‘Except Pam’ - devastating! This was just fantastic Laura. I’m so sorry your show was gazumphed at the last minute - bah!
So much to love in this piece that I won’t do a blow by blow (or air kiss by air kiss?) rewrite of everything I loved about it, but yes to everything - especially the charm bit. Your ‘Six’ book going into an online basket now.
On another note, I confess that I will watch anything with Anna Chancellor in it. (I think she may be, very very quietly, approaching National Treasure status.)
You write so often about things I'm fascinated by but I also find myself drawn in to things I think I'm not interested in, which is such a gift. Thank you - what writing
Lovely stuff, as usual, but especially so as it's about THOSE GIRLS. You absolutely 'get' them, in every sense, it's a dream to read your writing on them. If this new one has your approbation then I'm really looking forward to it - but boo that yours was pipped.
Oh thanks June - one who also GETS them!!! I’m intrigued to see how the new series develops, but it is very well done for sure. There’s also a doc series on its way. We shall all be Mitforded Up….
A wonderful piece to read, Laura. Funnily enough somebody had mentioned a BBC documentary in India’s chat about the Mitford; I think from the 70s? I watched it at the weekend and became even more fascinated with them. There was nothing sickly about their charm, was there?
Thank you Moira. That’s so right about the quality of their charm… The doc is WONDERFUL isn’t it?!? The story about Nancy being told to stop lecturing about fire-watching…
Yes! It struck me that they all mentioned their lack of formal education (fat calves - the horror!) but that lack didn’t seem to impede them in any way. Without Debo, Daylesford, for example, wouldn’t exist and all the stately home owners who were able to keep those homes because of her management of Chatsworth. It shows a very fine brain I think. Off to purchase your book.
VERY fine. As I recall she says something like you learn to read and then do the rest yourself - which most of them absolutely did. Much appreciated re the book, thank you!
The thing about the levity being almost frightening is so spot on - I mean, all of it is completely spot on, but that is exactly it. (Thank you so much re Darl).
Wonderful, Laura. I confess myself more or less immune to upper-class English charm (I was innoculated by people I met at university) but I love the way you bring the Mitford milieu to life and especially how you tease out Nancy's ability as a writer. Lovely writing from you, too! And I hope you get a TV show one day! 😊
Thanks so much - I know EXACTLY what you mean about charm and I’m generally v bored by all those interwar poshoes - but the Mitfords are a bit different…. Nancy and Diana are VERY interesting.
One can only imagine how hard it is to turn a story into a screen adaption without missing the elusive element of writing: things said, things left unsaid. Certain books, like the Agatha novels, do not lend themselves to adaptation, as they become rather stiff and limited onscreen. On the other hand, if a director is exceptionally talented, they can fill in the gaps left for the reader's imagination to roam at, with a lightness of touch that will still allow for this to happen.
A script that really gets the story is key. I have every confidence that yours would have aced it!
Always such a joy, Laura, to read you - especially on the Mitfords (and Agatha, of course). Your affection for them is contagious. I'm busy elsewhere at the moment, but am so pleased I found the time to read this piece. Thank you.
As others have said, this is a wonderful post Laura. Though I absolutely feel your frustration that the Mitford TV project based on your book was shelved. I am very much looking forward to Outrageous, having doodled around with a TV version of the Mitford story and found it very hard to tame - so many ways in, so many interesting characters. How do you organise the story? Whose perspective do you take? Needless to say, I didn't have the wit or dilligence to do the subject justice. I think what I love most about your piece, and about the MItfords themselves, in contrast to our current cultural climate where everything is reduced to good/bad, the best/the worst, lauded/cancelled etc etc is that they mustn't be reduced and must be allowed to appear in all their contradictory gloriousness.
Many thanks Sarah - that’s so interesting… I’m sure you would have done it justice!!! But as you say there is almost TOO MUCH, the material is so complex and multi-layered. Outrageous handles all that very well - I really look forward to seeing the whole thing…
Another hugely interesting piece, Laura. I have a copy of your 'The Six' in my TBR pile and I must bump it to the top! The new TV show sounds very good, but so very disappointing about the timing when you were working on your own Mitford thing...
Since childhood I've been fascinated by the Mitford family (a bit like I have by the Sitwells, stunning individuals of quite another time but of course they lacked the Mitford charm). Something that always stuck with my from my earliest memories of the Mitfords, I suppose from a radio interview, was how each year when they went to their London house, they took the Shetland pony with them on the train and then took him upstairs to live at the top of the house, presumably cared for by the servants. As a totally pony-mad child, I always wondered how easy it was to get him downstairs every day to exercise him in the park...
Ah a lift - that makes so much more sense than struggling up endless narrow stairs and risk of damage to the stair carpets! Thank you for another piece of wisdom answering my long-debated query! And how amazing to have met two of the Mitford sisters and been the recipient of some of their charm.
‘Except Pam’ - devastating! This was just fantastic Laura. I’m so sorry your show was gazumphed at the last minute - bah!
So much to love in this piece that I won’t do a blow by blow (or air kiss by air kiss?) rewrite of everything I loved about it, but yes to everything - especially the charm bit. Your ‘Six’ book going into an online basket now.
Rukmini thank you!!!! Yes it was a bit painful for a while…. sympathy much appreciated… but at least this new one is GOOD, makes it more bearable!
May I say here btw how fabulous you looked in your red carpet outfit.
Ah thanks so much! A rare moment not looking like I’ve gone through a hedge backwards.
All checked out - excited to read!
Wonderful writing, as always.
On another note, I confess that I will watch anything with Anna Chancellor in it. (I think she may be, very very quietly, approaching National Treasure status.)
She so is! I just saw her in a play at my local Orange Tree theatre, she was breathtaking. Dream casting for Sydney Redesdale.
You write so often about things I'm fascinated by but I also find myself drawn in to things I think I'm not interested in, which is such a gift. Thank you - what writing
Thank you Mark, that is truly kind - a comment to be treasured.
Lovely stuff, as usual, but especially so as it's about THOSE GIRLS. You absolutely 'get' them, in every sense, it's a dream to read your writing on them. If this new one has your approbation then I'm really looking forward to it - but boo that yours was pipped.
Oh thanks June - one who also GETS them!!! I’m intrigued to see how the new series develops, but it is very well done for sure. There’s also a doc series on its way. We shall all be Mitforded Up….
NEVER too much!!
A wonderful piece to read, Laura. Funnily enough somebody had mentioned a BBC documentary in India’s chat about the Mitford; I think from the 70s? I watched it at the weekend and became even more fascinated with them. There was nothing sickly about their charm, was there?
Thank you Moira. That’s so right about the quality of their charm… The doc is WONDERFUL isn’t it?!? The story about Nancy being told to stop lecturing about fire-watching…
Yes! It struck me that they all mentioned their lack of formal education (fat calves - the horror!) but that lack didn’t seem to impede them in any way. Without Debo, Daylesford, for example, wouldn’t exist and all the stately home owners who were able to keep those homes because of her management of Chatsworth. It shows a very fine brain I think. Off to purchase your book.
VERY fine. As I recall she says something like you learn to read and then do the rest yourself - which most of them absolutely did. Much appreciated re the book, thank you!
Standing ovation 💐💐💐
Oh that is so lovely, thank you India!!! From one who ABSOLUTELY caught the Mitford essence in your brilliant Darling….
The thing about the levity being almost frightening is so spot on - I mean, all of it is completely spot on, but that is exactly it. (Thank you so much re Darl).
💗
Such a scintillating piece, I loved it. You write of their fascinating story so very well.
Thank you Deborah! Much appreciated
Wonderful, Laura. I confess myself more or less immune to upper-class English charm (I was innoculated by people I met at university) but I love the way you bring the Mitford milieu to life and especially how you tease out Nancy's ability as a writer. Lovely writing from you, too! And I hope you get a TV show one day! 😊
Thanks so much - I know EXACTLY what you mean about charm and I’m generally v bored by all those interwar poshoes - but the Mitfords are a bit different…. Nancy and Diana are VERY interesting.
“Poshoes” is a great word! 😊
One can only imagine how hard it is to turn a story into a screen adaption without missing the elusive element of writing: things said, things left unsaid. Certain books, like the Agatha novels, do not lend themselves to adaptation, as they become rather stiff and limited onscreen. On the other hand, if a director is exceptionally talented, they can fill in the gaps left for the reader's imagination to roam at, with a lightness of touch that will still allow for this to happen.
A script that really gets the story is key. I have every confidence that yours would have aced it!
Always such a joy, Laura, to read you - especially on the Mitfords (and Agatha, of course). Your affection for them is contagious. I'm busy elsewhere at the moment, but am so pleased I found the time to read this piece. Thank you.
Thank you Gillian - that’s so lovely. Hope all is very well!
As others have said, this is a wonderful post Laura. Though I absolutely feel your frustration that the Mitford TV project based on your book was shelved. I am very much looking forward to Outrageous, having doodled around with a TV version of the Mitford story and found it very hard to tame - so many ways in, so many interesting characters. How do you organise the story? Whose perspective do you take? Needless to say, I didn't have the wit or dilligence to do the subject justice. I think what I love most about your piece, and about the MItfords themselves, in contrast to our current cultural climate where everything is reduced to good/bad, the best/the worst, lauded/cancelled etc etc is that they mustn't be reduced and must be allowed to appear in all their contradictory gloriousness.
Many thanks Sarah - that’s so interesting… I’m sure you would have done it justice!!! But as you say there is almost TOO MUCH, the material is so complex and multi-layered. Outrageous handles all that very well - I really look forward to seeing the whole thing…
I ADORE everything about this post
Another hugely interesting piece, Laura. I have a copy of your 'The Six' in my TBR pile and I must bump it to the top! The new TV show sounds very good, but so very disappointing about the timing when you were working on your own Mitford thing...
Since childhood I've been fascinated by the Mitford family (a bit like I have by the Sitwells, stunning individuals of quite another time but of course they lacked the Mitford charm). Something that always stuck with my from my earliest memories of the Mitfords, I suppose from a radio interview, was how each year when they went to their London house, they took the Shetland pony with them on the train and then took him upstairs to live at the top of the house, presumably cared for by the servants. As a totally pony-mad child, I always wondered how easy it was to get him downstairs every day to exercise him in the park...
Thank you Sue - very kind! That house had a lift, do you think the pony went in it?!!!???
Ah a lift - that makes so much more sense than struggling up endless narrow stairs and risk of damage to the stair carpets! Thank you for another piece of wisdom answering my long-debated query! And how amazing to have met two of the Mitford sisters and been the recipient of some of their charm.
It was unforgettable and I’m so glad to have met them. (Only guessing about the lift but David def installed one!)