Occupy 'Switch to Summer Time'!

"Ever since summer time had been inaugurated a few years before, it had been one of the chronic dispensions of Tilling. Miss Mapp, Diva and the Padre flatly refused to recognize it, except when they were going by train or tram, when principle must necessarily go to the wall, or they would never have succeeded in getting anywhere, while Miss Mapp, with the halo of martyrdom round her head, had once arrived at a summer-time party an hour late, in order to bear witness to the truth, and in consequence, had got only dregs of tea and the last faint strawberries. But the Major and Captain Puffin used the tram so often, that they had fallen into the degrading habit of dislocating their clocks and watches on the first of May, and dislocating them again in the autumn, when they were forced into uniformity with properly-minded people. Irene was flippant on the subject, and said that any old time would do for her. The Poppits followed convention, and Mrs. Poppit, in naming the hour for a party to the stalwarts, wrote "4:30 (your 3.30)." The King, after all, had invited her to be decorated at a particular hour, summer time, and what was good enough for the King was good enough for Mrs. Poppit.
The sermon was quite uncompromising. There was summer and winter, by Divine ordinance, but there was nothing said about summer time and winter time. There was but one Time, (...)
The doctrine was so much to her mind that Miss Mapp gave a shilling to the offectory instead of her usual sixpence, (...) The Padre, it is true, had changed the hour of services to suit the heresy of the majority, and this for a moment made her hand falter. But the hope, after this convincing sermon, that next year morning service would be at the hour falsely called twelve decided her not to withdraw this handsome contribution.

E.F.Benson  Miss Mapp

Member of The E.F.Benson Society

I didn’t tell you before – because I thought it somehow a bit – inappropriate maybe? – I, always moaning about the trials of our move to Berlin – had the cheek to jump a few days before the actual moving day into a plane and took a flight to London – to stay for 3 days…

But the event had been on my agenda for so long – even before I knew that we would ever move to Berlin!

Because 2010 was a Silver Jubilee Year.

I am a member of the E.F.Benson Society, which was formed 25 years ago “to celebrate and promote the life and works not only of E.F.Benson himself but also of his fascinating family.” The Silver Jubilee was held at St.Paul’s, by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter because Fred would often come to services there.

Only a jubilee – and only my adoration for Lucia (or Mrs. Emmeline Lucas) could call me to London admidst our move – “in the swim, Georgie, in the middle of things”. 

In St.Paul’s Evensong gave service to Leo the Great, but also, in the words of the Dean of St. Paul’s, the Rt. Rev. Graeme Knowles: “… so give joyful thanks to God for the happy contribution of E.F.Benson to our literary life. (…) most especially Mapp and Lucia, in whom we glimpse the comedy and tragedy of life gently evoked.”  

Those beautiful voices of the little choir boys – demurely but proud in their white over black acolyte dresses, the chorally rendered office from the Book of Common Prayer, the stern woman with the black and white robe with a sort of silver sword in her hand – all those rituals were very impressing. Not only the Dean but also two members of the E.F.Benson Society preached.

On the way to Dinner in the Guildhall (“Formal”) we lost our group, but after asking two true Londoners (“Come stay with us, Love!”) we found our way. It had been a cold beautiful frosty day in London, so at the Ladies Powder Room that meant: out of the boots, the leotards and into the silk stockings and High Heels,  the LBD and a pink stole. 

It was such a jolly evening, with interesting people – on the picture you see an American lawyer at my side, coming all the way from America to partake! On the other picture you see the Dean (who had just come back from America from a successful fundraising tour) and one of our Vice Presidents.

If I were a name dropper or had only a bit of Lucia’s snobbery in me I would have told you that among our Vice Presidents are The RT. Hon.The Lord St. John of Fawsley; The RT. Rev. Graeme Knowles, Armistead Maupin and Aubrey Woods. But like all the people in Riseholme or Tilling: that would not impress you much ;-)

I loved the formal dresses of the gents: two even had capes! I felt like Lucia, talking to such an illustre group! Miss Mapp was missing, and I could not detect Diva Plaistrow either, but Georgie Pillson must have been there.

I want to thank especially the Vice Chair and Secretary of the E.F.Benson Society, Allan Downend, for all his work and The Dodo, the E.F.Benson Journal. I will remember that day as a wonderful gem in a chain of very hectic ones!

Au reservoir! 

PS: info@efbensonsociety.org