Diaries 1969-1979_ The Python Years - Michael Palin [250]
A very capable lady with a brisk and confident well-bred manner. She has a rather heavy jaw, but seems exceedingly well and lively. She is down to earth and unsentimental about the family, but interested in and interesting about stories of the Palins.
Discover for the first time the full story of my great-grandfather, Edward Palin, who married Brita Gallagher. Evidently Brita was an orphan of the Irish potato famine of the 1840s, sent on what were called ‘coffin ships’ to America by some philanthropic organisation rather like those who nowadays bring war babies out of Vietnam. Brita arrived in America with only a label on her dress with her name on.
She was lucky enough to be looked after by a rich American spinster -Caroline Watson. She brought her up to be a well-dressed, well-educated young lady and in 1861 Brita and Miss Watson went to Europe.
Whilst at an hotel in Switzerland they met an English don from Oxford (Edward Palin), who was climbing in the Alps. Edward Palin describes their meeting rather touchingly in a diary he kept of his stay in Switzerland. Unfortunately Brita (or Beda, as he calls her), was only 19 and he 36 … ‘otherwise I don’t know what might have been’.
But he must have seen her again, for in 1867 they were married in Paris. Edward P had to give up a Fellowship at St John’s, Oxford (dons weren’t allowed to marry then). The college, who obviously regarded him highly, found him a living at Linton in Gloucestershire, where he spent the rest of his life with Brita, and their seven children, the eldest of whom was my grandfather.
But what rankled with Joyce Ashmore (granddaughter of Edward Palin) is that, when Caroline Watson was on the point of death at Linton, some years later, and wanted to change her will in favour of the Palins, my great-grandfather would not let the necessary lawyers make the change as he didn’t want Miss Watson’s last hours sullied by their attentions. So … the Palins missed being very rich!
Friday, October 7th
End of second week’s writing. Seven thousand words for the week – 1,000 short of target. Have given them to Helen to read, and she has a useful and helpful reaction.
She liked the first character, Avery, who begins the novel waking in a strange bed, but found the introduction of the second Avery brother was a disappointment, just as the first one was becoming interesting. The third brother – the radio interviewer – she just didn’t like.
Good advice, but goodbye 5,000 words.
Wednesday, October 12th
A letter from Al Lev to tell me in desperation of Eve’s latest and most serious suicide attempt. He only just saved her. She’d locked the door and taken pills.
At work at 9.30, but spend first half of the morning writing a letter to Eve – a much tougher proposition than the novel. But start by twelve, having responded to Al’s obvious plea for help.
Various phone calls during the day bring messages of good cheer. Terry Hughes rings to appraise me of’near-ecstatic’ reaction to ‘Moorstones’ at the Heads of Department meeting this morning. Terry Gilliam reports a fantastic reaction to Jabberwocky at the Cairo Film Festival. An audience of 800 gave the film a standing ovation! Once again the virtues of not understanding the story become apparent!
The Guardian didn’t like ‘Moorstones’, but a review in the Daily Mail calls the series ‘intelligent at the core’.
Monday, October 17th
Dr Chapman on the phone for the first time in many weeks. To say how worried he is about the content of the ‘Instant Record Collection’. I grit my teeth, for it is a little late in the day for fellow Pythons to start showing interest in a record they all seemed fairly apathetic towards two months ago. I was left to put it together, and it was mastered last week.
But, as I haven’t seen the Doctor for a while, I’m quite happy to go round and talk over the record with him, as requested, later this afternoon.
Graham, gin and tonic in hand, looks well