AUTHOR OF THE MONTH:�� Beverley
Nichols (1898-1983)
If you like gardening, or fixing up old houses, or laughing out loud (or all three), you are certain to enjoy reading books by Beverley Nichols.
A Renaissance man, he was not only a writer of books for both children and adults, but also a song writer and playwright, a pianist, an actor, a connoisseur of epicurean delights, a lover of cats and eventually a renowned gardening expert.�� He wrote over 50 books, and many of them were best sellers.� For collectors, he is a fascinating focus because his writing covers such a vast array of subject areas (memoirs, politics, plays, travel, children�s books, mysteries, and more).
�Today he is probably
best loved for his delightfully entertaining and informative books on his
experiences with renovating his homes and gardens in
His gardening books include:
Enjoy an excerpt from Laughter on the Stairs in which the author leads two of his overly helpful neighbor ladies through his newly renovated greenhouse:��
The dead hand of Mr. Stebbing hung heavy over this conservatory when I first arrived.� With devilish ingenuity he had contrived that
the main drain from upstairs should be let through the roof, like a sort of
pillar, so that it was apt to stun all who passed that way.� At crucial moments it sent out embarrassing
gurgles and hisses, usually when one was showing people geraniums.� This drain has now been diverted, and bricked
up with a square column, painted white.�
In summer it is covered with a riot of pale blue plumbago.
� The removal of the drain was one of the few
things which Miss Emily, from delicacy rather than from desire, was unable to
deplore.� When she first stepped into the
conservatory on her way to the music-room she paused, flinched, and exclaimed:
�Dear me�more changes!� Now let me see, what have we done here?�
I could not think of any
polite way of saying that I had removed the main drain from the upstairs
lavatory, so I ignored the question.
�Yes�what have we done?�
demanded Our Rose, who was standing by her side.
�� Miss Emily suddenly realized that her
question was embarrassing. �Something structural, dear,� she murmured.
� �Yes, but what?�
�Miss Emily glared at her.� �Structural,
dear,� she repeated.
� �But that might mean anything��
��Quite, dear,� snapped Miss Emily.� �It might.��
With which she passed through to the music-room...�
And from the comical opening chapter of A Thatched Roof:
The low lintels of the
cottage have many disadvantages, but they have one supreme advantage.� They afford an immediate topic of
conversation.� They make things start,
quite literally, with a bang.�
�� Even the stiffest young guardsman�the type
that says, after a long pause, ��But my deal fellow, what about
A complete bibliography of all of Beverley Nichols� books can be found at the website of Timber Press:
http://www.timberpress.com/beverleynichols/bibliography.cfm
Timber Press has recently brought Nichols� most loved gardening books back into print and they are available at their website.� For the collectors among you who want first editions, the search is more challenging, and yet Beverley Nichols is a reasonably affordable author to collect, and certainly a rewarding one.� Some of his books are usually available here at Old Scrolls Book Shop.