was living at 48 Doughty Street. Much of the book was written at those two addresses. 

“But Dickens was still a working journalist until, probably, November 1836, so between then and February of that year, when he began the book, bits may well have been written on journalistic assignments around the country.

“However, there's no evidence of his visiting Shrewsbury (and The Lion) before November 1, 1838, a year after he had finished Pickwick, and the letter he wrote to his wife on that date suggests it was his first visit to that part of the country.”

Since 1978, Dr Parker has concentrated his research upon Charles Dickens and when he retired from the museum in 1999 be began working chiefly on books about Dickens, including one A Companion to The Pickwick Papers.

Dickens anniversary weekend events revealed

Gerald Dickens, the great, great grandson of Charles Dickens, has revealed details about the weekend long festival from February 3-5, 2012, to mark the 200^th anniversary of the author’s birth.

The announcement was made at the press launch of a new book, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, before a packed audience in the Ballroom.

Author John Butterworth is pictured below introducing the VIP guests. From the left are hotel owner Howard Astbury; John Butterworth; local journalist Chris Eldon Lee who will oversee the Dickens anniversary weekend; the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Cllr Tony Durnell, and Gerald Dickens.

Gerald will be doing two shows in The Lion Ballroom. He will perform Mr Dickens is Coming, which is a biographical show following his illustrious ancestor’s life story, and also Sikes and Nancy.

The second show, said Gerald, is so dramatic and horrifying that Charles Dickens used to judge its success by the number of people who fainted.

The weekend will also include a screening of the George C Scott version of A Christmas Carol which was filmed in Shrewsbury in 1984.

Gerald, who performs his show all over the world, stayed in the same Lion Hotel room as his great, great grandfather did more than 150 years ago.

“It was very moving to be in the same room where Charles was and look out on Wyle Cop over the same balcony and rail that he wrote about in a letter to one of is daughters,” said Gerald.

He told more than 65 people at the press launch: “It is always very exciting to read about everything Charles Dickens did and John’s book is so fascinating. It’s not just a history of the hotel, but of the whole town.”

The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Cllr Tony Durnell, was also at the launch and he said he thought he knew about the history of Shrewsbury but he found out far more by reading “this interesting book.”

A memorable day

What a memorable press launch we had. There were more than 60 people crowded into the Ballroom of The Lion Hotel to meet Gerald Dickens, the great, great grandson of Charles Dickens.

He was interviewed and photographed by the Shrewsbury Chronicle and the Shropshire Star before going to the Radio Shropshire studios for another interview.

“Charles was a great communicator, he would have loved meeting the media and seeing all this technology,” Gerald, pictured below, told the radio presenter.

The Dickens relative said it was a great privilege to come to the hotel where his famous ancestor had been a regular guest.

He said the new book, Four Centuries at The Lion Hotel, was a fun book which he had enjoyed reading and had learnt much about the many characters who had stayed at the hotel, including Charles.

After being introduced by local journalist Chris Eldon Lee, Gerald announced that he would be returning to The Lion in February 2012, for a weekend to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Charles when he would be giving two hour-long readings by the author.

Gerald, looking very Dickensian with his beard, colourful waistcoat and long jacket/coat, then held the packed ballroom audience spellbound as he gave a short reading as a taster to next year’s event.

He was thanked by the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Cllr Tony Durnell, who brought along his two Mini Mayors, two pupils from Belvidere School who were spending the day to find out about life as the First Citizen.

For them and all the audience it was an unusual but fun couple of hours. Thank you so much to everyone who came.

For anyone who would like to find out more about Gerald Dickens go to his website.

Anyone who would like to buy a copy of the book or to invite John Butterworth to give a talk to their group or organisation please email him at John@jbutterworth.plus.com

Launch day opens a new chapter

The launch day of my Lion Hotel book has finally arrived – and it has been a hectic last few days.

I was relieved to see a large lorry come with the books, all 10,000 of them, this week. The printers, Bookprint Creative Services in Sussex, promised to hit their deadline and they did so in style. The excellent high quality production has already been praised by owner Howard Astbury and staff at The Lion Hotel and local town dignitaries.

I was also reassured to receive an email from Gerald Dickens and Liz last night to say they were looking forward to the event and were travelling up from Oxfordshire.

The great, great grandson of author Charles Dickens travels all over the world giving lectures and one-man shows and I was pleased he could fit a weekend in Shrewsbury into his busy schedule.

Gerald will be announcing today that he will be returning to Shrewsbury and The Lion Hotel in 2012 when he will be hosting a weekend of Dickens events from February 3-5, the weekend nearest to the 200^th anniversary of his great, great grandfather’s birth. It’s a real coup for the hotel and the town and will be a real tourism boost in what is normally a quiet month.

The media coverage has been superb with five newspapers covering the event and the story hitting the front page of five websites.

My email has been busy and I have already been asked to speak at meetings in Shropshire and Staffordshire about the book.

 

I have also been invited to sell the books at Shrewsbury Flower Show on Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13 and am speaking on Thursday, August 11 at Shrewsbury School to the Shropshire Society from London and the Freemen of the Borough of Shrewsbury. Then on Sunday, August 14, I am talking about the hotel’s history at the county lunch in the Flower Show marquee.

If you want me to speak to your group or organisation please email me on John@jbutterworth.plus.com

More than 60 guests have said they are coming to the Ballroom (pictured below by Richard Bishop) for the book launch from 11.45-12.30.

The Mayor of Shrewsbury, Cllr Tony Durnell, who has mentioned the book on his blog will be one of the VIP guests in the Ballroom and I am delighted that he is bringing two pupils from Belvidere School who are shadowing him as Mini Mayors to find out first hand what it is like to be the town’s first citizen. It will be a hectic but enjoyable day.

Incidentally, I have been so pleased by the success of this blog that I have started another one on my Albania book. Go to http://godssecretlistener.blogspot.com