Authors and their books
Out and about on the Pantiles, it was possible to meet certain famous authors from time to time, and discuss their work (as well as books I knew they were intending to write):
Lord Chesterfield, famous for the letters he wrote to his son.
Samuel Foote, actor and playwright.
Horace Walpole, author of Castle of Otranto and many articles in fashionable periodicals such as The World.
I was never able to meet the great Samuel Johnson, sadly - but I was able to discuss his work with his friend Mrs Piozzi (formerly Mrs Hesther Thrale), and with Lord Chesterfield, who was also acquainted with him. Similarly, I was never able to meet Dr Edward Young, author of the cheerful Night Thoughts, although there were rumours that he'd been seen about the Wells, and I discussed his book with various people. So that almost counts.
Lord Chesterfield, famous for the letters he wrote to his son.
Samuel Foote, actor and playwright.
Horace Walpole, author of Castle of Otranto and many articles in fashionable periodicals such as The World.
I was never able to meet the great Samuel Johnson, sadly - but I was able to discuss his work with his friend Mrs Piozzi (formerly Mrs Hesther Thrale), and with Lord Chesterfield, who was also acquainted with him. Similarly, I was never able to meet Dr Edward Young, author of the cheerful Night Thoughts, although there were rumours that he'd been seen about the Wells, and I discussed his book with various people. So that almost counts.
I've always loved eighteenth-century books with their satisfyingly understated leather bindings, and over the years I collected old editions of books whose authors I'd met on the Pantiles. To qualify for inclusion, the edition had to have been published in the 18th century, so the cutoff date was 1799. Happily, that was the date of publication of the two-volume edition of Johnson's Dictionary that I found in the antiquarian bookshop at the end of the Pantiles. It was in poor shape, but it was the Real Thing, affordable, and a Great Treasure. From it, I learned all I needed to know about Gingerbread.
