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. |
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LATEST NEWS
Focus on Nicholson at Wordsworth Grasmere
photo: Wordsworth Grasmere
An exhibition to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Wordsworth's Duddon Sonnets has opened at Wordsworth Grasmere. It includes a display illustrating Nicholson's literary relationship with his poetic predecessor, demonstrating how poetry from one century can inspire the work and indeed the lives of those from another. The Society is delighted to have been involved in developing this display, which will be on view until the wider exhibition closes at the end of August. The Duddon Sonnets were published in 1820. The exhibition, 'Still Glides the Stream', was originally scheduled to open last summer but was delayed by the pandemic.
posted 12/6/21
posted 12/6/21
Programme announced for Norman Nicholson Festival 2021
The Norman Nicholson Society is delighted to announce the line-up for its second two-day festival, to take place on the weekend of June 26th and 27th 2021. In view of the current health situation, the festival will be entirely online this year regardless of any further relaxation of lockdown between now and the end of the month. FULL SCHEDULE HERE.
The Edinburgh-based poet Ken Cockburn will open the festival on the Saturday afternoon with a reading of some of his own poems, and some of Nicholson’s, leading to a consideration of themes familiar from Nicholson’s work. Ken will be followed by Jeff Cowton, Curator at Wordsworth Grasmere, who will talk about the best way to keep faith with the original author when presenting their work for future generations.
On the Saturday evening, poets whose work was featured in the Society’s anthology of lockdown poems, The Unpredicted Spring, will come together virtually to read their poems, along with the editor of the anthology and Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund Kathleen Jones.
Sunday June 27th will feature two of the Society’s younger members, both of whom are studying Nicholson’s work for PhD qualifications, Laura Day of Durham University and Jack Threlfall Hartley of Oxford University. The afternoon will also see the launch of the Norman Nicholson Audio Archive before the festival closes at around 4.30pm.
The Festival is supported by funding from Millom Town Council and Millom CGP Trust. FULL SCHEDULE HERE.
All events will take place using the Zoom platform. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the Society by email to normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com stating which sessions they want to attend (Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon) and the Zoom links will be sent closer to the weekend. All sessions are free but the Society suggests a one-off donation of a minimum of £5 per person could be made to the crowdfunding campaign for the project to buy and renovate Norman Nicholson’s home in Millom. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/breathe-new-life-into-norman-nicholsons-house?qid=cfe8af3298aa4a503039e323577dbfb6
Charlie Lambert, Chair of the Norman Nicholson Society, said: ‘This is going to be a wonderful event and how lovely it is to have something like this to look forward to. Normally we would have based everything in Millom itself, Norman’s lifelong home, but circumstances have forced our hand this year. The upside of streaming everything online is that Nicholson enthusiasts can join us from around the world and we are very much looking forward to that.’
He added: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Millom Town Council and Millom CGP Trust for supporting the festival, as they did last time in 2019. To make funding available even when we are not able to organise events in the town itself is a terrific statement of support’. FULL SCHEDULE HERE.
The Edinburgh-based poet Ken Cockburn will open the festival on the Saturday afternoon with a reading of some of his own poems, and some of Nicholson’s, leading to a consideration of themes familiar from Nicholson’s work. Ken will be followed by Jeff Cowton, Curator at Wordsworth Grasmere, who will talk about the best way to keep faith with the original author when presenting their work for future generations.
On the Saturday evening, poets whose work was featured in the Society’s anthology of lockdown poems, The Unpredicted Spring, will come together virtually to read their poems, along with the editor of the anthology and Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund Kathleen Jones.
Sunday June 27th will feature two of the Society’s younger members, both of whom are studying Nicholson’s work for PhD qualifications, Laura Day of Durham University and Jack Threlfall Hartley of Oxford University. The afternoon will also see the launch of the Norman Nicholson Audio Archive before the festival closes at around 4.30pm.
The Festival is supported by funding from Millom Town Council and Millom CGP Trust. FULL SCHEDULE HERE.
All events will take place using the Zoom platform. Anyone wishing to attend should contact the Society by email to normannicholsonsociety@gmail.com stating which sessions they want to attend (Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, Sunday afternoon) and the Zoom links will be sent closer to the weekend. All sessions are free but the Society suggests a one-off donation of a minimum of £5 per person could be made to the crowdfunding campaign for the project to buy and renovate Norman Nicholson’s home in Millom. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/f/breathe-new-life-into-norman-nicholsons-house?qid=cfe8af3298aa4a503039e323577dbfb6
Charlie Lambert, Chair of the Norman Nicholson Society, said: ‘This is going to be a wonderful event and how lovely it is to have something like this to look forward to. Normally we would have based everything in Millom itself, Norman’s lifelong home, but circumstances have forced our hand this year. The upside of streaming everything online is that Nicholson enthusiasts can join us from around the world and we are very much looking forward to that.’
He added: ‘We are incredibly grateful to Millom Town Council and Millom CGP Trust for supporting the festival, as they did last time in 2019. To make funding available even when we are not able to organise events in the town itself is a terrific statement of support’. FULL SCHEDULE HERE.
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SUPPORTED BY
MILLOM TOWN COUNCIL AND MILLOM CGP TRUST |
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posted 2/6/21
Anthony Thwaite, influential champion of Nicholson
The poet, editor and producer Anthony Thwaite, who was an influential champion of Norman Nicholson, has died at the age of 90. In the 1960s he produced a series of BBC radio programmes in which Nicholson read from Wordsworth's The Prelude, and also produced a TV programme about Nicholson for the BBC's Viewpoint series. When Norman died, Anthony wrote his obituary in The Independent and also Norman's entry in the Dictionary of National Biography. Anthony Thwaites' own obituary in the Guardian can be found HERE.
posted 20/5/21
posted 20/5/21
Donation in memory of 'inspirational' Wilf Kimber
Karen Seward
Former English teacher at Barrow Grammar School and Barrow Sixth Form College Wilf Kimber has been commemorated by a wonderfully generous donation of £5,000 to the crowdfunding campaign which is raising money towards the purchase of Nicholson's old home in Millom.
The donation to the GoFundMe project comes from Karen Seward, who attended the Sixth Form College from 1981 to 1983 and remembers Mr Kimber as 'an inspirational teacher who gave me a lifelong love of the the wonderful work of Norman Nicholson'. Mr Kimber passed away last year at the age of 97.
Karen is now global head of litigation at the London law firm Allen and Overy. She said: 'The Nicholson House project will, I am sure, go a long way towards cementing for Nicholson the reputation that should be his by right, as one of the greatest of British poets'.
Charlie Lambert, who chairs both the Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company and the Norman Nicholson Society, said: 'This is a stunning piece of generosity by Karen, and a wonderful way to celebrate the memory of Mr Kimber. It shows what a huge impact the work of teachers has on individua pupils, lasting a lifetime'.
The Nicholson House project is currently approaching major funders for the substantial six-figure sum needed to buy the house and turn it into a worthy tribute to Nicholson as well as a meaningful community facility in Millom. The GoFundMe project has a target of £10,000 which gives individuals the chance to contribute as well as demonstrating that Nicholson admirers are prepared to put their own money into the scheme. Contributions of whatever size are very welcome and can be made HERE.
posted 17/5/21
The donation to the GoFundMe project comes from Karen Seward, who attended the Sixth Form College from 1981 to 1983 and remembers Mr Kimber as 'an inspirational teacher who gave me a lifelong love of the the wonderful work of Norman Nicholson'. Mr Kimber passed away last year at the age of 97.
Karen is now global head of litigation at the London law firm Allen and Overy. She said: 'The Nicholson House project will, I am sure, go a long way towards cementing for Nicholson the reputation that should be his by right, as one of the greatest of British poets'.
Charlie Lambert, who chairs both the Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company and the Norman Nicholson Society, said: 'This is a stunning piece of generosity by Karen, and a wonderful way to celebrate the memory of Mr Kimber. It shows what a huge impact the work of teachers has on individua pupils, lasting a lifetime'.
The Nicholson House project is currently approaching major funders for the substantial six-figure sum needed to buy the house and turn it into a worthy tribute to Nicholson as well as a meaningful community facility in Millom. The GoFundMe project has a target of £10,000 which gives individuals the chance to contribute as well as demonstrating that Nicholson admirers are prepared to put their own money into the scheme. Contributions of whatever size are very welcome and can be made HERE.
posted 17/5/21
Nicholson's 'poetry of hope'
A talk by the Rev Canon Dr Edmund Newey, inspired by Nicholson's poetry of hope and presented online in March, is available in audio form on the website of Engaging Theology in Cumbria HERE. The talk draws largely on one of Nicholson's early poems The Burning Bush. Dr Newey is Rector of St Andrew's Church, Rugby.
posted 5/5/21
posted 5/5/21
Latest edition of 'Comet'
The Spring edition of Comet, the Society's regular newsletter, is now available for members to read or download in the Members' Area of this website. To find out how to access this area, click HERE.
posted 4/5/21
posted 4/5/21
Words of appreciation
Two comments from our recent AGM:
"I'm a member of a number of literary societies and the Norman Nicholson Society has outstripped most, if not all, in terms of being so dynamic under conditions of such adversity, and going from strength - not only last year but this year - to further strength' - Dr Chris Donaldson, University of Lancaster.
'Comet has been a brilliant resource and I'd like to thank the editor Antoinette Fawcett and everyone who has written for it because it has been absolutely astonishing. Many other societies don't manage to achieve anything of that standard. I think the Norman Nicholson Society should be proud of that achievement' - Andrew F. Wilson.
posted 2/5/21
"I'm a member of a number of literary societies and the Norman Nicholson Society has outstripped most, if not all, in terms of being so dynamic under conditions of such adversity, and going from strength - not only last year but this year - to further strength' - Dr Chris Donaldson, University of Lancaster.
'Comet has been a brilliant resource and I'd like to thank the editor Antoinette Fawcett and everyone who has written for it because it has been absolutely astonishing. Many other societies don't manage to achieve anything of that standard. I think the Norman Nicholson Society should be proud of that achievement' - Andrew F. Wilson.
posted 2/5/21
'Norman Nicholson's Millom' - walking trails app is live!
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An app which will guide people on two walking trails around the Millom area has been launched. The app can be downloaded free of charge to the user’s smartphone and uses GPS technology to navigate the two routes.
It has been produced by Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company, working in tandem with the Norman Nicholson Society.
The two trails are a 1.5 mile walk around Millom town centre and a 6.5 mile route from the town to the Duddon estuary, the site of the town’s former Ironworks, and Hodbarrow RSPB nature reserve. Users of the app will find information and photographs for each location along the way, along with an audio description, and extracts from Norman Nicholson’s writings.
They can also hear a welcome from Lord Melvyn Bragg, president of the Norman Nicholson Society, and personal memories of Millom’s past from lifelong local residents Brian Maggs, a former employee at the Ironworks, and Dorothy Richardson, whose father was the harbourmaster in the days when Millom was a busy port.
Funding for the app has come from Copeland Borough Council through the Government’s Towns Fund strategy.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE APP AND THE TRAILS - WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Chair of Norman Nicholson House CIC Charlie Lambert said: ‘The app is brilliant. It’s free to download, easy to use, and it takes users on a journey through time as well as along two fascinating and uplifting routes. I’m very grateful to Copeland Borough Council for funding this and to everyone who has contributed towards making it happen.’
The trails can be found by downloading the Situate app from either the Apple Store or Google Play and searching for Norman Nicholson’s Millom.
At the same time Norman Nicholson House is unveiling a Crowdfunder campaign to raise some of the money needed for its project to buy Nicholson’s old home. Charlie Lambert said: ‘All contributions are really welcome. You can chip in by going to GoFundMe.com and search for Norman Nicholson House.’
Digital development of the app is by Agnes Control of Workington and Llama Digital of Sheffield. Graphic design by AR Graphic Design of Maryport. Content created by Norman Nicholson House CIC. Heritage consultant Marshall Mossop.
posted 29/3/21
It has been produced by Norman Nicholson House Community Interest Company, working in tandem with the Norman Nicholson Society.
The two trails are a 1.5 mile walk around Millom town centre and a 6.5 mile route from the town to the Duddon estuary, the site of the town’s former Ironworks, and Hodbarrow RSPB nature reserve. Users of the app will find information and photographs for each location along the way, along with an audio description, and extracts from Norman Nicholson’s writings.
They can also hear a welcome from Lord Melvyn Bragg, president of the Norman Nicholson Society, and personal memories of Millom’s past from lifelong local residents Brian Maggs, a former employee at the Ironworks, and Dorothy Richardson, whose father was the harbourmaster in the days when Millom was a busy port.
Funding for the app has come from Copeland Borough Council through the Government’s Towns Fund strategy.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE APP AND THE TRAILS - WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Chair of Norman Nicholson House CIC Charlie Lambert said: ‘The app is brilliant. It’s free to download, easy to use, and it takes users on a journey through time as well as along two fascinating and uplifting routes. I’m very grateful to Copeland Borough Council for funding this and to everyone who has contributed towards making it happen.’
The trails can be found by downloading the Situate app from either the Apple Store or Google Play and searching for Norman Nicholson’s Millom.
At the same time Norman Nicholson House is unveiling a Crowdfunder campaign to raise some of the money needed for its project to buy Nicholson’s old home. Charlie Lambert said: ‘All contributions are really welcome. You can chip in by going to GoFundMe.com and search for Norman Nicholson House.’
Digital development of the app is by Agnes Control of Workington and Llama Digital of Sheffield. Graphic design by AR Graphic Design of Maryport. Content created by Norman Nicholson House CIC. Heritage consultant Marshall Mossop.
posted 29/3/21
READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY COPELAND BOROUGH COUNCIL HERE
MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE LAUNCH OF THE APP:
MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE LAUNCH OF THE APP:
- BBC TV NW report in breakfast bulletins on Friday April 2nd.
- Radio Cumbria reported the launch and used a clip from our chair Charlie Lambert in news bulletins also on Friday April 2nd.
- Radio Cumbria have scheduled a longer piece in the breakfast show at 0845 next Tuesday (April 6th).
- Whitehaven News report: https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/19197001.new-app-launch-celebrates-millom-nicholson/
- News & Star report: https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19195214.new-app-launch-celebrates-millom-nicholson/
- Cumbria Crack report: https://cumbriacrack.com/2021/03/31/norman-nicholson-walking-app-launches-for-millom/
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