IN an interview in 2016, Lee McGeorge Durrell expressed concern that school-children had never heard of her late husband’s pioneering conservation work, let alone read his classic My Family and Other Animals. The interview came just as the book, and its Corfu-based sequels Birds, Beasts and Relatives and The Garden of the Gods, underwent a loose television adaptation, The Durrells. The hope was that it would stimulate interest in Gerald Durrell’s ongoing legacy at the Jersey Zoo, established in 1959 to act as a reserve and to undertake breeding programmes for endangered species.
Durrell had been captivated by Nature from an early age and My Family and Other Animals, first published in 1956, is an expression of the joys of his childhood and his receptiveness to the adventures and wonderment to be found in the great outdoors. The tale is based around a four-year stay on the island of Corfu in the late 1930s, which began when Durrell was 10.
The Durrell herd, led by their widowed mother Louisa, have left the leaden skies of Bournemouth in search of sunshine, ‘like a flock of migrating swallows’. Gerald (Gerry) is the youngest of four siblings, the others include the bookish Larry (Lawrence Durrell, the accomplished novelist, poet and travel writer), already an adult; Margo, with her acne potions and slimming guides; and Leslie, with his revolvers and ‘air of quiet belligerence’. Also along for the fun is Roger, the big black family dog and companion on many of Gerry’s escapades.
Denne historien er fra March 23, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 23, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
