Quotations from P G Wodehouse are copyright of, and reprinted by permission of, the Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate © 2010 The P G Wodehouse Society (UK)

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These are interesting cuttings from recent press articles or comments on the same, plus other items of interest from television, the arts or the media in general

 

Martin Jarvis: Voice of the Nation

An article appeared in the Independent recently entitled 'Martin Jarvis: Voice of the Nation'. Martin Jarvis is widely known for his audiobooks, not least of which his audiobooks for Wodehouse. In this article the Independent celebrates the work of Martin in this area. It is well worth reading and you can do this by clicking here.

 

"Milady's Boudoir" on Breakfast television

 

The Breakfast show on BBC1 on Tuesday 12th January 2010 featured the editor, Rachel Johnson, of The Lady magazine, whose brother is Boris Johnson. She was talking about a recent revamp and new look to the magazine, which has been published since 1885. She also mentioned various previous contributors such as Nancy Mitford and Stella Gibbons (who wrote Cold Comfort Farm) and went on to say that in The Code of the Woosters the magazine Milady's Boudoir was based upon The Lady magazine.

 

Jeeves and the Yuletide Spirit is on Radio 4 at 3:30 pm on 29th December

 

School Of Saatchi visits Blandings

 

The BBC 2 programme School Of Saatchi visited Sudeley Castle in the episode shown on Tuesday 8th December 2009. In the programme six contestants have to prepare pieces of modern art which are judged by a panel of experts and then Charles Saatchi himself. The series winner will receive sponsorship from Saatchi.

 

Sudeley Castle is becoming well known for it's modern art installations and is of course the inspiration for P G Wodehouse's beloved Blandings Castle. Also, the grounds of Blandings are based upon Weston Park in Shropshire, although Sudeley does have Yew Walks essential for moonlit trysts. No doubt Constance would baulk at modern art appearing at the Castle, although it has to be said that Clarence would probably only be vaguely aware of their existence.

 

Heavy Weather, starring Peter O'Toole as Emsworth and Richard Briers (our Society President) as Gally, was filmed at Sudeley. Also, Norman Murphy has written a book called In Search Of Blandings which describes the many Wodehousean connections.

 

Does Warren Buffett read P G Wodehouse?

 

... well, who knows? In the BBC 2 programme about Warren Buffet, called The World's Greatest Money Maker aired on 26th October 2009, Warren's business partner Charlie Munger stated at the end of the programme "... if we liked chorus girls we wouldn't have such a good investment record".

 

Britain's Top 50 Unsung Heroes

 

To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of The National Lottery on Thursday 21st November 2009, a list of Britain's Top 50 Unsung Heroes has been drawn up. Jeeves appears on the list:

 

"42. Jeeves – Fictional valet character in the short stories and novels of PG Wodehouse, in which Jeeves gets his clueless boss Bertie Wooster out of various predicaments."

 

For the full list please click here.

 

Art Deco Icons, BBC 4 - David Heathcote

 

BBC 4 has run an excellent four-part series called Art Deco Icons during October/November 2009, written and presented by the design historian David Heathcote. Art Deco of course was a primary design style for architecture, decoration, furniture, the arts and many other aspects of life in the 1920s and 30s when so many of Wodehouse's novels are set. The series featured in episodes two to four the headquarters building of the London Underground, a west country house and The Orient Express.

 

The first episode, however, was devoted to Claridges, the opulent hotel facing Brook Street and Grosvenor Square in London, very much the beating ground of many of Wodehouse's characters. David Heathcote was shown holding an Everyman edition of Ring For Jeeves, whilst pointing out two buttons which clientele could push to ring for a maid or a valet.

 

P G Wodehouse: The Unknown Years, by Reinhild von Bodenhausen

Times Online, 26th October 2009

 

An interesting review of Reinhild von Bodenhausen's recently published book, P G Wodehouse: The Unknown Years,  has appeared in both The Times and Times Online. Reinhild was a child when Wodehouse came to stay with her family after being released from internment. In her book she describes how  Wodehouse's innocuous radio broadcasts to the US were used by Goebbels for propaganda purposes, the torment and anguish this caused Wodehouse and the dismay experienced by her family as a result. For the full review please click here. P G Wodehouse: The Unknown Years by Reinhild von Bodenhausen is published by Stamford Lake in Sri Lanka (website click here); $15 plus postage.

 

Wooster was not a Mensa member!

 

Nigel Farndale writes of Mensa in the Sunday Telegraph ”Seven” supplement of 25th October 2009, suggesting it tends to keep quiet about its activities, and members are reluctant to shout about their involvement. He believes having an IQ amongst the top 2% of the population “does seem to be a mixed blessing, especially in this country where intelligence is regarded as an affliction …

 

“Which other country would instinctively side with Wooster, he of the low frontal lobe wattage, over his Spinoza-reading valet Jeeves, he of the bulging forehead and appetite for fish?”