The Death of Dame Hilary Mantel

Former Knaphill resident and author Dame Hilary Mantel dies... I am sad to report the death of Dame Hilary Mantel in Exeter, Devon, on Thursday, 22 September, writes Mal Foster.

Aged 70, she was the acclaimed author of the Booker Prize-winning novel Wolf Hall and its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies. The trilogy's final book, The Mirror & The Light, was published in 2020 and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller.

Hilary Mantel, 6 July 1952 - 22 September 2022

Mantel had strong Woking connections, living with her husband, Gerald McEwan, in a penthouse at Florence House, which was once part of Brookwood Hospital in Knaphill. Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies were written during her ten years at the iconic residence.

The couple later moved to Budleigh Salterton in Devon but would often return to the Woking area to visit friends when travelling to London and the home counties to appear at various functions and in the media.

Indeed, I last saw Hilary with Gerald in January 2019, in Sainsbury’s, Knaphill, just before the Covid 19 outbreak whilst they were on one of those visits. In earlier days, I had corresponded with Gerald, who had always taken an interest in our local community.

Florence House, Knaphill
where Mantel lived with her husband, Gerald

in the early 2000s

In 2014, Hilary famously brought about the attention of the police following the fictionalised account of the murder of former prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1983. The short story entitled, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher led Mantel to respond to allies of Thatcher by saying, ‘Bringing in the police for an investigation was beyond anything I could have planned or hoped for because it immediately exposes them to ridicule.’ And it did!

Mal Foster

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

 

1926-2022

The 'impact' of sculptor, Sean Henry on Woking

The Woking Writers’ Collective has enhanced many of its posts here on the blog and on Twitter with photographs of the sculptures by Woking-born Sean Henry that are situated around the town. These are now on permanent display.  Sean Henry is married with three children and now lives in Winchester, Hants.

Sean Henry with two of his works which are now on display in Henry Plaza at Victoria Place, Woking
Pic: Courtesy Sean Henry 

 

It’s time for The Woking Writers' Collective to fully acknowledge Sean Henry’s impact on Woking and his fine sculptures, which are crafted in the human form...

 

Sean Henry's, The Wanderer

One of the sculptures is ‘The Wanderer’, which many would have seen outside the town-side of Woking railway station. In 2013 he was originally on display in Bad Homburg, Germany. A couple of years later, the statue popped up in Sydney, Australia, before being transported to its current location here in Woking.

Sleeping Man, Woking

The addition of Sean Henry’s statues to Woking town centre has given the whole place a cultural feel, complimenting the already popular The War of the Worlds Martian tripod as depicted in the famous H.G. Wells’ novel, and of course The Lightbox museum along Victoria Way.  

 

Greg Freeman and Henry's The Standing Man
Pic: Courtesy Woking News & Mail

The statues have also inspired West Byfleet poet Greg Freeman to put pen to paper, writing a series of back-stories which were published in his 2021 collection, Marples Must Go, under the subtitle, All the Lonely People. 

Above, Walking Woman, Commercial Way, Standing Man, Jubilee Square, 

Seated Man, Woking Railway Station,

and Standing Woman, Peacocks Centre, Woking

You can find out much, much more about Sean and his work on his website @  https://www.seanhenry.com/

Original photographs by Mal Foster