(see http://www.greenknowe.co.uk )
I was pleased to see St Christopher at the garden of Green Knowe. Many things mentioned in the books are present in the house - the children's toys, Feste's name board, Wait and See etc but it was great to see St Christopher. These gardens make a very worthwhile visit through the spring and summer, especially when the scented roses are in bloom. The picture, right, shows the view from the entrance of the garden.
Some of my all time favourite children's titles are the Green Knowe books written by Lucy M Boston. They start with The Children of Green Knowe (televised once but they really should put it on our screens again) and the second in the series is The Chimneys of Green Knowe. This has been filmed as 'From Time To Time' (A ridiculous name change which effortlessly loses the Green Knowe fan base) and may be found in a rural cinema near you. Why it has not found a major distributor, we'll never know. With Maggie Smith taking a major part, one would think someone would jump at it.Then came The River at Green Knowe, to my mind the least successful, followed by her Carnegie medal winner, A Stranger at Green Knowe. The last two are An Enemy at Green Knowe and The Stones of Green Knowe (far more deserving of the title 'From Time To Time' but I still would not have changed it.)
So, what does all this have to do with the here and now? Well, after a family wedding in St Neots, the group I was with diverted from our homeward route today, to drop in at The Manor at Hemingford Grey. This treasure of an old house is where Lucy Boston lived while writing all the books and which is actually Green Knowe.
Delighted there to meet old friend Diana Boston who told me about the release of 'From Time To Time'. Some venues can be found on www.fromtimetotimemovie.com Do get along to see it if you get the chance and drop us a line if you do. Also, try Children of Green Knowe, a classic of children's literature which we always have in stock.
I adore the Lucy Boston books and would love to visit the house. A friend of mine interviewed her there for the Weekly News years ago - first I'd heard it actually existed.
ReplyDeleteI'm really here because I was looking for your website to check the details of Lesley's book launch. Maybe this is as close as you get?
I hope you found Lesley's Book Launch on the site. It's Sat 23 Oct 11 am - 1pm. Are you coming along?
ReplyDeleteDone some digging and hope to have your book on the shelf next to a few more pb Christmas titles. I'll do our next leaflet chatting about them all. We could sell at least three of your books. Business IS slow!
I'd love to visit the Green Knowe house sometime. The film looks wonderful; what an amazing cast ... although I don't like the title. As you observe, no one is likely to guess it has anything to do with he Green Knowe books, which means those who've read them might not make the connection. Doesn't seem to be showing anywhere near me either ... what a shame!
ReplyDeleteIt really is worth a visit but best, a sunny day in June when the roses are all out. Diana makes a wonderful guide and the house tour takes you into Lucy's world, into the war years and then back a thousand years.
ReplyDeleteSo much of the books are there. On my first visit, I had tears in my eyes as I stepped through the front door and saw the birds nest and then Feste's name board.
Hopefully, the film will eventually be available on video.