Monica Enid Dickens... The True Lady of Follyfoot

---

Monica Dickens.
Source: Desert Island Discs, BBC, 1951

---

Just who is Monica Dickens? Well, firstly, her surname gives us a clue as to who she is related to. Yes, none other than English writer Charles Dickens (1812-1870). But there is far more to this woman than just being the great-granddaughter of a literary genius. Though I have been a fan of Mr Dickens' work for decades, I was totally oblivious to his family tree. It is ironic, then, that I became an even greater fan of a series of books... and a television series based on one of those books: Follyfoot.

Monica was born in London on 10th May 1915, her parents were Henry Charles Dickens (1878–1966) and Fanny Dickens (née Runge). Sadly not much is known about Fanny except that she herself was born in Camberwell, London, in 1876; she was married to Henry in 1904 (Chelsea Registration District, London), sadly her death is unknown. Monica had a sister: Doris Elaine Mary Danby (née Dickens). The girls' upbringing was very middle class - Henry was a barrister - but Monica became disenchanted by the life around her. Not only was she expelled (she had attended St Paul's Girls' School, London) but Monica entered into domestic service. It is not what her father would have wished, I'm sure.

Her literature reflected the work she did, examples being the memoir One Pair Of Hands (1939) highlighting her experiences as a domestic servant and One Pair Of Feet (1942) in which she wrote about her time as a nurse. Her career at the Hertfordshire Express newspaper (published in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England) led to the book My Turn to Make the Tea (1951).

Monica married U.S Navy officer Roy O. Stratton in 1951 and migrated to the United States where they later adopted two girls called Pamela and Prudence. Her writing never stopped, with most of her work still set in England. She was also a passionate humanitarian and helped establish the first U.S Samaritans in Massachusetts in 1974. She worked closely with the Samaritans, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It is the latter that influenced her novel Cobbler's Dream (1963) which, in the 1970s, was adapted into a popular British television show called Follyfoot. Due to its success, Monica wrote follow-up titles Follyfoot (1971), Dora at Follyfoot (1972), The Horses of Follyfoot (1975), and Stranger at Follyfoot (1976). The year prior to Cobbler's Dream, the author had visited The Home of rest for Horses (renamed The Horse Trust in 2006) and had been so touched by their tireless work that it became the influence for the Farm in the 1963 publication.

Between 1939 and 1992 she wrote many books, inspired those who met her and lived an extraordinary life, memories and experiences that she could share through her literature. In 1978 she had published an autobiography titled An Open Book. After her husband's death, in 1985, Monica returned to the UK where her career as a writer continued until her own death on Christmas Day in 1992. She was 77 years old.

Her final book, One of the Family (1993), was published posthumously.

When I think of my passion for Follyfoot, it dawns on me just how alike one of the characters is to Monica: Dora is from a privileged family who chooses to work on a farm and care for horses, she doesn't mind the hard labour at all, actually embracing the freedom that her new position brings. Dora's mother is set against her continuing at Follyfoot but her uncle, who owns the farm, signs it over to her so that she becomes Lady of Follyfoot. In fact, first book Cobbler's Dream was a tale that raised brutal awareness of the cruelty inflicted on horses; it was far from being a light-hearted read.

Her work lives on, some titles have even been digitised for the eBook market. And thanks to Follyfoot and its accompanying Yorkshire Television series, which ran in the UK from 1971 to 1973, there is much gratitude for a woman who rebelled, found her own path and forged a remarkable writing career.

Pages of interest: follyfoot.co.uk

Also check out portraits of Dickens at the National Portrait Gallery.

---

Read More

Tom Baker reads... A Christmas Carol - AudioReview

Article author: Alwyn Ash


"Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it. And Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail."

For me there has always been something quite magical about Ebenezer Scrooge's encounter with spirits (not the drinking variety, I can assure you), one of them his old business partner Jacob Marley. How can one man, so tightfisted and cold that the very winter's air curls up in terror of him, really change from a young and gentle creature, so full of respect and energy, to the loathsome fossil that we encounter in the tale? He had been in love once, the beautiful Belle, a romance long lost.

I first became enchanted with this story as a kid, after being given a copy by an uncle of mine. God Bless him! Unlike most editions, this hardcover had been beautifully put together by illustrators Roger Law and Peter Fluck, using puppet characters. It was photographed by John Lawrence Jones (see: A Christmas Carol).

It is always a delight to discover audio versions, and earlier this year I had relished the thought of hearing Sir David Jason read this fantastic tale in a way that only he knew how, via AudioGO. I am a fan of the various television and film versions, too, even enjoying Disney's interpretation, starring the most famous mouse of them all, in 1983's Mickey's Christmas Carol. So I am a fine connoisseur in all things "Carol". But, following Jason's interpretation, the best was yet to come, as I have discovered...

And so, believe me when I say that the latest release from AudioGO, Tom Baker reads... A Christmas Carol, is astonishing and delicious. The most recognizable voice in the world, other than that of Brian Blessed, takes on this three-course meal of ghosts and geese, warmth and despair, prized turkeys and poverty. As narrator, Baker captures each mood, moment and heart in a way unlike any other, he takes us through Scrooge's life, from the cold and heartless atmosphere of the business known as Scrooge and Marley (a counting-house) to the merry-fabulous joy of Mr. Fezziwig's establishment.

Even if you think you know this story well, think again. Tom Baker's embrace of Charles Dickens' 1843 festive feast will have you smiling, relaxing, and feeling the spirit yourself, as we are taken on this journey through Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

Known for his most famous of roles, that of the Fourth Doctor in BBC's flagship sci-fi show Doctor Who, the man who traversed time and Space delivers a fine performance, one that will now remain a firm favourite of mine.

Produced by Kate Thomas with sound design by Simon Hunt, this is one spooky tale that must be listened to, and enjoyed. It feels now as if A Christmas Carol was written by Dickens specifically for Tom Baker to read, as he completely owns the story from beginning to end.

I must also pay tribute to the eye catching cover, designed by the marvelous Nick Spender, which captures Baker in perfect Scrooge-style, appearing from behind a curtain, no doubt wondering what the night has further in store for him...


Further reading: AudioGO - Official website

---

Read More

The Inspirations of A Christmas Carol

Article author: Alwyn Ash


This novella, first published by Chapman & Hall in December 1843 (and illustrated by John Leech), features the greatest miser of them all: Ebenezer Scrooge.

A Christmas Carol was written in early Victorian Britain, at a time when people were beginning to embrace forgotten Christmas traditions. It is, perhaps, the story that brought industrial capitalism to the nineteenth century, and should partly be credited for restoring festivity and merriment to both Britain and America, following the introduction of the Christmas Tree to Britain in 1841 by Prince Albert. The first Christmas Card, in 1843, and a revival in Carol Singing helped to make festive a special holiday.

The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. It was pronounced "a national benefit and to every man or woman who reads it, a personal kindness."

But let us not forget that, although it had shown us a glimpse of festivity and fun, A Christmas Carol also delved into the deep dark world of poverty, despair, sadness and, finally, death. It was a reflection of life as it was, the soul of London at both its best and worst. Yes it could reward the rich, embrace them with warmth and prosperity while at the same time swallow up those who had met with far less fortunate times. In the novella Scrooge demonstrates no pity for these poor wretched people: "Are there no prisons?" he asks when the opportunity presents itself for him to contribute something to a fund which has been set up to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. This cold response was Scrooge's typical view on life, and the people who sank were of no concern to him.

A Christmas Carol by Dean Morrissey
The Greenwich Workshop

But, as we later discover, this miserable man (who pronounced: "I don't make merry myself at Christmas") was to change his ways, thanks to the intervention of four ghosts, one of them an old friend...

Inspiration for A Christmas Carol no doubt originated from Dickens' own upbringing. A writer at heart, his life turned upside down in 1824. John Dickens, his father, was jailed and Charles was forced to take lodgings nearby, pawn his prized collection of books, leave school, and accept employment in a blacking factory (see fromoldbooks.org for more info). It was a world far removed from what the young man expected - Charles was deeply intellectual and felt uncomfortable in these new surroundings. His father's eventual release from jail did not change matters, however. Life in the factory continued, humiliation for someone who believed to be destined for greater things.

It is quite clear that Charles both loved and hated his father, a psychological conflict that quite likely manifested itself in the character he would later create: Scrooge. It was during this period that the young man began noticing the impoverished lives of men, women, and children in London. Years later Charles Dickens visited many areas affected by poverty, and witnessed first hand children working in appalling conditions. In 1943 he called upon workers and employers to join together to combat ignorance with educational reform. Now was a time for action.

A Christmas Carol was born. Charles felt that the best way to spread the message and highlight poverty and injustice was to write a deeply-felt Christmas narrative. It was an idea that became one of his best works and did, in some way, manage to change some lives in the following years. It is interesting to note that in his Pickwick episode The story of the goblins who stole a sexton (Chapter 29 - January 1837), the author writes a tale similar to that of A Christmas Carol. Indeed, it is accurate to say that the latter was firmly based on the former. And do you notice how the five chapters are labelled as "staves"? An ingenious reference to the title of the novella. i.e. music notation.

Young Charles Dickens painted during his 1842
visit to Boston by Francis Alexander

It took Charles six weeks to write this fantastic tale - he began in October 1843, completing the final pages in December. A decision was also made by him to publish the novella at his own expense, choosing a percentage of the profits rather than a lump sum; a feud with his publisher over the meagre earnings on previous novel Martin Chuzzlewit led to this decision. It was a chance that resulted in disappointment; high production expenses cost him dearly and he was left with little profit. A Christmas Carol may not have been a great profitable experience but it remained a huge artistic success.

In 1844 the author engaged in court proceedings after literary pirates Parley's Illuminated Library broke copyright. He sued and won the case, however it was not to be a good day for Charles: a hollow victory - as it turned out - the firm simply declared bankruptcy, leaving him to pay court costs of £700.

Highly disappointed with these troubles and a lack of decent revenue for publication of the novella, the man who had gained favourable recognition and respect decided to spread the message of his Carol through public readings, the first being in 1853. A grand performer, his stage theatricals were an immense success and he continued to perform the story of Ebenezer Scrooge time after time, until his death in 1870. There is no questioning his passion and commitment to the tale, a man who understood the true meaning of Christmas and wished to share that vision with his readers and audience: a family-centered festival of generosity, in both heart and soul. Seasonal food and drink, dancing, games, and warmth of spirit.

And as Tiny Tim once said: "God bless us, every one!"

---

Read More