Books, Mud and Compost. And Horses.

I've been doing a lot of research recently into the lot of the domestic rider in World War II. There is a long term point to this, as I'm writing a story about it, but all that lovely research gives me an almost endless parade of excuses for not writing the story (16k so far, in case you're wondering) because I really need to know facts for this. And there are endless things I can find out to add local colour. I have a virtually complete run of Riding Magazine from its start in 1936 up until the early 1960s, and it is fascinating to read them from the point of view of someone who was born well after the events they describe. I have the benefit of knowing that, despite the editor's fervent hopes, war would not come to an end early in 1940, or the next year, or for some years after. I knew rationing was on the way; that finding horses fodder would be increasingly difficult; that petrol rationing would give the driving pony a boost. What is really interesting is seeing...

The National Army Museum has an exhibition opening on 22nd October (and running until August 2012): War Horse, Fact and Fiction . It takes Michael Morpurgo's War Horse  as a hook on which to hang the rest of the exhibition, which is illustrated with artefacts from the Museum's collection, "encouraging visitors to think about the millions of War Horses who have supported the British Army across time". Entry is free. If you've read the book, you'll know that it opens with a description of a picture hanging in a village hall, which shows Joey, as painted by the man who rode him into war.  Although Iddesleigh, the village, exists, as does the village hall, the picture up until now has been a complete fiction. Equine artist Ali Bannister has now made fiction fact. Michael Morpurgo has commissioned her to do two portraits, and one will hang in the village hall.  There's an example of the picture on The Times site - sadly it's behind a paywall.  If I can...

Horses were bombed in the war too; this picture , of Doreen Mason, land girl, and the horse Spitfire, was taken in August 1941, and is part of the Imperial War Museum image collection.  Spitfire was a victim of the Blitz which flattened much of London docklands, and was evacuated to Essex.  He was left unmanageable by his experiences, but Doreen succeeded in overcoming his fears. Many thanks to Rosemary Hall for telling me about this image.

I loved this post by Christina Wilsdon about Buckeye the Iron Horse , who lives in America.  The nearest equivalent we have here is the Milton Keynes cows .  I think I prefer Buckeye.  Thinking of him does remind me of this picture, of equine statues evacuated from London during the war. I know that works of art ended up in odd places such as mines, but I hadn't realised statues had been moved too.  Quite what I thought had happened I don't know - I suppose if I'd given it any thought, I would have supposed the statues were far too awkward to move, and what we see in London nowadays just happened to escape the bombs.   Riding  is obviously mum on the subject of where the statues are; but apparently Berkhamsted Castle was their wartime home. The statues are (left to right) George III, of Cockspur Street, William III and Sir Garnet Wolseley.  George III is here , reinistated.  Sir Garnet is on Horse Guards Parade , and William III in St James...

Thanks to Miriam Bibby, who posted this first!

This is from one of my email correspondents - I haven't read it myself, but am going to order a copy asap. " I've just read an astonishing book by Rosalind Belben called "Our Horses in Egypt" ( Chatto & Windus £16.99 2007) It charts two journeys - that of Griselda Romney a war widow and her formidably reticent Nanny and precocious daughter Amabel and that of Philomena a rather "marish" mare. Philomena was Griselda's mare and she was requisitioned for the army at the beginning of the 1st WW. Philomena's story is of incomprehension, loss of companions, battles, betrayal (by the British government who abandoned 22,000 loyal warhorses in Egypt at the end of the war to an often painfully neglected existence). Griselda, on hearing that Philomena may be alive, embarks on a journey to discover her and bring her home. Talk about pony books that make you weep - this is an adult novel you definitely can't read in public! There is a lot about the w...