Merry Hall (Beverley Nichols Trilogy)

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By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Nichols has strong opinions on everything from politics to gardening and isn’t afraid to state them, which I love, whether it’s about roses or other gardeners (he says of Vita Sackville-West, “I am glad to learn that there is at least one great gardener who agrees with me – the poet Vita Sackville-West, who has less nonsense in her little finger than most women in their whole bodies, if you know what I mean” – he is not tolerant of silly women…) He also seems incredibly knowledgeable about plants and trees, and quite determined to track down what he actually wants – which is a useful trait to have when dealing with Miss Emily and Our Rose, who drive him to distraction (but whom he secretly seems to enjoy sparring with). To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. There were a number of surprisingly practical passages in the book, which I hadn’t at all anticipated. He wants nothing to do with the neighbourhood and his neighbours, persistent though they might be at trying to befriend him and get their hands on the excess produce from his excellent vegetable garden.

In short, this book will be a delight to anyone who: (a) loves gardens; (b) is an Anglophile; and/or (c) loves cats. That final quote is somewhat jaw-dropping although at least he was aware of the privilege of having a garden. Merry Hall is an absolutely charming book about an Englishman of the Old School and his quest to create the perfect garden. Though he disclaims, he clearly has a fair degree of wealth and is resolutely blind to the ways it sets him apart from others. As an enthusiastic Downton Abbey fan and all things English, I'm not surprised I found Merry Hall humorous and entertaining.Nichols naturally takes on Oldfield too – finding they don’t agree on everything – Oldfield’s silences speaking volumes. He was passionate about gardens and gardening – and Down the Garden Path is the first book in a trilogy about that property – most especially the garden. I read one of his books many years ago, borrowed from the library, forget which one, and meant to read more but just never have. User contributions are not fact checked and do not represent the official position of Historic England.

Ashtead itself may not have quite the same bucolic charm as Merry Hall, but it’s a hugely popular place to live for very good reasons: there is a thriving high street, a small hospital, direct rail service to London, and the M25 is just a few minutes away. I first came across BN as a child in the 50’s whilst leafing through my Mother’s copies of “Woman’s Own”, and noticed his predilections for thatched roofs, cats and flowers.To own a plot of land – to have enough money to plant that land with lilacs and maples and pines and pears, and not to do so, but to spend the money on something horrible like a mink coat …it is indecent. I was considerably past childhood when I learnt who Beverley Nichols was, and more interestingly how many books for grown ups he had written – and how beloved his books are by his legion of fans. A passion for restoration is a common thread in the story of three charming, but quite different family houses that have graced the property market in recent weeks. I find him more funny than offensive – though I admit had he been writing now; I might think differently. The Merry Hall Trilogy book series by Beverley Nichols includes books Merry Hall (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 1), Laughter On The Stairs (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 2), and Sunlight On The Lawn (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 3).