Latest news with #GeorgeEliot
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Telegraph
Warwickshire is under threat from Labour's Green Belt plans – visit before it's too late
The Government has plans to turn England's Green Belt grey by smothering it with houses. Chris Packham, worried primarily about bats, suggests we chain ourselves to a tree. I worry about the England we could lose, the small unspoilt towns, the pretty villages, the magnificent castles, ancient churches, stately homes, moated Tudor manor houses, the gentle countryside that could all be subsumed in concrete. So, before it's too late, I took myself off to explore what is about to disappear, and I began with the very heart of our green and pleasant land, Warwickshire. This is, after all, the county of Shakespeare, the setting for the novels of George Eliot, born at Arbury near Nuneaton, and the inspiration for Tolkien's rural idyll from Lord of the Rings, the Shire (in his words 'a Warwickshire village of about the period of [Queen Victoria's] Diamond Jubilee'). Although great swathes of Warwickshire have already been lost to Birmingham and are presently being scarred by HS2 construction, there is still much beauty and history to discover, especially in towns such as Henley-in-Arden with its long high street lined with ancient inns and old houses of every style. Henley recalls the romantic Forest of Arden, which once stretched across much of Warwickshire and beyond, and was beloved of Shakespeare. He set As You Like It in the forest and his mother, Mary Arden, was from the prominent landowning Arden family. A few miles east lies Warwick, arguably England's loveliest county town. Sir Walter Scott thought the view from Castle Bridge of Warwick Castle reflected in the waters of the River Avon to be unsurpassed in England. The castle, largely 14th century, is everything a castle should be, with curtain walls and battlements, round towers, dungeons, a Great Hall and a gatehouse with drawbridge and portcullis. Much of the town outside the castle walls was burned down in 1694 but is still packed with history and beauty. One of the most interesting structures to survive the fire is Lord Leycester's Hospital, a range of medieval and Tudor half-timbered buildings gathered about a small courtyard. Set up for ex-servicemen by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, in 1571, the hospital today provides accommodation for eight servicemen and their wives, who act as visitor guides. Adjoining Warwick to the east is stately Leamington Spa, made 'Royal' by Queen Victoria in 1838. It is a feast of wide, elegant streets, Georgian and Regency terraces, squares and crescents and riverside gardens gathered around the Pump Room. To the north are the ghostly ruins of Guy's Cliffe House, an 18th-century mansion built up against a cliff above the Avon where the Saxon dragon-slayer Guy of Warwick lived as a cave hermit. The house fell into disrepair in the 1950s and was further damaged by fire in 1992 and the resulting ruin, stark and sinister, can be seen from the footpath on the opposite riverbank. Hidden in woods on Blacklow Hill to the north is a monument to Edward II's favourite, Piers Gaveston, marking the spot where he was run down and beheaded by the Earl of Warwick's men in 1312. North again stands one of the grandest fortress ruins in England, the dramatic pink sandstone remains of Kenilworth Castle. Set on a high mound and protected by a great mere, the vast Norman keep of 1162 was strong enough to withstand the longest siege in English history when, for six months in 1266, royalist forces bombarded the garrison held by Simon de Monfort's men. John of Gaunt built the Great Hall and residential wing in the 14th century and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, turned the castle into a dazzling Renaissance palace where, in 1575, during the most lavish royal visit on record, he entertained his queen with three weeks of hunting, pageantry, fireworks, feasting and dance. A couple of miles to the east is Stoneleigh Abbey, a spectacular stately home built over the remnants of a 12th-century Cistercian abbey and set in grounds designed by Humphry Repton. All that survives of the original abbey is the substantial gatehouse of 1346 while the Jacobean part of the house, built from the same pink sandstone as Kenilworth Castle, is hidden behind an extravagantly Baroque West Wing of 1726. The highlight of the Baroque wing is the Saloon, considered one of the finest Georgian interiors in England. Jane Austen is said to have used Stoneleigh as the model for Mansfield Park. A few miles to the west are two eye-catching National Trust properties. The venerable Baddesley Clinton is a Tudor manor house that sits in a wide moat and boasts mullioned windows, timbered gables, tall chimneys and an embattled gatehouse approached by a brick bridge that's 300 years old. The house belonged to a Catholic family, the Ferrers, and contains a number of ingenious priest holes, including one in the cellars accessed by sliding down a rope in the latrine shaft. Packwood House, nearby, began life as a farmhouse and was transformed into a timbered, many-gabled mansion by William Fetherstone in about 1570. The timbers have been concealed beneath Jacobean brick, while the interior was refurbished in grand Tudor style in the 1920s. Packwood is famous for its 17th-century Yew Garden, where the clipped yew trees are laid out to represent the Apostles and the Sermon on the Mount. The Green Belt to the north that separates Birmingham and Coventry is dotted with interesting villages which, while not perhaps as picturesque and peaceful as they were in Tolkien's day, still retain considerable village charm. Affluent Knowle's attractive high street winds past the old Red Lion Inn, the village church famous for its large, beautifully carved 15th-century oak screen and an ancient Guild House of 1413. Also the magnificently timbered Chester House, now the library, which dates back to 1400. Temple Balsall boasts a rare church founded by the Knights Templar in the 12th century, with corbels displaying remarkably well-preserved and life-like faces of bearded knights. Berkswell is a delight of pink brick and timber and boasts one of the finest Norman churches in the land. A much photographed two-storey timber porch shelters a Norman doorway while inside there is a unique double-chambered vaulted crypt, part Saxon and part Norman. Privately owned Maxstoke Castle to the north is a perfectly preserved 14th-century moated castle that was once the home of Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII. Closely linked to Packwood House (see above) since the 18th century when William Dilke of Maxstoke married Mary Fetherstone-Leigh of Packwood, the castle is open for pre-booked tours. Hampton in Arden lies deep amongst the trees of what is left of the Forest of Arden and is perhaps the best-surviving example of what forest villages once looked like, with rows of overhanging 17th-century cottages lining the main street. And Meriden, we are informed by a sandstone cross standing on the village green is, by tradition, the Centre of England. A description that also applies to Warwickshire – in more ways than one. Where to stay The Globe in Warwick has an excellent location in the centre of town, comfortable boutique rooms and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant. Doubles from £194. The Chesford Grange Hotel is a country house hotel and spa in spacious grounds between Warwick and Kenilworth. Doubles from £102.
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From which tome did Rachel Kelly think every line was worth noting for future reference?
What book... ... are you reading now? I AM rereading Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain by Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. Unlike Blakemore, I'm no neuroscientist but I became interested in adolescent mental health about five years ago. As a writer in the mental health field and an ambassador for charities including SANE and Rethink Mental Illness, I was getting more and more messages from parents struggling with troubled teenagers. What did I recommend? Did I know a good therapist? I wanted to figure out ways we could support young people's psychological health. Blakemore's book prompted a lot of 'Ah ha!' moments – 'So that's what's going on in the teenage brain!' Right now I need a refresher on up-to-the-minute brain science: it is fascinating but also complex and Blakemore delivers. ... would you take to a desert island? IT would have to be Middlemarch by George Eliot – a classic for a reason: it's so good. I enjoy underlining bits of books that resonate and squirrelling them away in my commonplace book to savour later. Usually, I might note down four or five good lines. But I had to abandon the practice with Middlemarch as I was almost copying out the whole thing. I love Eliot's wise and compassionate view of the world. She combines a cracking plot stuffed with unforgettable characters with an ability to weave in observations on what makes us human. ... first gave you the reading bug? I remember a boring summer holiday on the coast of Wexford in Ireland aged about 11 or so and discovering Agatha Christie. I couldn't stop reading The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd to find out who'd done it. Detective stories help me stay present and alleviate my anxiety by diverting my thoughts from the past or future. ... left you cold? I struggled with Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. Yes, there is indeed an epidemic of teenage anguish, for which Haidt squarely blames smartphones. But my experience over the past five years is that adolescent mental health problems are complicated and resistant to any single explanation. They also need multiple, imaginative and fresh solutions, and those Haidt offers are somewhat limited in that regard.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
From George Eliot to JK Rowling: The secret male alter egos of famous women writers
(Written by Somya Panwar) 'I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman,' Virginia Woolf once remarked, drawing light the plight of female authors in the literary world. She suggested that anonymity was less an act of deceit and more a strategy to navigate gender bias and gain literary recognition. Throughout history, female authors have often shielded their intellectual presence by adopting male pseudonyms, enabling them to coexist within a patriarchal structure. By breaking through these barriers, they ensured their voices were heard without facing immediate repercussions—and some even secured their rightful place in literary history. Here are five famous women writers who challenged gendered authorship norms and reshaped power dynamics in literary circles by writing under male pseudonyms: Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, was one of the most celebrated writers of the Victorian era. Renowned for her transformative contributions to literature, she masterfully depicted rural life and social complexities in her works. Her debut novel, Adam Bede, was critically acclaimed and went through eight printings. Today, her works remain essential reading in universities, offering a true reflection of 19th-century societal constraints. Eliot's exceptional body of work includes The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), her masterpiece Middlemarch (1871–72)—a profound exploration of idealism, marriage, and political reform—and Daniel Deronda (1876). 'And, of course, men know best about everything, except what women know better,' said the woman who disguised her identity under the name George Eliot. Joanne Rowling, famously known as JK Rowling, was once advised by her publisher to adopt a gender-neutral pen name to broaden her appeal among young male readers. Today, she stands as a global literary phenomenon. Her Harry Potter series marked a turning point in her career, with translations in over 85 languages and more than 600 million copies sold—making it the best-selling book series in history. The last four books also set records as the fastest-selling books of all time. Later, Rowling adopted another male pseudonym, Robert Galbraith, to launch her crime fiction series Cormoran Strike. Writing under a new name allowed her creative freedom, free from the expectations tied to her Harry Potter fame. Her debut novel under this alias, The Cuckoo's Calling (2013), gained traction only after her identity was revealed. Despite the exposure, she continues to write as Robert Galbraith, maintaining a distinct persona for this genre. Her use of pseudonyms underscores the lengths women must go to receive unbiased feedback in the literary world. Alice Mary Norton legally changed her name to Andre Norton in 1934 to survive in the male-dominated world of science fiction and fantasy. A pioneer in her field, she became the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society in 1977 and was twice nominated for the Hugo Award (1964). Over her 70-year career, Norton published more than 130 novels, also writing under the pen names Andrew North and Allen Weston. Her early work as a librarian saw the publication of eight novels, including her espionage trilogy—The Sword Is Drawn (1944), Sword in Sheath (1949), and At Sword's Point (1954)—written during World War II. Norton's legacy extends beyond her influential writing; she shattered stereotypes about women's intellectual capabilities in male-dominated genres, inspiring countless female authors who followed. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, achieved monumental success with her masterpiece. She later served as a consultant for the 1962 film adaptation, starring Gregory Peck, which earned eight Academy Award nominations—with Peck winning Best Actor. Like many female authors of her time, Lee faced significant challenges in a male-dominated industry. The success of To Kill a Mockingbird did not come overnight; it followed years of rejection and perseverance. Before her novel skyrocketed to fame, Lee worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern Airlines and British Overseas Airways while struggling to establish herself as a writer. Alice Sheldon, the woman behind the pseudonym James Tiptree Jr., was a multifaceted talent known for her masculine prose. She also wrote under the name Raccoona Sheldon. Her unconventional career—spanning army intelligence during World War II, farming, and a PhD in experimental psychology—shaped her unique perspective. Despite her feminist leanings, she noted that her work was often assumed to be written by a man, as male authors were seen as the default authorities on universal themes. Even after her death, Alice Sheldon remains an inspirational figure for women challenging traditional roles in publishing. Her work deserves recognition beyond the label of a 'feminist writer who used a male pen name'—she was a literary trailblazer in her own right. (The writer is an intern with the Indian Express)
South Wales Guardian
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- South Wales Guardian
HS2 marks major ‘nerve centre' milestone with completion of 3.5-mile tunnel bore
The 125-metre long, 1,600-tonne machine, named Mary Ann by the local community in a nod to the real name of Warwickshire-born writer George Eliot, broke through on Friday morning after 652 days and nights of construction work. The tunnel is the first of two bores of the Bromford Tunnel, running from the village of Water Orton in North Warwickshire to the Birmingham suburb of Washwood Heath, and passing under the area's motorway network and the River Tame. The tunnel breakthrough – HS2's first in Birmingham – is described as a significant milestone for the line, which will almost halve journey times between Birmingham and London, whilst freeing up track space on the West Coast Main Line for local, regional and freight services. Around 31,000 people are now employed on the programme across the 140-mile route, with HS2 estimating that the second bore of the Bromford Tunnel will be completed later this year by a second tunnel boring machine named Elizabeth. Following the excavation, teams will begin fitting out the tunnel with cross passages, concrete finishing works and base slabs, and emergency and maintenance walkways. At peak production, Mary Ann advanced at around 30 metres per day with construction teams reinforcing the excavated tunnel with more than 20,000 concrete segments each weighing up to seven tonnes. The precision-designed segments were manufactured at Balfour Beatty VINCI's pre-cast factory at Avonmouth near Bristol. HS2's Washwood Heath site, where Mary Ann broke through, is earmarked as the nerve centre for its operations, with a depot and control centre to service and store trains. Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd's chief executive, said: 'Today's breakthrough is a significant milestone for the project and I'm immensely proud of the men and women who have worked day and night to bring Mary Ann and her crew home safely. 'Washwood Heath is set to become one of the most important sites on the entire HS2 network – the point at which the railway will be operated, controlled and maintained using the very latest digital technology. 'HS2's construction is transforming the West Midlands, and the £10 billion investment boost it is already driving across the region will multiply in the years ahead.' Jules Arlaud, Balfour Beatty VINCI's tunnelling director, said: 'Today's breakthrough is a significant moment for Balfour Beatty VINCI, as we celebrate the arrival of our first tunnel boring machine into Birmingham. 'It's been a challenging drive beneath critical live infrastructure and through complex ground conditions. I'm incredibly proud of our entire team, whose expertise, dedication and resilience has made this possible.' Mary Ann excavated around one million tonnes of spoil to create the structure, which will become the longest railway tunnel in the West Midlands. In line with HS2's sustainability policy, the excavated earth is being reused to support construction of a nearby network of 13 viaducts. The excavated material is also being transported via dedicated haul roads to minimise the number of construction vehicles on public roads.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
HS2 marks major ‘nerve centre' milestone with completion of 3.5-mile tunnel bore
A giant HS2 boring machine has broken through to complete the first section of a 3.5-mile tunnel on the route's approach into Birmingham. The 125-metre long, 1,600-tonne machine, named Mary Ann by the local community in a nod to the real name of Warwickshire-born writer George Eliot, broke through on Friday morning after 652 days and nights of construction work. The tunnel is the first of two bores of the Bromford Tunnel, running from the village of Water Orton in North Warwickshire to the Birmingham suburb of Washwood Heath, and passing under the area's motorway network and the River Tame. The tunnel breakthrough – HS2's first in Birmingham – is described as a significant milestone for the line, which will almost halve journey times between Birmingham and London, whilst freeing up track space on the West Coast Main Line for local, regional and freight services. Around 31,000 people are now employed on the programme across the 140-mile route, with HS2 estimating that the second bore of the Bromford Tunnel will be completed later this year by a second tunnel boring machine named Elizabeth. Following the excavation, teams will begin fitting out the tunnel with cross passages, concrete finishing works and base slabs, and emergency and maintenance walkways. At peak production, Mary Ann advanced at around 30 metres per day with construction teams reinforcing the excavated tunnel with more than 20,000 concrete segments each weighing up to seven tonnes. The precision-designed segments were manufactured at Balfour Beatty VINCI's pre-cast factory at Avonmouth near Bristol. HS2's Washwood Heath site, where Mary Ann broke through, is earmarked as the nerve centre for its operations, with a depot and control centre to service and store trains. Mark Wild, HS2 Ltd's chief executive, said: 'Today's breakthrough is a significant milestone for the project and I'm immensely proud of the men and women who have worked day and night to bring Mary Ann and her crew home safely. 'Washwood Heath is set to become one of the most important sites on the entire HS2 network – the point at which the railway will be operated, controlled and maintained using the very latest digital technology. 'HS2's construction is transforming the West Midlands, and the £10 billion investment boost it is already driving across the region will multiply in the years ahead.' Jules Arlaud, Balfour Beatty VINCI's tunnelling director, said: 'Today's breakthrough is a significant moment for Balfour Beatty VINCI, as we celebrate the arrival of our first tunnel boring machine into Birmingham. 'It's been a challenging drive beneath critical live infrastructure and through complex ground conditions. I'm incredibly proud of our entire team, whose expertise, dedication and resilience has made this possible.' Mary Ann excavated around one million tonnes of spoil to create the structure, which will become the longest railway tunnel in the West Midlands. In line with HS2's sustainability policy, the excavated earth is being reused to support construction of a nearby network of 13 viaducts. The excavated material is also being transported via dedicated haul roads to minimise the number of construction vehicles on public roads.
