Upon the extensive vintage hardback fiction shelves at the Cinema Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye I noticed with curiosity the title The Golden Ladies of Pampeluna (1934) and the unusual author name of Francis Cabochon. A glance inside showed a book in two parts, ‘Don Francisco of Navarre’ and ‘Duke Allain of Champerac’, separated by an Interlude, ‘Messire Gaston de Nardac’.
As it was published by Philip Allan and was a title I had not seen before, I thought I would give it a try. I admit I also liked the golden yellow binding, and have at times been swayed to buy a book by the pleasing shade of the boards, even (well, especially) when these are well-worn and marked. I also had a vague idea it might be like Arthur Machen’s The Chronicle of Clemendy (1888), a book for which I have an affection.
The Golden Ladies proved to offer historical stories with a light, blithe and cynical air and mild amorous content, somewhat in the style of James Branch Cabell. Indeed, the Interlude, in a footnote, is ‘Dedicated, without any permission at all,to the author of the immortal Jurgen, by whom I conceived this story.—F.C.’ The tales are smoothly done, with a sort of sardonic wit, and in a crisp, modern diction, avoiding gadzookery. There might be a touch of Baron Corvo in the tales too, though without his arcane vocabulary.
Philip Allan was the publisher of numerous thriller
anthologies in the Thirties, generally under succinct one-word titles such as Thrills,
Creeps, Shocks, Shivers, Shudders etc. Contributors included H.R.
Wakefield, H.D. Everett, Elliott O’Donnell and Tod Robbins. At least the
reader knew exactly what they were getting from the series.
The notice adds the immortal final line: ‘Mark envelopes “Creeps”’. As there were not, in fact, that many more titles in the series, it is tempting to speculate that the staunch employees of the Royal Mail regarded this superscription in somewhat of a personal light, and treated such correspondence accordingly. The premises in Great Russell Street now seem to be occupied by a fine art gallery. I wonder if they ever get any belated torrid manuscripts from fervid authors.
The catalogue that follows at the back of the book is also rather diverting. One learns that ‘The Famous “Creeps” Series’ also includes Vampires Overhead by Alan Hyder, The Air Devil by Barrington Beverley and The Butterfly Murder by Charlton Andrews. Some of these authors are never heard of again and their names sound distinctly like pseudonyms, leading to the suspicion that the publisher had several house authors on tap.
Another strand of Allan’s output was horse-racing novels, almost all by J. Fairfax-Blakeborough, of whom it had apparently been said, and one can quite see why, that ‘he fills the late Nat Gould’s place’. With yarns such as Who Maimed Spurto? and Beating the Nobblers, to say nothing of the more laconic A Turf Mystery (‘with Rupert St. Cloud’), who could gainsay such a claim? Fairfax-Blakeborough was clearly sufficiently industrious to sustain Allan’s racing line alone—with the occasional help of Rupert St Cloud, of course—and so there is no invitation to join in here. Perhaps it is just as well, really. The fate of envelopes marked ‘Nobblers’ is scarcely to be imagined.
However, the publisher was also an occasional author. This copy of the Golden Ladies was signed to a friend, Frank Mayhew. Perhaps this was the Nineties song lyricist of that name, who wrote ‘Once in the Golden Past’, ‘A Life-Story’, ‘A Spring-Time Parting’ and ‘Drifting Apart’ (the latter with music by the Nineties poet and songwriter Theo Marzials). The autograph has the author’s name in quote marks, implying a pseudonym, and underneath is a pencilled note that this was Philip Murray.
In fact, Philip Murray was also Philip Allan: the British
Library has him as Philip Bertram Murray Allan (1884-1973). As Murray, he
contributed a story, ‘The Charnel House’ to Creeps (1932). Evidently, he
had decided to take a version of his own advice. Having enjoyed publishing
books, why not write one? This was the only book issued under the Cabochon
alias, as far as I can discover, but it makes me wonder how many of the other titles were by Allan
himself. It might explain why he was so keen to hear from other authors:
perhaps he was feeling rather wan from all his own writing exertions. I think it is a pity we did not hear from Cabochon again. Still, Machenites (of the medievalist tales and translations), Cabellians and Corvines might all enjoy this pleasing if elusive volume.
(Mark Valentine)
In 1950 Robert Aickman, L.T.C. Rolt and others organised an Inland Waterways Association Festival of Boats and Arts at Market Harborough, Leicestershire. It was a great success and is now seen as launching the revival of the canals in Britain.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the event, the IWA are holding a commemorative Waterways Festival, ‘Harborough 75’, on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June. It will be based at Foxton, with a cavalcade to Market Harborough, and will feature ‘historic and private boats, floating traders’, stalls and The Quorn Ukulele Orchestra (QUO).
The festival website has a piece about the 1950 event, which notes: ‘The Inland Waterways Association was formed in 1946, but it was not until the 1950 Festival of Boats and Arts, held in Market Harborough, that the campaign to save the inland waterways really became established as a national crusade. The festival is generally thought to be the tipping point of the waterways revival, triggering the mass-participation on a volunteering spirit which is still unique in the world.’
The roles of both Rolt and Aickman in the original festival are celebrated: ‘The inspiration for the event came from [the] very successful Vintage Sports Car Club rallies that had been organised by Tom Rolt, one of the founding members of the association . . . The rally developed from being merely a boat rally into a festival of boats and arts with a range of land-based attractions – exhibitions, films, theatre productions – a development inspired by Robert Aickman, the association’s co-founder.’
Their website also has a link to a short Pathé Newsreel of the event, full of period charm.
(Mark Valentine)
Picture: Tom Rolt steering his boat Cressy.
