Thursday 3 June 2010

'Few Eggs and No Oranges' and Persephone Teas






I was intrigued (as you'll soon learn I often am) by the book title Few Eggs and No Oranges. I noticed it on the back page of a copy of The Persephone Quarterly I found in my study. I also noticed invitations for Persephone Teas in Chichester, Bath and New York.

I was more than a little disappointed to realise that I was too late. The invitations were for 2007! Having also just missed out on the Japanese Tea Ceremony in the Tea House In the Ashmolean, by one day!! I quickly registered online to make sure it doesn't happen again. (You can too, at www.persephonebooks.co.uk and www.ashmolean.org)

I love the concept of Persephone Books. They re-print books that have mostly been forgotten, that were written about women and for women. They include novels, short stories, diaries and cookery books. Which I know is a little exclusive....the women bit that is.... and I really am for including everyone....but men can buy and read them too..... and I'm sure they are just trying to re-address the balance a little.....and they are very elegant with their dove-grey jacket, clear typeface, fabric endpaper and bookmark. Even Jane Austin would have been proud to own one.

How coincidental! The postman has just visited delivering a copy of the current Persephone Biannually and Catalogue. That was quick. They are so lovely, full of old photographs, drawings and vintage textile designs .... I'm spoilt for choice.....I definitely recommend requesting them...and there's even the offer of a free book with every order at the moment......

I don't know why, but writing this post made me check my mum's diary (which I'd also re-discovered whilst tidying my room) for the same day in 1949. Nothing for today but for tomorrow, the 4th, she'd written, Sickert Exhibition Whitworth Art Gallery 11.00. I wonder who she was meeting?


2 comments:

  1. How I envy you your mother's diary - what a lovely tangible link to her. Those Persephone volumes look so stylish. I think Jane Brocket of the lovely Yarnstorm blog is a fan of those too.

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  2. I know, I'm so lucky...I have three little ones from 1941, 49 and 50.....

    and I must check out the Yarnstorm blog

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