The annual gathering of the Friends of Tilling took place on September 1 at the Mermaid. The great and the good of Rye, Winchelsea and the wider world gathered for a day of celebrating the Mapp and Lucia novels of EF Benson.
As usual the Mermaid provided a sumptuous feast in the evening, including Whitchurch lamb and a torta di Faraglione. This menu referenced Algernon and Susan Wyse who lived opposite the Mermaid in the popular books set in Rye, renamed as Tilling by Benson.
The evening included the (in)famous Tilling Quiz, conducted by Nickolas Grace and the Tilling Anthem. But this year, society members had a special treat as Kate Garner, who has written a musical based on Mapp and Lucia, agreed to reprise her performances at the EF Benson Society gatherings earlier this year and before.
The Mermaid’s Tudor Room was the perfect location for “un po di mu”, and the grand piano was a great improvement on Miss Mapp’s Blumenfelt. Kate has managed to capture the spirit of Benson’s works in music – no easy task.
The evening concluded with the Tilling Anthem. “So here’s to our beloved Fred, for him we’ll raise a cheer. And when we say ‘au reservoir’, we’ll meet again next year.”
