You have twenty-two days to submit your entry to the International Marmalade Awards, held annually at Dalemain in Cumbria. Marmalade is submitted from all over the world, so don’t be put off if you don’t live in the UK.
Last year more than 2,700 jars were entered from countries including Singapore, Japan, America, Canada, Spain, France, Gibraltar, Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Alaska, Austria, South Africa, USA and South Korea. I think there is an opportunity for readers in Moscow to participate. There are many categories but First Timer might be suitable or Merry Marmalade (made with the addition of alcohol). There are two good reasons for entering: your £10 entrance fee goes to charities; you will receive a certificate showing the marks awarded for your marmalade. If, like Bertie Wooster, you have hitherto only received a prize for Scripture Knowledge at Primary school, the latter will be something to be proud of and cherish.
In the spirit of PG Wodehouse there is a category for peers, politicians and clergy, so many of his characters can enter. I fancy Lord Emsworth’s chances myself, with a little assistance from Beach. In 2011 Lord Henley pulled off a remarkable double. He won in the peers category and also was judged Best in Show. Here he is (on the right) being congratulated by Rory Stewart.
Rory Stewart has been Conservative Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border since 2010. Since leaving Eton he has fitted an astonishing variety of things into his life, including writing The Places in Between, a description of a walk he undertook in the winter of 2002 between Herat and Kabul. It is already a classic in the same league as Eric Newby’s, A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, and Redmond O’Hanlon’s, Into the Heart of Borneo.
Oh dear, I seem to have left an open goal for you to submit your own favourite travel books; well, go on then, as you did so well on Books about Books.
Since you ask………..
Mention of Herat makes me think immediately of “Road to Oxiana” by Robert Byron. It is a Forth Road Bridge of a book. Read it slowly and occasionally and you will want to start again when you get to the end of it.
I would also include almost anything by Bruce Chatwin. My favourite is probably “The Songlines”, with “In Patagonia” a close second.
All excellent nominations.
Your last para may be open to the unfortunate interpretation that you don’t enjoy our humble contributions as much as we enjoy yours. I am sure you didn’t mean that.
By the way, is that Lord Henley on the left in the top picture as well?
“Syria; the desert and the sown” by Gertrude Bell (really only suggested so that I can say she was my great aunt)
“Eastern Approaches” Fitzroy Maclean
“Bengal Lancer” WB Yeats Brown ( perhaps not in the correct category but worth a read)
Original contributions and name dropping are encouraged, so you score on both counts.