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Writers Licence
I am happy to find a site dedicated to my favourite children’s author, Elizabeth Goudge My favourite books were The White Witch and The Little White Horse. The first book I had was The Heart of the Family which was absolutely psychologically so astute – in the portrait of a man who is destroyed in an outward way by the second world war; having lost all his family. All her books are quite pertinent to the ‘human state’, and address the philosophical issues we have to face.
Sara Johnsen Perth Australia
Thank you for contacting the web site, it's always good to receive feedback, and I'm glad that you enjoyed it
I too admire The White Witch very much, it was the first "grown-up" Goudge that I read. The theme and plot of the book came to Elizabeth just after she had moved to Rose Cottage. She "saw" Froniga open a gate in her hedge and walk up the path. Gypsies also used to camp in the field next to her home
It was atmospheric to walk up Pack and Prime Lane and see pub called The Dog etc, when we attended the Blue Plaque ceremony last year.
What a thrill to meet another Elizabeth Goudge Admirer. All my life
I have
been the only one to have ever read her - apart from my mother. Only the
coarsest of English culture exists in Australia, and none of it's
sensitivities.
If Elizabeth saw Froniga open a gate, then she saw visions.
The extraordinary thing is - she was not afraid to say so. You couldn't
say such a thing happened to you in Australia, or people would think you
were mad!. Maybe, people are more imaginative and accepting in England.
What was the significance of the Blue Plaque Ceremony? I have never heard of the Pack and Prime Lane. What a strange name.
I have been to Ely twice, and Well's cathedral once, and I
couldn't quite work out where Elizabeth must have lived.
Sara Johnsen
I think that Elizabeth was careful about whom she talked to about her "sight" but probably felt that writers are allowed a certain license
She wrote an auto-biography called "Joy Of The Snow" which is well written and although not personal in the way of modern "kiss and tell" biographies, does give you a good impression of her life
She ended up living in Oxfordshire in a small village called Peppard Common, not far from Henley-On-Thames. It must have been very rural when they moved there in the 50's
Pack and Prime lane takes its name from the action that riders and vehicles took before entering its steep, wooded course. They would "pack" their guns with powder and shot and then "prime" them ready for firing. It was a notorious place for Highway men, as they could escape over the common
The Blue Plaque is an organisation that erects Plaques on buildings where famous people have lived. This particular place was chosen from the many she lived in, because it was the last and longest and because it can be seen from a public right of way. All plaques must be visible to the public
In both Ely and Wells, the homes she loved all her life, this isn't possible. The Ely house has been altered extensively so it would be impossible to tell which part the family had lived in, and Wells is behind a walled garden
Hope this answers some of your questions, I'm always happy to write to like minded people.