Welcome
Welcome to the website of the Norman Nicholson Society. The site aims to provide information about Nicholson and his work and encourage the study and enjoyment of this remarkable man's writings. Here you will also find information about the NN Society which holds regular events and publishes the newsletter Comet. The Society is based in Millom, on the banks of the River Duddon and in the shadow of Black Combe, and has a worldwide membership.
MembershipNew members of the Norman Nicholson Society are warmly welcomed. Membership fees are £15 per annum or £20 for a couple living at the same address, and £6 youth membership (up to age 25). Check out benefits of membership here, including how to access the Members' exclusive area of this website. Please contact us at nns.membership@gmail.com
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Norman Nicholson
Norman Nicholson was born in Millom, Cumbria, in 1914 and lived there until his death in 1987 with the exception of two years in his late teens when he was sent to a sanatorium in Hampshire to recover from tuberculosis - an event which shaped his subsequent life. His writing career lasted from 1930 until his death and embraced plays, poetry, novels, criticism and essays. He is best known for his poetry and was awarded the Queen's Medal for Poetry in 1977 and the OBE in 1981.
Read an appreciation of Norman Nicholson by Fran Baker, former archivist at the John Rylands University of Manchester Library, HERE. Most frequently-asked question: Where can I get hold of Nicholson's work? The Greetings shop, 26 Lapstone Road, Millom LA18 4BU, has a range of Nicholson books in stock. Or try Faber & Faber HERE or Amazon HERE, or click HERE for links to Nicholson's poems online. |
Social Media: We're on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Click on the icons below.
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LATEST NEWS
'Christmas crackled up between winter walls...'
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The Society's contribution to the annual Christmas Tree festival at St George's Church has been unveiled! Our tree this year is based on Nicholson's poem ‘Comprehending it Not’, in which Norman recalls his Christmas at the age of seven when, with his mother dead, he was
...fobbed of to my Grandma's with my Christmas Tree
Bundled under my arm...
Our display, created by Sue Dawson, Janice Brockbank and Don Brockbank, is a reconstruction of a 1920s style Christmas tree, made by Don. It's only about two feet high, so unique in this year's festival. In the poem Norman talks about visiting his grandmother with his small tree. Then, when there's a gas leak and the house is plunged into darkness, Norman's tree with its candles becomes the main source of light in the dark of his grandmother's kitchen:
...high on the dresser, my Christmas Tree,
Ignited like a gorse-bush, pollened the room with light.
...fobbed of to my Grandma's with my Christmas Tree
Bundled under my arm...
Our display, created by Sue Dawson, Janice Brockbank and Don Brockbank, is a reconstruction of a 1920s style Christmas tree, made by Don. It's only about two feet high, so unique in this year's festival. In the poem Norman talks about visiting his grandmother with his small tree. Then, when there's a gas leak and the house is plunged into darkness, Norman's tree with its candles becomes the main source of light in the dark of his grandmother's kitchen:
...high on the dresser, my Christmas Tree,
Ignited like a gorse-bush, pollened the room with light.
Our display, located in front of the Nicholson Memorial window with its spectacular stained glass design by the late Christine Boyce, includes photographs of Norman as a small child. In one of them he is standing with a wooden railway engine. This toy engine has been recreated by Don, helping to recreate a scene of a small boy's Christmas in Millom in the 1920s.
There are over fifty trees on show in St George’s Church this year. The display is open to visitors on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from now until Christmas Eve, 11am - 4.30pm.
posted 2/12/23 photos by SUE DAWSON
posted 2/12/23 photos by SUE DAWSON
Book now for our annual Christmas lunch
The deadline to book places at the Society's annual Christmas lunch on December 9th at the Netherwood Hotel in Grange-over-Sands is this coming Friday, November 24th. Cost is £35 for three courses or £28.50 for two courses. The hotel has asked for a £10 deposit per person at the time of booking, and members should settle the balance of their bills direct with the hotel on the day.
To book, please contact the Netherwood by phone on 01539 532552, give them the names and your choices from the menu (below). When you've done that, please send the same details (names and menu choices) to us at normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com so we have a record of who is coming and what meals have been selected. Lunch is booked for 1pm with arrivals from 12.30.
For more information about the Netherwood go to The Netherwood Hotel & Spa - Squirrel Group (netherwood-hotel.co.uk). Full address is Lindale Road, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6ET.
Our Christmas lunch has always been a wonderful event which gives us the opportunity to meet each other in a relaxed, welcoming and festive atmosphere. We will have the chance to use the lounge afterwards, so bring along a favourite Nicholson text, if you like. We enjoyed some lovely informal readings last year. Our former Chair Charlie Lambert will be attending, so we will have the chance to thank him in person for his many years of service to the Society.
See you soon!
To book, please contact the Netherwood by phone on 01539 532552, give them the names and your choices from the menu (below). When you've done that, please send the same details (names and menu choices) to us at normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com so we have a record of who is coming and what meals have been selected. Lunch is booked for 1pm with arrivals from 12.30.
For more information about the Netherwood go to The Netherwood Hotel & Spa - Squirrel Group (netherwood-hotel.co.uk). Full address is Lindale Road, Grange-over-Sands, LA11 6ET.
Our Christmas lunch has always been a wonderful event which gives us the opportunity to meet each other in a relaxed, welcoming and festive atmosphere. We will have the chance to use the lounge afterwards, so bring along a favourite Nicholson text, if you like. We enjoyed some lovely informal readings last year. Our former Chair Charlie Lambert will be attending, so we will have the chance to thank him in person for his many years of service to the Society.
See you soon!
posted 20/11/23
Ian Davidson
We are sad to report that our former Chair and Life Member of the Society Dr Ian Davidson has passed away at the age of 90. Ian, whose cheerful personality illuminated many an event, was elected Chair of the Society in 2011, succeeding Dr David Cooper, and served as Chair for four years. He was from a Millom family and became a long-time resident of Broughton Mills, a place he immortalised in a perceptive and entertaining series of novels which included 'Dynamiting Niagara' and 'More Like London Every Day'. The Society sends its condolences to Ian's family.
posted 6/11/23 photo: JOHN TROLL
posted 6/11/23 photo: JOHN TROLL
Nicholson House project set to complete purchase by Christmas
The Norman Nicholson House project has officially announced today that it is in a position to buy Nicholson's home in Millom! They hope to conclude the purchase before Christmas. This is terrific news after so much hard work.
The breakthrough comes as a result of funding secured from a generous benefactor along with the proceeds of our crowdfunding campaign which was matched by a £20,000 grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund. There's still a long way to go with funding still needed for repairs and renovation work, but this is a real milestone moment.
You can hear chair of the Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company Charlie Lambert discussing this and more with Helen Millican on BBC Radio Cumbria this afternoon - at 1 hour 37 minutes along the timeline https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gj3rf9.
posted 27/10/23
The breakthrough comes as a result of funding secured from a generous benefactor along with the proceeds of our crowdfunding campaign which was matched by a £20,000 grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund. There's still a long way to go with funding still needed for repairs and renovation work, but this is a real milestone moment.
You can hear chair of the Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company Charlie Lambert discussing this and more with Helen Millican on BBC Radio Cumbria this afternoon - at 1 hour 37 minutes along the timeline https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0gj3rf9.
posted 27/10/23
Charlie steps down as Chair
Charlie Lambert steps down as Chair of the Norman Nicholson Society today, having succeeded Dr Ian Davidson in the role in October 2015. The position will be left open until next year's AGM when a new chair will be elected. The committee is inviting nominations.
Charlie has written a letter to members which has been circulated in the Society's most recent e-bulletin. It's also available in the Members' Area of this website. If you're a member and you haven't yet registered for access to this exclusive area, details are HERE.
He has today added these final thoughts:
"One thing I didn't mention in the letter is that I'm proud of the way we as a committee and a Society came through the Covid lockdowns. The best decision we made was to cancel our AGM in March 2020. So many events were cancelled during Covid that we may forget what a big deal it was, at the time, to call off our annual meeting. The Government had not yet issued any such guidance, and events were going ahead which the committee felt were foolhardy in the extreme, given what was already evident about the infection rates. Subsequently, we worked very hard to maintain Society activities by developing live online events using Zoom, and running an international poetry competition which resulted in the wonderful collection, The Unpredicted Spring. We even managed to put together a terrific collaboration with Wordsworth Grasmere, resulting in our being part of their 'Still Glides the Stream' exhibition. Looking back, I'm very pleased with the way we all dealt with those very challenging circumstances."
posted 24/10/23
Charlie has written a letter to members which has been circulated in the Society's most recent e-bulletin. It's also available in the Members' Area of this website. If you're a member and you haven't yet registered for access to this exclusive area, details are HERE.
He has today added these final thoughts:
"One thing I didn't mention in the letter is that I'm proud of the way we as a committee and a Society came through the Covid lockdowns. The best decision we made was to cancel our AGM in March 2020. So many events were cancelled during Covid that we may forget what a big deal it was, at the time, to call off our annual meeting. The Government had not yet issued any such guidance, and events were going ahead which the committee felt were foolhardy in the extreme, given what was already evident about the infection rates. Subsequently, we worked very hard to maintain Society activities by developing live online events using Zoom, and running an international poetry competition which resulted in the wonderful collection, The Unpredicted Spring. We even managed to put together a terrific collaboration with Wordsworth Grasmere, resulting in our being part of their 'Still Glides the Stream' exhibition. Looking back, I'm very pleased with the way we all dealt with those very challenging circumstances."
posted 24/10/23
'I fancy that songs go on echoing...'
This year, 2023, has been Coronation year, the first in the UK since 1953. And in that year of '53 there were two schools' music concerts to celebrate the Queen's coronation, involving the combined schools of Millom and Haverigg and local musicians, held at the Methodist schoolroom in Queen Street (where else!), on two evenings in May. Norman Nicholson wrote the notes for the official programme, which we're very pleased to reproduce here. Our thanks to Linda de Bruyn-Taylor for sending the images. Linda's father Bramwell Taylor is listed as the trumpet soloist.
posted 14/10/23
'Built it to stand / But not stand still...'
Here's the link to a very interesting article in the American journal The Cresset about the Nicholson-inspired art installation 'Walking Wall' created by Andy Goldsworthy in Kansas City in 2019: thecresset.org/2020/Lent/Kurz_L20.html. The author is Joel Kurz, pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Warrensburg, Missouri. There are more details about this astonishing project in our News Archive, dated 21/3/19.
Andy Goldsworthy and the Kansas wall. photo: Julie Denesha
posted 6/10/23
Norman Nicholson Symposium 2023 - report
The venue: Langdale Building
‘Norman Nicholson,’ said Dr Penny Bradshaw when formally opening the symposium, ‘was a vital 20th century poet, one who speaks to us.’ Which, even now in the well-established 21st century, he most certainly does, as evidenced by the many Nicholson academics and enthusiasts who travelled a fair distance to assemble in the lovely surroundings of the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus. But why does he continue speak to an audience 36 years after his death? There are many answers to that one, but our opening speaker, Nicholson’s biographer Kathleen Jones, put her finger on perhaps the most vital one, using extracts from Nicholson’s earliest verse plays to place the 1954 poetry collection ‘The Pot Geranium’ in the context of the ‘radical contribution’ made by Nicholson to the cause of environmentalism, then and, very much, now.
Professor Brian Whalley took the train to help us understand Nicholson’s writings about his home territory, tracing his travels around Cumbria by rail, and showing how important the rail network was to the whole industrial development of the western coast. Laura Day, like Brian a member of the Nicholson Society committee, then spoke about Nicholson’s literary relationships, showing how the writings of people as diverse as Ted Hughes and Dante influenced the work coming out of 14 St George’s Terrace.
The view from the campus
Lunch was provided free of charge – as were all the printed materials distributed at the symposium – thanks to a very generous donation by a USA-based supporter of the Norman Nicholson Society. The afternoon session began with Judith Gale delivering a paper by David Boyd, an entertaining insight into the trials and tribulations of the Nicholson researcher. This included David’s assertion that Norman was not averse to ‘bending the facts’ when it suited him, as in his claims that he was never in love with Sylvia Lubelsky, his fellow patient at Linford sanatorium, when personal letters show exactly the opposite was true.
Carole Thirlaway examined the long-lasting impact on Norman of the death of his mother, which dovetailed neatly with Ann Thomson’s presentation about the themes of memory which characterise much of his work. Susan Cartwright-Smith looked at the role of Black Combe in Nicholson’s writing, and not simply in the geographical sense. Continuing the topographical theme, Meghan Hillier-Broadley spoke about the lakes and mountains of Cumbria and how they set Norman’s life in a ‘Deep Time’ perspective, and Dr Max Long, in a pre-recorded video presentation, gave us an illuminating insight into Nicholson's topographical notebooks, used by Norman when researching his prose book ‘Greater Lakeland’ in the late 1960s. Full marks to Max for deciphering the handwriting!
Dr Andrew Frayn speaks at the Symposium
After the tea break Dr Antoinette Fawcett gave an expanded version of her talk at our Festival in July, looking at the huge influence on the arts of George Stephenson, director of MidNAG, the Mid Northumberland Arts Group, who worked closely with Nicholson. Antoinette displayed several of the remarkable poetry posters which were produced by MidNAG, some of them featuring Nicholson’s poems. The Society’s chair, Charlie Lambert, ensured that Norman’s own voice was heard in these surroundings again (as Jack Threlfall Hartley noted, Nicholson gave a reading here in 1979) by playing several audio recordings of Norman reading and discussing his work. The event closed with a presentation by Dr Andrew Frayn of Edinburgh Napier University, turning the spotlight on Nicholson’s wartime poems such as ‘Bombing Practice’ and the impact that wartime actions had on a rural community like Millom. Nicholson’s writing, said Andrew, gets away from the dominance of Blitz narratives of the Second World War.
Reaction from those who attended has been very heartening. Planning for this event began almost a year ago following a proposal to the committee from Jack Threlfall Hartley. Dr Penny Bradshaw agreed to host the symposium at the Ambleside campus and Jack and Antoinette Fawcett then set about the detailed planning. Although the programme changed a little over the course of the year, many of the speakers sent in their first ideas regarding involvement in February and March, meaning we could finalise arrangements with confidence. Interest in the symposium was most encouraging, with all places being taken up over a month ahead of the event.
The Society would like to thank everyone involved in making it a success. It was gratifying to hear the kind words of Dr Frayn in the prologue to his presentation, when he said that ‘the Norman Nicholson Society is a fantastically well-run society that does a lot of things that other societies would like to do’.
posted 2/10/23
Nicholson symposium - a great success!
Thank you to everyone who came to our Symposium at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside on Saturday! It was an excellent event which brought together Nicholson academics and enthusiasts from far and wide at a wonderful venue. Special thanks to Dr Penny Bradshaw and the staff and students of the university, all the speakers, and our own committee members Antoinette Fawcett and Jack Threlfall-Hartley, for making it all happen. Full report will be posted here shortly.
posted 2/10/23
posted 2/10/23
Caroline Gilfillan
We are very sad and shocked to learn that our member Caroline Gilfillan has died. She had been ill for some time but was nevertheless due to attend the Society's symposium in Ambleside this weekend.
Our vice-president Kathleen Jones writes: 'Caroline was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. She was an accomplished musician and poet, inspirational workshop leader, author of a recent collection Hail Sisters of the Revolution, rooted in her experience as a feminist in the 1970s, four other collections of poetry and a novel. She was one of the writers included in the anthology, North Country, published this year by Saraband. A recent recruit to the Nicholson Society, she was a big fan of his work and performed at the Nicholson Society Festival in Millom in July. She was actively writing and taking part in workshops until last week. Her presence will be very much missed. Heartfelt condolences to all her family and friends.'
posted 27/9/23, updated 29/9/23
Our vice-president Kathleen Jones writes: 'Caroline was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known. She was an accomplished musician and poet, inspirational workshop leader, author of a recent collection Hail Sisters of the Revolution, rooted in her experience as a feminist in the 1970s, four other collections of poetry and a novel. She was one of the writers included in the anthology, North Country, published this year by Saraband. A recent recruit to the Nicholson Society, she was a big fan of his work and performed at the Nicholson Society Festival in Millom in July. She was actively writing and taking part in workshops until last week. Her presence will be very much missed. Heartfelt condolences to all her family and friends.'
posted 27/9/23, updated 29/9/23
Line-up announced for our Ambleside Symposium
The full line-up of speakers has been announced for the Society's Symposium in conjunction with the University of Cumbria's Centre for National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA). The event, at the University's Ambleside campus on Saturday September 30th, will be hosted by Associate Professor Penny Bradshaw, Programme Leader for the MA in Literature, Romanticism and the English Lake District, and our committee members Dr Antoinette Fawcett and Jack Threlfall Hartley. Registration is from 10am for 10.30 start. The event will end around 5pm.
Attendees must reserve their places in advance. All places were taken within days of first announcing the event, but a couple of places have just come available. If you'd like to attend please register as soon as possible by emailing normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com. It's free, and complimentary refreshments and lunch will be provided thanks to a very generous donation to the Society by a benefactor currently based in the USA.
We will hear presentations in the morning from:
Kathleen Jones: Radical Nicholson: A Voice for the 21st Century
Professor Brian Whalley Norman Nicholson’s Local Travels: the Railways, Anthropocene and Capitalocene of West Cumbria
Laura Day Nicholson’s Literary Friends: Seeking Connections in His Body of Work
Afternoon session:
David Boyd and Judith Gale The Art of Coarse Nicholson Research
Carole Thirlaway Early Traumas and Their Effect upon the Life and Works of Norman Nicholson
Ann Thomson ‘The Screes of the Slithering Moment’: Norman Nicholson and Concepts of Memory
Susan Cartwright-Smith Black Combe as a Beacon
Meghann Hillier-Broadley Time in the Topographical Literature and Poetry of Norman Nicholson
Dr. Max Long Norman Nicholson’s Topographical Notes at the John Rylands Library (Video Presentation)
FInal session:
Dr. Antoinette Fawcett Sowing the Seed: George Stephenson, MidNAG and Norman Nicholson
Charlie Lambert ‘Listen! For God’s sake – LISTEN!’
Dr. Andrew Frayn Norman Nicholson and Rural Wartime
posted 11/9/23
Attendees must reserve their places in advance. All places were taken within days of first announcing the event, but a couple of places have just come available. If you'd like to attend please register as soon as possible by emailing normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com. It's free, and complimentary refreshments and lunch will be provided thanks to a very generous donation to the Society by a benefactor currently based in the USA.
We will hear presentations in the morning from:
Kathleen Jones: Radical Nicholson: A Voice for the 21st Century
Professor Brian Whalley Norman Nicholson’s Local Travels: the Railways, Anthropocene and Capitalocene of West Cumbria
Laura Day Nicholson’s Literary Friends: Seeking Connections in His Body of Work
Afternoon session:
David Boyd and Judith Gale The Art of Coarse Nicholson Research
Carole Thirlaway Early Traumas and Their Effect upon the Life and Works of Norman Nicholson
Ann Thomson ‘The Screes of the Slithering Moment’: Norman Nicholson and Concepts of Memory
Susan Cartwright-Smith Black Combe as a Beacon
Meghann Hillier-Broadley Time in the Topographical Literature and Poetry of Norman Nicholson
Dr. Max Long Norman Nicholson’s Topographical Notes at the John Rylands Library (Video Presentation)
FInal session:
Dr. Antoinette Fawcett Sowing the Seed: George Stephenson, MidNAG and Norman Nicholson
Charlie Lambert ‘Listen! For God’s sake – LISTEN!’
Dr. Andrew Frayn Norman Nicholson and Rural Wartime
posted 11/9/23
ALS newsletter available now
The autumn edition of the Alliance of Literary Societies' Newsletter is now available to our members and can be found in the Members' Area of this website. If you are a member of the Norman Nicholson Society you are eligible to access this members-only section. How to do this - click HERE . This latest newsletter includes details of the ALS's AGM next year which will be held in the Lake District.
posted 10/9/23
posted 10/9/23
Remembering 'The Old Man of the Mountains'
'The Old Man of the Mountains' was Nicholson's first verse play, commissioned by E.Martin Browne who ran the Pilgrim Players, premiered at the Mercury Theatre in London shortly after VE Day in 1945, and published by Faber & Faber in 1946. The London production was well received (even though TS Eliot, who attended the opening night with Norman, remained impassive throughout, contenting himself with the verdict 'Promising, Nicholson - promising'!) The play was later performed by the Workington Playgoers Club at the town's Theatre Royal, in December 1946, and received a detailed review in the Cumberland Evening Star. The paper reported that the audience 'was completely fascinated by this unusual play' and described it as extremely moving and absorbing, with 'brilliant and compelling poetry interlaced with some first-class comedy in broad dialect'. You can find the review and photos of the performance on the theatre's website: https://www.theatre-royal-workington.co.uk/1946-the-old-man-of-the-mountains/
'The Old Man of the Mountains' was followed by 'Prophesy to the Wind' (1947), 'A Match for the Devil' (1955) - controversial because of its depiction of prostitution in the temple - and finally 'Birth by Drowning' (1959). David Boyd, in his book 'Norman Nicholson, A Literary Life' (Seascale Press, 2015) says that the plays 'provide invaluable and clear insights into Nicholson's other works, however dated, unloved and forgotten they may now have become. They still, if only for this reason, continue handsomely to repay scrutiny.'
posted 17/8/23
Cumbria Uni to host our Nicholson Symposium
We are delighted to announce that there will be a full-day Norman Nicholson Symposium to be held at the University of Cumbria, Ambleside Campus, on Saturday, September 30th 2023, in conjunction with the University’s Centre for
National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA) and with Associate Professor Penny Bradshaw, who is Programme Leader for the MA in Literature, Romanticism and the English Lake District, and Theme Lead for Cultural Landscapes within the CNPPA.
The day will give speakers a chance to share their work and all participants the opportunity to engage with what is happening in current Nicholson Studies in an informal and welcoming atmosphere on a beautiful campus in the heart of the Lake
District. It will be free of charge to all and will include refreshments and a light lunch. This has been made possible by a very generous donation to the Norman Nicholson Society by an anonymous donor based in the USA.
We are limiting applications to this symposium to 50 places to ensure that everyone who attends has the opportunity to engage with the speakers and each other.
Applications to attend are open to anyone, not only members of the Norman Nicholson Society. We would particularly encourage students of literature and creative writing to attend, but the Symposium is aimed at a broad audience. Please
do spread the word.
Speakers will include Norman Nicholson Society Vice-Presidents Kathleen Jones and David Boyd, Dr. Andrew Frayn (Edinburgh Napier University), and Society Chair Charlie Lambert, as well as a number of past and present students of Nicholson’s work. The topics to be presented and discussed will cover a wide range of angles on Nicholson’s work, including biographical,
ecological/environmental, geological, archival and historical. More information about our speakers and their topics will be released in the weeks leading up to the Symposium. For further information, including a detailed timetable for the day, please check this website and our social media regularly (Facebook: Norman Nicholson Society. Twitter: @nnicholsonpoet). The event is provisionally scheduled to start at 10.30am with arrivals/registration from 10am.
Applications to attend should be sent to the Norman Nicholson Society at normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com. Please give your name and contact details (email address and mobile telephone number), any affiliations (university, college or society), and indicate whether you are happy for your email address to be shared with other attendees.
The deadline for applying to attend the Symposium is Friday 15th September, 2023. All are welcome!
posted 11/8/23
UPDATE: All places at the Symposium have now been taken. We're starting a reserve list in case people drop out. If you'd like to put your name on that list, please check the information above, and send your details by email to normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com.
posted 18/8/23
National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA) and with Associate Professor Penny Bradshaw, who is Programme Leader for the MA in Literature, Romanticism and the English Lake District, and Theme Lead for Cultural Landscapes within the CNPPA.
The day will give speakers a chance to share their work and all participants the opportunity to engage with what is happening in current Nicholson Studies in an informal and welcoming atmosphere on a beautiful campus in the heart of the Lake
District. It will be free of charge to all and will include refreshments and a light lunch. This has been made possible by a very generous donation to the Norman Nicholson Society by an anonymous donor based in the USA.
We are limiting applications to this symposium to 50 places to ensure that everyone who attends has the opportunity to engage with the speakers and each other.
Applications to attend are open to anyone, not only members of the Norman Nicholson Society. We would particularly encourage students of literature and creative writing to attend, but the Symposium is aimed at a broad audience. Please
do spread the word.
Speakers will include Norman Nicholson Society Vice-Presidents Kathleen Jones and David Boyd, Dr. Andrew Frayn (Edinburgh Napier University), and Society Chair Charlie Lambert, as well as a number of past and present students of Nicholson’s work. The topics to be presented and discussed will cover a wide range of angles on Nicholson’s work, including biographical,
ecological/environmental, geological, archival and historical. More information about our speakers and their topics will be released in the weeks leading up to the Symposium. For further information, including a detailed timetable for the day, please check this website and our social media regularly (Facebook: Norman Nicholson Society. Twitter: @nnicholsonpoet). The event is provisionally scheduled to start at 10.30am with arrivals/registration from 10am.
Applications to attend should be sent to the Norman Nicholson Society at normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com. Please give your name and contact details (email address and mobile telephone number), any affiliations (university, college or society), and indicate whether you are happy for your email address to be shared with other attendees.
The deadline for applying to attend the Symposium is Friday 15th September, 2023. All are welcome!
posted 11/8/23
UPDATE: All places at the Symposium have now been taken. We're starting a reserve list in case people drop out. If you'd like to put your name on that list, please check the information above, and send your details by email to normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com.
posted 18/8/23
Nicholson and Cumbrian Poetic Landscapes
Nicholson specialist and member of the Norman Nicholson Society committee Laura Day is to give a talk on Nicholson's poetry at 2pm on Tuesday August 29th at the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. The talk is titled 'Norman Nicholson and Cumbrian Poetic Landscapes' and will explore the way Nicholson connects to the landscape through both his poetry and prose, a theme close to Laura's heart, having grown up on a sheep farm in east Cumbria. Laura’s recently-completed PhD looked at Nicholson's poetry and how it helps us to reflect on the climate crisis of the 21st century.
The event is organised by the Armitt Museum. Tickets are £5, bookable at EVENTS | ARMITT MUSEUM AND LIBRARY.
posted 10/8/23 photo: The Armitt Museum and Library
The event is organised by the Armitt Museum. Tickets are £5, bookable at EVENTS | ARMITT MUSEUM AND LIBRARY.
posted 10/8/23 photo: The Armitt Museum and Library
ALS Journal now available to our members
The new edition of ALSo, the journal of the Alliance of Literary Societies, is now out and available free of charge to members of the Norman Nicholson Society. It can be found by logging on to the Members Area of this website. Details of how to do this, and how to join our Society, can be found HERE. If you are not already a member, why not join us now? You would be very welcome and there's always something going on!
posted 4/8/23
posted 4/8/23
Two contemplative poets
Our member and long-time supporter of the Society, Grevel Lindop, is to host a fascinating one-day event to take place in London on Saturday September 9th. The event, organised by the Meditatio Centre in Clerkenwell, is entitled: T.S. Eliot and Kathleen Raine: Two Contemplative Poets. This will focus on the meditative nature of the work of these two poets, who of course each played a sizeable part in the development of Norman Nicholson as a poet. The event starts at 10.30am and continues until 4pm, and you can attend in person or online. More information including registration details can be found at https://meditatiocentrelondon.org/events/ts-eliot-and-kathleen-raine-two-contemplative-poets/
posted 28/7/23
posted 28/7/23
We are Society of the Month!
To our absolute delight, the Norman Nicholson Society has been named Society of the Month by the Alliance of Literary Societies! This is how the ALS announced the news on Twitter: Our society of the month is the extremely busy @NNicholsonPoet. This is wonderful to see as we gather our breath after our 2023 Festival in Millom, and yes, we have been extremely busy! There's not much relaxation either, because we are now switching our focus to our upcoming study day in collaboration with the University of Cumbria in Ambleside on September 30th. Thank you, ALS!
posted 10/7/23
posted 10/7/23
Simone joins our committee
It's our great pleasure to announce that Simone Faulkner has joined the committee of the Norman Nicholson Society.
Simone is a long-term resident of Haverigg, a retired teacher from Millom School where she is now a governor, a town councillor representing Haverigg ward, and is currently the Mayor of Millom. She is also a huge admirer of Nicholson's work, as she reminded the audience when opening the Norman Nicholson Festival in her official role as Mayor last weekend.
Chair of the Society Charlie Lambert said: 'It is quite a coup for us to have Simone on our committee. She brings so much enthusiasm, and has built up such an enviable reputation in Millom, that we are fortunate to have her on board. I didn't think there was any chance of her joining us when she has so many official commitments as Mayor, but she really wanted to get involved and we are all looking forward to working with her to continue the progress of the Society'.
Simone is a long-term resident of Haverigg, a retired teacher from Millom School where she is now a governor, a town councillor representing Haverigg ward, and is currently the Mayor of Millom. She is also a huge admirer of Nicholson's work, as she reminded the audience when opening the Norman Nicholson Festival in her official role as Mayor last weekend.
Chair of the Society Charlie Lambert said: 'It is quite a coup for us to have Simone on our committee. She brings so much enthusiasm, and has built up such an enviable reputation in Millom, that we are fortunate to have her on board. I didn't think there was any chance of her joining us when she has so many official commitments as Mayor, but she really wanted to get involved and we are all looking forward to working with her to continue the progress of the Society'.
Mayor of Millom, Cllr Simone Faulkner, opens the 2023 Norman Nicholson Festival
posted 6/7/23
Festival 2023 brings inspiration and creates memories
Thank you to everyone who played a part in making the Norman Nicholson Festival 2023 such a success! Speakers, presenters, performers, workshop and walk leaders, the venues and their staff, our funders Millom Town Council, Dobies Charitable Trust, and Millom CGP Trust, our hard-working committee, and most of everyone who came to the events. Full report and pictures can be seen HERE.
posted 3/7/23, updated 6/7/23
posted 3/7/23, updated 6/7/23
Great news from Millom CGP Trust
Millom CGP Trust has announced £500 in funding towards our 2023 Festival which opens in Millom tomorrow. This is a wonderful gesture by the Trust, which has now supported all three of our festivals since they resumed in this longer format in 2019. Their support, along with that of our other funders Millom Town Council and Dobies Charitable Trust, vindicates our decision to run all bar one of this year's events free of charge, to ensure they are as accessible as possible. The only event for which there's an admission fee of £5 cash is 'Our North Country', a celebration in words and music of our own special part of the world. That's at 7.30pm on Saturday at the Beggar's Theatre, Millom, with award-winning Northern writer Karen Lloyd, some of Cumbria's top poets, and the unique singer/songwriter Steve Wharton who'll be making his farewell appearance before moving to China.
posted 29/6/23
posted 29/6/23
Cumbria Life magazine highlights Norman and our App
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Norman Nicholson and our Walking Trails App are featured prominently in a major article in the June edition of Cumbria Life magazine. The magazine's editor, Sarah French, made good use of our App to explore the town and surroundings of Millom, and catch up on a lot of the history which our app describes. As the headline suggests, the article is not rooted in the past but looks ahead to an uplifting future, given all the initiatives currently being seen in and around the town - and we continue to work hard to make Nicholson House part of that.
To find and download the app, simply search for 'Norman Nicholson's Millom'. posted 6/6/23 |
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Millom Town Council grant boosts our Festival
Millom Town Council has shown its support for this year's Norman Nicholson Festival by making us a grant of £200 towards the costs of putting on the event. This is further evidence of much-valued support from the Council which also backed our festivals in 2019 and 2021. This year's three-day event begins on Friday June 30th when Nicholson's house will be open for people to drop in between 2pm and 4pm (ground floor only), followed by a social gathering for members, supporters, partners and friends at the Clock Tower 1st floor bar, Market Square, from 7pm. Full details of the festival, which continues on Saturday July 1st and Sunday July 2nd, are HERE.
posted 1/6/23
posted 1/6/23
'Every spiky belfry humming with a peal of bees...'
Nicholson's fascination with, and intimate knowledge of, the less appreciated plants of our county were explored in depth at an online event hosted by Cumbria Arts & Culture Network last Wednesday (May 17th). The event, titled 'Norman Nicholson and the weeds and flora of West Cumbria', was part of the Arts Council-funded 'Deep Time' project and featured presentations by our committee member and editor of Comet Antoinette Fawcett and Rebecca Slack of Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre. The chair, Tom Speight, said afterwards: 'This was a very good session. Antoinette and Rebecca were top class. It was really, really interesting.'
And the event resulted in at least one more person finding out about the value of Nicholson's work. Rebecca Slack said: 'I have discovered Nicholson as a result which is a fantastic outcome! I'm also finding out more about the cultural events happening across Cumbria which is no bad thing!'
posted 22/5/23
And the event resulted in at least one more person finding out about the value of Nicholson's work. Rebecca Slack said: 'I have discovered Nicholson as a result which is a fantastic outcome! I'm also finding out more about the cultural events happening across Cumbria which is no bad thing!'
posted 22/5/23
Dobies Charitable Trust supports our Festival
Dobies Charitable Trust is supporting this year's Norman Nicholson Festival by making a grant of £500 towards the cost of staging the event. The trust, based in Workington, has distributed over £250,000 over the years, helping community groups across Cumbria. Chair of the Norman Nicholson Society Charlie Lambert said: 'This is a wonderful gesture by Dobies. It does cost money to put on a festival like this, and we are making it as accessible as possible by running everything free of charge with the exception of the Saturday night show at the Beggar's Theatre, so Dobies' support means a great deal'.
More information about the Trust and how other community organisations can apply for funding HERE.
posted 16/5/23
More information about the Trust and how other community organisations can apply for funding HERE.
posted 16/5/23
Discussing Nicholson online
Two recent instances of writers discussing Norman Nicholson's work have appeared online. Jill Segger, on the Ekklesia website, writes about Nicholson's ability to combine the local with the ubiquitous, the now with the eternal. You can read it HERE. Jill is a freelance writer and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Nicholson also features in work funded by the Irish Research Council, investigating cultural influences on the Irish Sea coasts. The outcome of that research is HERE - click through to the Scenic Appreciation section to find references to Nicholson's work.
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posted 10/5/23
In pride of place
The bust of Norman Nicholson which for nearly 40 years watched over readers and students at the former Millom Library was unveiled in its new home yesterday. Deputy Mayor of Millom Cllr Simone Faulkner did the honours to mark the relocation of the bust to the new library within Millom Community Hub on Salthouse Road. Cllr Faulkner recalled learning about Nicholson's poetry as a schoolgirl in Surrey and the instant impact it had on her. The Society's chair Charlie Lambert read a short extract from Nicholson's verse play 'The Old Man of the Mountains' to demonstrate how relevant the poet's work remains to this day, our Schools & Community Liaison Officer Sue Dawson spoke about the importance of the former library to Nicholson, and students from the neighbouring Millom School, Violet and Nina, gave readings from Nicholson's prose and poetry.
We are very grateful to Cllr Faulkner; her attendance underlines the continuing importance of Nicholson to the town. Our thanks also to Tom, Rachel, Natalie and Fiona from the library staff for their enthusiastic support and making everyone so welcome.
We are very grateful to Cllr Faulkner; her attendance underlines the continuing importance of Nicholson to the town. Our thanks also to Tom, Rachel, Natalie and Fiona from the library staff for their enthusiastic support and making everyone so welcome.
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posted 27/4/23 photos courtesy of Millom Library
Norman to be 'unveiled' all over again
Bust of Nicholson by Joan Palmer. Photo: SUE DAWSON
A short ceremony will take place at Millom Library next week to mark the installation of the Norman Nicholson bust in its new location, following the library’s move from St George’s Road to its current home at Millom Community Centre on Salthouse Road. The bust, by the sculptor Joan Palmer, was originally placed at the former library in 1984, when the unveiling was attended by Norman himself.
To mark the move to new premises the bust will be unveiled again, to take place on Wednesday April 26th at 12 noon, attended by the Deputy Mayor of Millom Councillor Simone Faulkner, the Chair of the Norman Nicholson Society Charlie Lambert, Millom Library’s Outreach Officer Rachel Haroulis, and pupils from Millom School, one of whom will read a Nicholson poem.
Charlie Lambert said: ‘The old library was very important to Nicholson; in fact part of his schooling took place in that building. The library’s location has changed but Nicholson’s legacy is stronger than ever and I’m delighted that he is being celebrated in this way.’
All are welcome to attend.
posted 20/4/23
To mark the move to new premises the bust will be unveiled again, to take place on Wednesday April 26th at 12 noon, attended by the Deputy Mayor of Millom Councillor Simone Faulkner, the Chair of the Norman Nicholson Society Charlie Lambert, Millom Library’s Outreach Officer Rachel Haroulis, and pupils from Millom School, one of whom will read a Nicholson poem.
Charlie Lambert said: ‘The old library was very important to Nicholson; in fact part of his schooling took place in that building. The library’s location has changed but Nicholson’s legacy is stronger than ever and I’m delighted that he is being celebrated in this way.’
All are welcome to attend.
posted 20/4/23
Marie is the Society's new secretary
We are delighted to announce that Marie Hodgson has been co-opted to the Society's committee and will take over the position of secretary from Janice Brockbank in the near future. Marie, originally from Cumbria, now lives in Manchester where she works as a specialist in urban regeneration. Welcome to our committee Marie! And thank you Janice for doing a great job as secretary over the last three and a half years.
posted 28/3/23
posted 28/3/23
Join us this Saturday to reflect on 'A Local Habitation'
'Mr Nicholson's reputation is by now secure; and 'A Local Habitation' will enhance it notably.' So states the flyleaf of the poet's 1972 collection. Over the last 12 months we've been discussing the collection and its place within Nicholson's output and this Saturday we will round it off with an online discussion: 'The Scope and Scape of A Local Habitation: An Assessment of its
Fiftieth Year', led by Antoinette Fawcett. After Antoinette's opening presentation we will invite further contributions and discussion. The focus will be points arising from the presentation, plus a look back at our celebration of this collection.
Many of our 2022 activities were centred on 'A Local Habitation' (the GeoWeek event, the pop-up exhibition, the Zoom event in November, and the Birthday Celebration in January this year). The 50th anniversary of the book was also celebrated in Comet, with a range of excellent contributions by members and non-members in our Autumn issue. Comments are invited on these activities and articles, as well as on any aspects of the book that may not have been considered.
This discussion will follow our online AGM this Saturday. While the AGM is for members only (and if you haven't yet renewed your membership please do so now!) the discussion is open to all and will start at around 12 noon following the AGM which starts at 11am. To register and receive the Zoom link please email nnsocietysecretary@gmail.com.
posted 23/3/23
Fiftieth Year', led by Antoinette Fawcett. After Antoinette's opening presentation we will invite further contributions and discussion. The focus will be points arising from the presentation, plus a look back at our celebration of this collection.
Many of our 2022 activities were centred on 'A Local Habitation' (the GeoWeek event, the pop-up exhibition, the Zoom event in November, and the Birthday Celebration in January this year). The 50th anniversary of the book was also celebrated in Comet, with a range of excellent contributions by members and non-members in our Autumn issue. Comments are invited on these activities and articles, as well as on any aspects of the book that may not have been considered.
This discussion will follow our online AGM this Saturday. While the AGM is for members only (and if you haven't yet renewed your membership please do so now!) the discussion is open to all and will start at around 12 noon following the AGM which starts at 11am. To register and receive the Zoom link please email nnsocietysecretary@gmail.com.
posted 23/3/23
South Cumbria Musical Festival winners
The Norman Nicholson Society this year continued our sponsorship of the South Cumbria Musical Festival, in memory of Peggy Troll, former Chair of the Society and an inspirational English teacher. The poem set for the Junior Poetry Class (Norman Nicholson) was 'In a Word', described by the adjudicator, Carol Schroder, as a surprising and clever poem and as one she was not previously familiar with. She did, however, know many of Nicholson's poems written for adults. The gentle word-play of this poem is difficult to convey, even for adults, but the three primary school entrants made a very good job of showing how well they had understood it. All three entrants paced their performances well, although the grand size of Ulverston's Coronation Hall can make it difficult for younger performers to project their voices in this space. Florence Tyson, of Millom, was the worthy winner of this Class and carried away the SCMF Buttermere Shield as well as a generous book token from the Society. The second place went to Florence's younger brother Xavier Tyson, while the third place went to Felix Alloway from Ulverston. Next year we hope there will be many more contenders for this prestigious prize!
posted 22/3/23
posted 22/3/23
'Changeless Map of Stars'
A new collection of Nicholson poems has appeared! 'Changeless Map of Stars' has just been published by The Greville Press and is available to buy by post. The pamphlet consists of 12 Nicholson poems selected by the Norman Nicholson Society's chair Charlie Lambert, who has also written a preface. This is a very limited print run, so if you'd like to buy a copy, don't leave it too long! The pamphlet is available for £7.50 plus £1.50 p&p, obtainable by cheque payable to Anthony Astbury, posted to The Greville Press, 6 Mellors Court, The Butts, Warwick CV34 4ST.
The Greville Press has a distinguished history, set up by Anthony Astbury with the support of Harold Pinter in 1979, subsequently gaining an enviable reputation for publishing new writers, rediscovering poets from the past, and simply delighting in the enjoyment of the poetic form.
Charlie writes: "It was a real honour to be asked by Anthony Astbury to select the poems and write a preface. I knew about the Greville Press and its illustrious history, dating back to Harold Pinter. Reality soon kicked in though. How on earth could I pick a mere 12 poems from everything that Nicholson wrote? It seemed not just an impossible task but also a thankless one because every Nicholson aficionado will have their own top 12 picks and I'm pretty sure that none of them will correspond to mine! After the panic subsided I decided that I would come up with a format and then make the choices that appealed to me. That, after all, was what Anthony wanted. So I decided to select poems which represent Norman in different stages of his writing career, from For the New Year from his first full collection 'Five Rivers' to Comet Come, published in 1986. I wanted to include different styles and different moods, and to make sure that some of the best-known poems were included, such as Wall and Sea to the West. I hope I've come up with a selection which will not only please those who know their Nicholson, but also readers who may be relatively new to his work, and will understand why we find him not just a great poet for his time, but a prescient poet for our time as well. Composing the preface was a great opportunity for me to expand on that theme and underline why Norman Nicholson matters - as well as getting one or two things off my chest!"
posted 7/3/23
The Greville Press has a distinguished history, set up by Anthony Astbury with the support of Harold Pinter in 1979, subsequently gaining an enviable reputation for publishing new writers, rediscovering poets from the past, and simply delighting in the enjoyment of the poetic form.
Charlie writes: "It was a real honour to be asked by Anthony Astbury to select the poems and write a preface. I knew about the Greville Press and its illustrious history, dating back to Harold Pinter. Reality soon kicked in though. How on earth could I pick a mere 12 poems from everything that Nicholson wrote? It seemed not just an impossible task but also a thankless one because every Nicholson aficionado will have their own top 12 picks and I'm pretty sure that none of them will correspond to mine! After the panic subsided I decided that I would come up with a format and then make the choices that appealed to me. That, after all, was what Anthony wanted. So I decided to select poems which represent Norman in different stages of his writing career, from For the New Year from his first full collection 'Five Rivers' to Comet Come, published in 1986. I wanted to include different styles and different moods, and to make sure that some of the best-known poems were included, such as Wall and Sea to the West. I hope I've come up with a selection which will not only please those who know their Nicholson, but also readers who may be relatively new to his work, and will understand why we find him not just a great poet for his time, but a prescient poet for our time as well. Composing the preface was a great opportunity for me to expand on that theme and underline why Norman Nicholson matters - as well as getting one or two things off my chest!"
posted 7/3/23
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