It started on Mothering Sunday, as I sat next to my soon-to-be mother-in-law for a family lunch at Madsen's. (Another blog topic could have been how quickly humans can change their perception of what's tradition. I now have no problem accepting, and enjoying, pickled fish, dark rye bread and a small glass of snapps as celebratory fare.) Piers' Mum, like mine, was raised to be a housewife rather than a wage earner. But, as with mine, marriage didn't work out as planned and she had to make it on her own. She turned her training as a pattern cutter into a deft skill with curtains and upholstery, and from there
built an interior design business. She's interesting, assertive, stubborn ... all traits she passed on to her son ... and has enough of the classic English eccentric to fascinate our American wedding guests.The next woman of the week is Joanna of Naples. Strolling down Cheapside early in the week I was delighted to find a newly-opened branch of Daunt Books, my favourite bookstore on earth. (And another alternative blog topic for the week. This still-independent shop, headquartered in its gorgeous original Edwardian building in Marylebone, is famous for organising its selections by geography. So you'll find travel guides to Florence, "The Agony and the Ecstasy", Tuscan cookbooks and biographies of Lorenzo il Magnifico all in the same section. As that list implies, they specialise in travel, history and historical novels, biography and other thoughtful fare. I can't go in without finding something to add to my must read list.) Screaming out from a central shelf was "Joanna: The Notorious Queen of Naples, Jerusalem and Sicily" by Nancy Goldstone. I'd come across mentions of Joanna in Sicilian history, always with anecdotes tempting enough to make me wonder why she wasn't better known. Now Ms. Goldstone comes to the rescue
In the cutthroat, male-dominated 14th century, Joanna inherited the powerful kingdom of Naples from her grandfather at the tender age of 17. She survived the manipulations of an horrific family, the various branches of which were all scheming to get her off the throne and place their own candidates on it. She avoided the plots of a mother-in-law from hell, who tried to get her convicted for her son's (Joanna's first husband) murder in order to get her out of the way to place her elder son (Joanna's brother-in-law) on the throne. Joanna hung on to expand her empire, marry three more times and preside over a court famous throughout Europe for its art, literature and sophistication. Her biography is as good as any novel.
Later in the week I was at a work event with Dame Ellen MacArthur. (And there's the third potential, but dismissed, alternative blog entry. The Tower of London has gone in for corporate hospitality in a big way, usually hosting two or three different events an evening. Wonderful for the corporate guests, who get to see a peaceful and quiet inner ward and get private access to the crown jewels without the hoards of packed tourists. This has sadly diminished the Ceremony of the Keys, however. Wh
at was once an almost mystical event for a small group (free tickets by request, by post) is now flooded with all those hospitality guests, who outnumber the handful of tourists from the general public by three to one.)
at was once an almost mystical event for a small group (free tickets by request, by post) is now flooded with all those hospitality guests, who outnumber the handful of tourists from the general public by three to one.)Ellen has parlayed her fame from solo round-the-world sailing into a career devoted to green issues and a foundation that builds confidence in "at risk" children. This, alone, is very impressive. Most sports figures dabble in philanthropy. It seems a necessary PR tick in the box for such people. But I've rarely seen anyone approach it with such passion. Ellen could have done just enough for her reputation, made a good living off public appearances and sports commentary, and generally kicked back and enjoyed life. Instead she has a driven zeal to make the world a better place, and exploits all of her sponsorship contacts to drag various corporate social responsibility programmes along with her.
Of all the things she said, one stuck out: "When you're alone in a boat, 2000 miles and weeks from land, you know what finite resources are." That certainly got me thinking. We live in such a quick, easy, disposable society. I can have the majority of items I can imagine in my hands with no more than a 10-minute drive and a wave of a debit card. What's not instantly available near home can usually be delivered after the magic of internet shopping in less than three days. Nothing seems finite in a world where everything is at our fingertips. It's an illusion, of course. Whether it's oil, out-of-season cranberries or the perfect white flats to go along with my wedding dress, there's a limit to everything. Not seeing and respecting that limit will get the whole planet into a lot of trouble. So my hat's off to Ellen for her efforts to get us to see this.
Finally, I spent a lot of time thinking about, and praying for, one of my oldest and dearest friends. She's had buckets of my admiration since we first met at the age of 17, when I thought she was the coolest person on the planet. Later I was humbled by how she managed to juggle law school with motherhood, then wowed by her magnificent career, and always impressed by her maintenance of her marriage ... the most long-standing and strongest of all my friends' and a model I hope to copy. Unfortunately, this week I've been most awed by something I wish she didn't have to do: keep far too many plates spinning, and present a capable, professional face to the world, when she's dealing with a mountain of worry and stress. I listen, console, try to provide what support I can. I wish I could do more. I have the confidence she'll make it through the bad times.
Strong women always do.
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