Admin Michelle Young Posted 28 August , 2006 Admin Share Posted 28 August , 2006 I was in Derbyshire last week, and when in Buxton visited The Park, and saw Melrose where she lived, with a blue plaque which was new since I was there last, and found this in the Pavilion Gardens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 28 August , 2006 Author Admin Share Posted 28 August , 2006 Here is Edwards panel on the War Memorial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianw Posted 28 August , 2006 Share Posted 28 August , 2006 A very remarkable human being. I have enjoyed all her books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliecoco Posted 28 August , 2006 Share Posted 28 August , 2006 Hi Michelle, Thanks for the posting the pictures. Is Melrose still a family home? Or has the house turned into something else? I must make the visit to Buxton myself, at some point. Alie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 28 August , 2006 Author Admin Share Posted 28 August , 2006 Hi Alie Melrose is still housing, but I believe it is now ubdivided into 2 homes. It wasn't easy to photograph as the trees have grown up a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliecoco Posted 28 August , 2006 Share Posted 28 August , 2006 Michelle, thats great, really appreciate the picture. Melrose is not quite how I imagined in a way. I imagined it to be completely detached, and your photo appears to show otherwise, unless it is alot larger than I thought. I can well imagine that it might of turned into two flats. (I have lived in a similar building, that converted into four flats). Is the blue plaque on the front of the house, obscured by the bushes in the front? Also, do you think that where the white door is, would of been an original part of the house? To me it looks like a porch, and just wondered whether that would of been there in the early 1900's. I might have a poke through my Vera Brittain books, to remind myself of how she described Melrose. Didn't she used to do alot of studying in the very top part of the house, I'm sure I remember her saying how cold it was up there! Thanks. Alie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 28 August , 2006 Author Admin Share Posted 28 August , 2006 Hi Alie The name Merose and the blue plaque are on the gate post, I muffed the pic of the plaque and vanity prevents me posting the pic of me stood by the gate post as it is so hideous! The house is semi detached, Breeze Villa being next door. Vera describes Melrose as a tall grey stone house. I think from pictures that the house is little changed, I think that most of the railings went west in WW2. Vera used to study in a small north facing room known as the sewing room. Michelle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliecoco Posted 28 August , 2006 Share Posted 28 August , 2006 Hehe, don't worry about hideous pics, I have many of them, of myself! But you are right about her description of the house. I found your exact quote in , Testament of Youth, forward from Newcastle, chapter four, "When I was eleven our adored governess departed, and my family moved from Macclesfield to a 'tall grey stone house'. Further looking through another book, I think I am correct in saying that Roland visited the house during April 1914. I think that Vera went off on a holiday to the Lakes, whilst Roland was still visiting her brother. Just as an aside, I have been reading on the forum about Clive Temple's thread on the Spafford brothers. I notice that Vera was proposed to by a Bertram Spafford! Don't suppose they are related? Spafford is not a surname that I have ever come across before.... Anyway, I have an early start for work in the morning, so shall be retreating to bed with Vera's books, and looking out for Melrose. I shall have to forgo Cynthia's latest novel tonight! Alie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john w. Posted 28 August , 2006 Share Posted 28 August , 2006 I saw the tv series years ago.. and now I have a real interest in the period I want to read her book again John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 29 August , 2006 Author Admin Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Hi Alie You are right about Roland visiting in April 1914. They had in fact met at Uppingham the year before. It was Bertram Spafford who proposed to Vera in 1913, a near neighbour in The Park, Buxton. I believe he survived the war.It isn't a name I have come across much though, there may be a link. Michelle I have cropped the pic of the gate post, to get me out of it! Note the discrepancies in dates on the blue plaque and the other one. She actually left Buxton in 1915, to go to be a VAD at the 1st London General Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Posted 12 October , 2006 Share Posted 12 October , 2006 I saw the tv series years ago.. and now I have a real interest in the period I want to read her book again John John, You can still buy the video/DVD from the BBC shops. It was indeed a well done series Melanie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swan Posted 16 October , 2006 Share Posted 16 October , 2006 hello all vera's first letter to rowland from london was on oct 15 1915 from the hostel where she was staying and she wrote to him from the hospital , the first occasion being 19 oct 1915 I am at last reading "Letters From A Lost Generation" from where this information was taken. Oh the futility of war pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 29 March Share Posted 29 March I am re-reading 'Chronicle of Youth' and am also quite curious to work out what happened to Bertram Spafford, who as Michelle mentioned, proposed to Vera in 1913. Vera turned him down of course. Having a quick look at CWGC , I can't find a Bertram Spafford . https://www.cwgc.org/search-results/?Term=Spafford&Page=1 Bertram Spafford gets a mention or two in the definitive biography Paul Berry/Mark Bostridge 'Vera Brittain A Life' . Bertram comes over as unenthusiastic to join up in 1914 as he was worried about his business. I have had a look at the National Archives but again, no luck in finding a service record under that name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 29 March Author Admin Share Posted 29 March Looking at the MIC, there is an E B Spafford, Irish Guards. I’m assuming he would have been commissioned, being of that social class. The verso of the card shows an address in Southport, but the address is also dated 1941. A possibility? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 29 March Share Posted 29 March Thank you Michelle. Yes it is possible that Bertram Spafford used a middle name but officially was 'E B Spafford'. Not sure of a Southport connection but could be possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 29 March Share Posted 29 March (edited) Given that Bertie could be a diminutive of Albert, here is another possibility - Albert Miles Gwynne Spafford, Second Lieutenant then Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6418638 I realise now that you wrote Bertram not Bertie - blame my eyesight! - but I'm still wondering ... Edited 29 March by seaJane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 30 March Author Admin Share Posted 30 March Would probably need someone to look at the 1911 census and look up the residents of The Park, Buxton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelBully Posted 30 March Share Posted 30 March @seaJane No worries, worth thinking laterally ! As 'Spafford' is an unusual name, hoping to unearth something about Bertram. I might see if he applied for an exemption in serving. @Michelle Young Yes the 1911 census might help, as we are looking at 1913 . Will explore further. Going back to 'Chronicle of Youth' , I am sure that there was a member of the Spafford family who was referred to as fighting, perhaps Bertram's brother/ cousin ? Also interesting to read how Vera Brittain supported Britain's involvement in the Great War in the early months, even supporting her brother Edward's desire to join up. Their father wouldn't consent to Edward going at first and was unenthusiastic about the War thinking that it would be bad for his business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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