Bensonites mass at Mermaid

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EF Benson fanatics enjoyed an excellent day in Rye on Saturday September 3, culminating with an excellent dinner, quiz and musical entertainment at the Mermaid.

To readers of EF Benson’s Mapp and Lucia books, Tilling, where the ladies lived, is synonymous with Rye. Many of the locations are the same and indeed some of the devious plot twists do not seem dissimilar from the issues that face us now, for instance the constant blocking of access for pedestrians and vehicles by inconsiderately parked cars.

The Gathering was organised by literary society the Friends of Tilling, starting with a walk to Benson’s grave in Rye cemetery. Then the Friends gathered at the Mermaid for a ploughman’s lunch, which was followed by a tribute to broadcaster, writer and director Ned Sherrin. This was led by raconteur and ex MP Gyles Brandreth who is the  President of the Friends. He introduced a recording of the entertaining talk that Ned Sherrin gave at the 2004 Gathering.

Stefan Bednarczyk offers un po di mu
Stefan Bednarczyk offers un po di musica

Then it was time for a couple of hours rest and recuperation before changing into glad rags (known as “hitum” by Luciaphiles), for the formal dinner at the Mermaid. The dinner was better than ever, with a particularly welcome “Lobster a la Tilling” starter. This was reminiscent of the dish “Lobster a la Riseholme”, the recipe for which was stolen by Elizabeth Mapp from Lucia’s kitchen and led to the ladies being washed out to sea on a kitchen table as the river broke its banks.

An impossibly difficult quiz was next, followed thankfully by a wonderful “po di musica” led by Stefan Bednarczyk. As guests prepared to leave, the haunting chords of Lucia’s pièce de résistance, the Midnight Sonata, rounded off the day perfectly.

Photos: Seana Lanigan

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