BleakChesneyWold

                          A lesser known Hardy novel : No classic but interesting.             It is hard to call The Well -Beloved   a 'lost classic' : Usually depicted as a novel for Hardy diehards only. In fact D.H.Lawrence described it as 'sheer rubbish' VICTORIAN WEB .  F.B.Pinion in his extensive survey of Hardy writings thought that the novel was 'light' and 'tragic-comic'. F.B.PINION   Hardy's recent biographer  Claire Tomalin advises that the novel began as  a lighthearted story  The Pursuit of the Well-Beloved  TOMALIN    T he first version was p ublished in weekly instalment form in The Illustrated News  from October-December 1892, this work was not published as a novel until 1897 with an extra portion, making it technically Hardy's last published novel. THOMAS HARDY SOCIETY. A new edition emerged in 1912 with some m...

                                                           Interview               Decided to have a musical interlude by adding an interview with folk/folk horror outfit The Witchcraft and Vagrancy Act after seeing the band in Worthing (September 2025) and Brighton (October 2025) .This was conducted via email with Richard Craig and unedited.  1.  Can you introduce the individuals who make up the band, what they play and a bit of background. I am Richard Craig, I serve as the lead singer, and primarily play violin,shruti box, ukulele  and jig doll. I am originally from the West Country, where I was fortunate enough to play with several iconic folk musicians, including Martin & Eliza Carthy, and Phil Beer. After moving to Brighton, I returned to university to complete my degree, wh...

                                       The 1894 Worthing Holiday And The Aftermath  Most impressive work indeed and  certainly a book in two halves. Opens with an intriguing account of the Wilde family, along with Bosie at times, staying  at 5 The Esplanade, Worthing ( which has sadly been demolished) from 7th  August 1894- 4th October 1894. The town was desperately trying to attract tourists after the dismal Summer of 1893 when typhus had struck, and not surprisingly, visitors largely stayed away.  There is a great deal shared here about late Victorian Worthing, its economic life, its architecture,  the Summer entertainments with at least four seaborne carnivals. A band of musicians performing regularly on the beach, the circus, concerts at the Assembly Hall -which is now at a different location. A great set of photographs are included in this book.  Os...