Dorchester in the Spring Sunshine; and Dickens’ words on Americans,

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Hello, and a very good afternoon. This is Gretel speaking from Dorchester. I'm in the

centre of the town and I've come here on a very sunny day. It's only about a half

an hour drive from where I live and it's beautiful to come here. It is quite a

rundown town centre in the centre that it's got, it's got kind of poor shops and

so on, but it's always very bustling and it's not rundown in the sense that I

don't know, it's not populated. Everyone seems to enjoy coming here. There's a

lovely bustle this morning, so I thought I would take some pictures, get some of

the old buildings in the sunshine and take some pictures, but I wonder what

you're up to this Saturday and whether you're okay and what stresses and

strains you're facing and whether you're coping all right or not and how

relentless your grief is if you're grieving or your pain is if you're in pain

and but maybe you're free from all of it and you're you're having an

unclouded sunshiney sort of day where you feel free of all worries and

worries so whatever you're feeling today I send you my love and best wishes

and as I speak I'm breathing in the smaker someone sitting beside me but

actually I don't mind I used to have the old cigarette and I didn't really

mind it but I'm now going to walk off and get in take some pictures and I'll

probably record from inside the museum by for now. There's a girl singing one

of my favourite songs yellow by Coldplay and I haven't got any money but I

would record a little bit so I'm trying get some money out for her I let you

listen to it for a moment she's quite good she's about I'd say 16

I'm looking for my money so I can drop something to her little box

what do you think she's right she's in shame

and I'm standing to get some money out outside the house that was recruited

as assigned this house is reputed to have been lived in by the mayor of

Costa bridge in Thomas Harder's story of that name written in 1885 I've taken

many pictures of it before and posted them so I won't do that again but it's

it's sort of moving to look at it because I think of the poor daughter and I

think of the poor mayor and I think there's nothing better in books when people

have betrayed with their faults and you're allowed to love them like in

Barnaby Rudge at the moment who the characters you love it's not necessary the

sort of I've got a sort of thing so it's not necessary that the girls you

don't have much character but a perfect seem perfect it's perhaps the lovely

John Willett landlord at the maple who is so distinguished and overwhelmed by

what's happened to him and he's also lost his son but he's got this little

posse of people around him little friends and he's got his

land around him in the sense he owns all that he surveys and I feel for him so

much and what about Mrs. Vaughan who obviously does enjoy her and King

but keeps it quiet and pretends to be the perfect Protestant but has suddenly

found herself ashamed of her support for the for George Gordon so she's

another interesting figure I'm going to read the sign that's by the mayor of

Castorbridge's house hard is Dorchester hard is spent most of his life in

or near to Dorchester and he knew it intimately and made much use of it in his

novels and poems on being made an honorary Freeman of the town in 1910 he

said the freedom of the borough of Dorchester did seem to me at first something

that I possessed a long while so when I consider the liberties I have taken

with its ancient walls streets and precincts through the medium of the

printing press I feel that I've treated its its external features with a

hand of freedom indeed. Castorbridge is his name for Dorchester and the mayor of

Castorbridge written in 1886 is set in the Dorchester of the 1840s among

other places it features this building which is imagined as the mayor's house

the King's Arms Hotel, Aubrey Rings, St Peter's Church, Grace Bridge and the

River Froome. The Dorchester prison old workhouse and corn exchange appeared

far from the maddened crowd written in 1874 in this street that were in at

number 39 he trailed as an architect from 1856 to 1862 and he frequently visited

William Barnes who had a school next door to talk about poetry. Stain plaques

commemorate these two buildings opposite the Hardy Arcade. Hardy was fascinated by

the history of the town as we can see from this passage in the mayor of

Castorbridge. Quote, to birds of the more soaring kind, Castorbridge must have

appeared on this fine evening as a museum work of subdued wets, browns,

grays and crystals held together by a rectangle in a frame of deep green. To the

level I of humanity stood as an indistinct mass beside behind a dense

stockade of limes and chestnuts set in the midst of miles of rotund down and

concave fields. Castorbridge announced old Rome in every street alley and

precinct. It looked Roman, bespoke the art of Rome, concealed dead men of Rome.

It was impossible to dig more than a foot or two deep about the town fields and

gardens without coming upon some tall soldier or other of the empire who had

lain there in his silent unobtrusive rest for a space of 1500 years.

I'm taking you now as we walk towards the end of the high street in

Dorchester and basically there's a protest going on. There's a protest going on

about the war in Iran and it's about, I'd say, 80 people.

Tuesday afternoon meeting at one o'clock. I'll hear all that.

Here in Dorchester and to join the council of two of the diverse from these

island companies. People have signs saying stop arming Israel. Stop bombing Iran.

Stop bombing Iran. Stop bombing Iran.

I think it's going to be on the telly later. I can see camera man.

Three times of 2020, June of last year, 2020, from the official figure of

children killed in Gaza was I 10 and a half thousand. I 10 and a half thousand.

It's not that I don't think it's important I do. It's just that that's not what my

our podcast is about. So I'm now taking you to the frontiers and

Peter's church, which is the church that Thomas Hardy knew so well and it's I

think it's 15th century and it's got a tower. It's got crenellation. It's got

pinnacles. It's got the whole work. Really. Gothic windows. The windows of the

church. And the road we're on is called the bow. And outside the church, there's a statue

of William Barnes, the poet and right by them is a dorset museum and art gallery and

I thought I would take you into that if you're interested. So let's go into that now.

So I'm now in the cafe of the dorset museum. I've decided to have a drink here first and

I want all the staff everywhere I've gone here in dorset this morning been so lovely

and kind and it makes a place so welcoming and wonderful when you go around cafes or museums

and everyone working there feels happy to be doing so. It's typical me. I haven't actually

gone into the museum. I've come into St. Peter's because I think of only the energy to do

one visit and immediately I love going into a church where you can write candles. So

I've just paid some money and I'll just drop that taper. I'm going to now light a couple

of candles and okay so and I've paid enough money to cover all this in case you're wondering

all the tapers so funny. It's difficult to light them. Okay so this first one is for

all of you who well all of you who are struggling at all or who are suffering. And then I'm

going to light another one. There we go and that's to all of you who knows someone close

to you that is suffering or needs your thoughts and then I'm going to light a third one for

the whole world including bad people, including people who don't care, including ignorant

people who drive us mad. Every day that's the third one let me play that out. So let's just

stand here for a minute. We're in St. Peter's church, for your church and doctors and I'm

just going to let you enjoy the silence at a candle.

So I'm leading from a leaflet. Welcome to St. Peter's church. There has been a church on

the site since Norman times and the current building dates back to 1454 that's earlier than I

thought. Well now I think I said 15th century but it's not particularly attractive it's a good

church but it's not it doesn't captivate once hard I don't think. The building is open to all

for historic interest and a place of calm in a busy county town. So it existed as a Norman

church and it says it has a decorated arch reset of the south porch which shows that substantial

rebuilding took place in the late 12th century and that would have come from a previous church

or nearby abbey perhaps and is remodeled to its current pointed shape as Norman arch is an only

round it says. In 1420 Robert Greenleaf left 20 marks to the fabric of the construction of the

body of the church so much of the present building dates from around this time. So most of the church

dates in 1420. It's a fine example of the perpendicular style built of grey Portland stone

with gold and the harem hillstone, Gretel's favourite, the weather's to a dark brown colour.

The scale of the 15th century stone basins can be seen in the gargles and corbels

and the splendid bosses in the ceiling are from this time but were restored in the 1990s.

On the window sills of the south chap or reclined two medieval knights they date from the 14th

century otherwise nothing is known about them. This looks like a challenge for a local historian

doesn't it say 14th century. We just need to look at what local mobility might have had

tombs in here and leave in the 1300s. I might have a little squirrel about see what I can find.

The hours have started to ring. I'm just going to take you in the sunshine so you can enjoy the

sound of dorset bells ringing in the sunshine here in deepest wussets.

The cars are such a blight really aren't they? We're just constantly surrounded by the noise of cars.

Beautiful sound the bells aren't they?

All right let's go in the church. So I'm going under the porch and yes as you look up you can see

that the lovely old Norman carving has been bodged together and I've taken some pictures so you

should be able to see those on my social media. About the main body of the church and it's a

substantial height I'd say 80 feet and the chance large is huge and pointed beautifully and there

are two aisles north and south and each aisle has four great arches and all of them pointed with

gray port and stone not as attractive as our local north door system but it's still

pretty beautiful and I'm walking towards the choir area and there are lovely wooden choir

pees carved beautifully but looking very Victorian but that's okay and I'm now walking to the

altar so I'm just going to be quiet when I take you to the altar and the display in front of

the altar is the last supper and it's a beautiful carving with Jesus at the center looking down

into his right and looking thoughtful and it looks like it's the exact replica of the famous

last supper carved painting by this is my ignorance was it Leonardo was it Michelangelo or goodness

or was it Rafael come on Gretel I'm afraid I don't know my stuff as much as I ought to

I've now come into a little side porch the south porch and there's the medieval night and we don't

know anything about him so that could be a fun challenge for me because I bet some people have

tried to take on the challenge to see who it might be so the beautiful church bells are ringing

in praise of you listening to this podcast on the sunny day and I've just come to a plan on the

wall it says St Peter's Church Dorchester and it says a plan of the church drawn by Thomas Hardy

at the age of 16 in 1856 so that would be his writing now actually it says this is a copy of the

original plan which is now kept in the doorstep record office and at the big boss at Movese says

Thomas Hardy for John Hicks architect say he was obviously working for John Hicks which I would

know if I remember the details of his life it says Dorchester August 4th 1856 and it's really

beautiful I mean he's only 16 it's the absolute inch copy put together and beautifully done

and it says things like uh eat lists all the aisles like 11 12 13 14 and then it has a bracket

and in his writing says to hold five persons each and then on a different one to hold six persons

under the rule to hold five persons each and then organ vestry, closet, north child salile,

desk, a tower, nave, chancel, organ, vestry, yeah it's really beautiful, porch

so he would have had an eye for these old churches wherever he went and we know that

from his poetry and the biographies we read about him which is partly I suppose why I find him

such an endearing and interesting character to understand and read about all around the church

crosskeys of st. Peter in stained glass and carved on the pews. I'm now standing belay the

bell tower of st. Peter's and you can hear the bells ringing out but under the tower here I can hear

the footsteps of the the ringers the bell ringers above and I could ever now then I can hear

sort of them shouting out I'm just going to see if you can hear

the bell ringers.

It's cute just to think that they're like 80 foot above me and little group of people who come to do this.

Hello hello I'm now in the garden at home it's only about three degrees but it's a stars tonight

astonishing we do see we do have very clear skies here but tonight it's the clearest I've seen in

such a long time and I can see the plow I can see all my it's just beautiful you notice I quickly

hurried on them because I don't actually know my my star constellations very well I need to learn

there's so much I need to learn gaps in my knowledge are American states start the stars flags

I'm not very good at flags I'm not I wouldn't be able to draw you a map of the South American

countries very well yeah I gaps in my knowledge it's I want to identify them and fill them because

sometimes it's you sort of it's embarrassing when you get on to a subject that you know

little about and you think how have I gone through life without knowing this my sons really really

good on America you know he would be able to pretty much draw you all the states and where they

sit so that's very impressive and I think America's just been much more the consciousness of young

people than it was in my day and age we just thought sort of America is this wonderful place

where everyone just was relaxed and sporty and wealthy and because we watched all the programs

like Dallas and things like that puppy off my bag no no no off my bag but we weren't interested in

the content but I think now that everything's been going on with its deterioration recently

I think there's been much more interested in its history and why it's got to this stage and it's

it means that people who are interested in the world about them have become much more curious

about it and my son was just saying just thanks we just come back from oh we just went to the

rose and crown intent so as I'm speaking I'm throwing the pink pig hello puppy to the puppy in the

garden and you're enjoying yourself and you just did a wee didn't you clever girl you got

my phone and she's just a lovely thing I'm really falling in love with her she's like a little lamb

aren't you a little lamb running along her face is beautiful and in a minute I'm going to go in

and do this as a first episode for tomorrow and or do I actually just publish this with a few

things like Samuel Peep's and publish it as a bonus Saturday episode and that my dear friends

is what I've decided to do it's 2150 I'm sitting at my kitchen table I've got beautiful music in

the background but quite enough so I don't break the rules and also I've got the microphone so

you shouldn't be picking up anything but a bit of a gentle murmur I've got poppy at my feet

in our little bed and candles are lit books in front of me I'm going to do a couple of readings

publish this and then prepare for I think quite a mammoth Sunday session I think I'd like to

think about doing three possibly four chapters of Barnaby I also know that I'm a bit behind with

saints and I know some listeners really enjoy hearing what saint it is and so I mustn't forget

those but I hope you're all well this Saturday evening and it evenings can be tough for people

if you're on your own or finding things difficult and Saturday evenings I've always found a little

bit tough same as Sunday evenings I don't know why it is why is it maybe because when you're when

you're a child the Saturday Saturday evenings are so lovely because you don't have to go to school

the next day and you've got that sense of relief and then in your younger adult years

their Saturday evenings are the fantastic evenings to go out and enjoy yourself

and then there's something melancholy perhaps about being in on a Saturday evening but I'm

perfectly content and feeling really well and after a tricky week at times with my daughter and so

it settled down into a restful weekend as long as I keep away from the news that is

and now we resume Charles Dickens American Notes and we continue from where we were when we're talking

about what he's talking about at America and his views of it as a whole these three characteristics

remember he talked about the characteristics of America I can't remember one of them was

suspicion one of let me go back oh yeah the second one was smart dealing and remember these were

the negatives he had so many positives to say about America just to remind you he said of Americans

they are by nature frank brave cordial hospitable and affectionate I completely agree with that

but the third one seems to be trade which to me I think is linked to smart dealing so but let's

carry on these three characteristics are strongly presented at every turn full in the strangest view

but the foul growth of America foul growth of America has a more tangled root than this and

it strikes its fibers deep in its licentious press yes that was the last one wasn't at the press

schools may be erected east west north and south I'm having my ankles nibbled pupils may be

taught wanting to sit up here aren't you pupils may be taught and masters read by scores upon

scores of thousands colleges may thrive churches may be crammed temperance may be defused

and advancing knowledge in all other forms forms walk through the land with giant strides

but while the newspaper press of America is in or near its present abject state high moral

improvement in that country is hopeless oh dear do remember this is written in the Victorian times

year by year it must and will go back year by year the tone of public feeling must sink lower down

year by year the congress and the senate must become less of less account before or decent men

and year by year the memory of the great fathers of the revolution must be outraged more

and more in the bad life of the degenerate child I hope you're enjoying this Americans or not

I suspect Canadians are huh among the herd of journals which are published in the states there

are some the rediscesely need be told of character and credit from personal intercourse with

accomplished gentleman connected with publications of this class I have derived both pleasure and

profit but the name of these is few and if the other legions of the others Legion I don't

if you heard that but that's England playing rugby and I think we're doing well that's husband

and the influence of the good is powerless to counteract the moral poison of the bad

among the gentry of America among the well-informed and moderate in the learned

professions at the bar and on the bench there is as there can be but one opinion in reference

to the vicious character of these infamous journals it is sometimes contended I will not say

strangely for it is natural to seek excuses for such a disgrace that their influence is not

secret as a visitor would suppose I must be pardoned for saying that there is no warrant for this plea

and that every fact and circumstance tends directly to the opposite conclusion

when any man of any grade of dessert in intellect or character can climb to any public distinction

no matter what in America without first groveling down upon the earth and bending the

knee before this monster of depravity when any private excellence is safe from its attacks

when any social confidence is left unbroken by it or any tie of social decency and honour

is held in the least regard when any man in that free country has freedom of opinion

and presumes to think for himself and speak for himself without humble reference to a censorship

which for which rampant ignorance and based dishonesty he utterly loads and despises in his heart

when those who most acutely feel its infamy and the reproach it casts upon the nation

and who most denounce it to each other dare to set their heels upon and crush it openly

in the sight of all men then I will believe that its influence is lessening and men are returning

to their manly senses but while that press has its evil eye in every house and its black hand

and every appointment in the state from a president to a postman while with ribbled slander

for its only stock in trade it is the standard literature of an enormous class you must find

their reading in a newspaper although will not read at all so long must its odium be upon the

country's head and so long must the evil it work be plainly visible in the republic

now i've missed out a paragraph and then this sentence that comes next i think is brilliant

it would be it would be well there can be no doubt for the american people as a whole

if they loved the real less and the ideal somewhat more it would be well if there were greater

encouragement to lightness of the heart and gayity and a wider cultivation of what is beautiful

without being eminently and directly useful but here i think the general rep before actually

before i go on i'm just going to say go over that again just that few lines there

a few words i beg your pardon and a wider cultivation of what is beautiful without being

eminently and directly useful now that gets to the heart at what i'm trying to achieve here in

the podcast which is about being curious and interested in things that are beautiful and

for their own sake therefore wonderful to have in the world whether it's art on the wall of a church

or a piece of music or you know it's to it's to not think of things in a utilitarian way but

to to ponder things in our hearts that make us feel happy and safe and warm

and edified and that we find interesting and that we're happy to tuck up and read about when

we're tucked into bed at night you know and i Stephen Fry said something similar he talked about

the fact that if we if everything has to be useful then we're we're would strip away

everything that's most important to us because at the end of our lives i imagine it's the things

like walking in the rain or holding our child's hand or swimming in the sea it's all the things

that are actually completely free to us that we would miss and yearn for and think about the most

and it's something i i do try and bear in mind because it's so easy to be swept away with thinking

or what's useful and to offer and i think politicians and the sort of political environment is

is set up to discuss and think about things as as if they always have to be of some use it's

well what's the what's the merit what's the economic merit are people worse or better off with

those in their lives and by that they mean are they financially better off or worse off

and and actually there's something called contentment and happiness and although those things are

based on financial security they're not entirely based on financial securities we all know and

it's the moving away from that and the moving towards the things that make our hearts sing

that i'm trying to do so much with this podcast so it saves me from doom and gloom within my own

head and heart and enables me to enjoy life on a grander deeper warmer lighter

lovelier scale so it would be well if there were greater encouragement to lightness of heart

and gayity and a wider cultivation of what is beautiful without being eminently and directly

useful but here i think the general remonstrance we are a new country which is so often advanced

as an excuse for defects which are quite unjustifiable as being of right only the slow growth of

an old one may be very reasonably urged and yet i hope to hear of there being some other

national amusement in the united states besides new newspaper politics they are certainly not a

humorous people and their temperament always impressed me as being of a dull odour and gloomy

character in shrewdness of remark and a certain cast-iron quaintness the Yankees or people of

New England unquestionably take the lead as they do in most other evidences of intelligence

but in traveling about out of the large cities as i have remarked in former parts of these

volumes i was quite oppressed by the prevailing seriousness and melancholy air of business which

was so general and unvarying that at every new town i came to i seemed to meet the very same

people who might left behind me at the last such defects as are perceptible in the national

manners seemed to me to be referable in a great degree to this cause which has generated a dull

sullen persistence in coarse usages and rejected the graces of life as undeserving of attention

there is no doubt that Washington who was always most scrupulous and exact on points of ceremony

perceived the tendency towards this mistake even in his time and it is utmost to correct it

so folks what do you think of that i mean things like this couldn't be written now which is

again why it's good to go back to old books because people are prepared to say things that they

would be too scared to say now for fear of being cancelled and i'm not saying i agree with

any of it or anything but it's interesting and it's just interesting to see what people have

thought before but i think i'm going to leave it at that because it's 37 minutes and i'm going to

publish this and then look forward to see you tomorrow for our usual sunday episodes where we focus

on Barnaby Raj so i wish you a due and good night and send you love and best wishes see you tomorrow