George Orwell: 120 Up!

The 120th Anniversary of George Orwell’s birth promised to be a special occasion for the Orwell Society and the trip to Sutton Courtenay certainly did not disappoint. The weather was glorious, the surroundings picturesque, and the company excellent.

Many of the members arrived on Friday night and made their way to The George public house. We very quickly packed, the Orwell themed room, which had been reserved for our private use. Many of the members had brought a favourite passage from Orwell to read and we were treated to a wide range of readings from his books, essays, and letters. Homage to Catalonia was particularly popular and Keep the Aspidistra Flying made a late appearance. The readings were all delivered with enthusiasm and passion, and more so as the evening wore on! Orwell’s wicked sense of humour shone through the pieces and made for a very special night. The landlord was a little overwhelmed by our numbers but managed to keep the food and drink flowing. Richard Blair and Quentin Kopp presented Rodney with a special framed picture to show our appreciation.

The River Room

Saturday was another beautiful day and members made their way over to the splendid River Room at the Church. There were a wide range of excellent presentations on all aspects of Orwell’s work as we moved from Burma to Wigan to Russia in the space of just a few hours. There were also interesting talks on Orwell in the clink, his time at the BBC and, perhaps most fascinatingly, Orwell and Women. Once again, the room was packed with a steady flow of old and new guests.

One of the many highlights of the day was the Awards ceremony and presentations for the four winners and runners up of the Orwell Society/NUJ Young Journalist prize. These impressive young students confidently explained the nature of their entries and spoke eloquently about the continuing importance of Orwell.

The Prize Winners: Kathryn Wheeler, Gwenno Robinson, Thomas Gilhooly, and Joshua Hoffman at Orwell’s Grave

Photographed by Frances Rafferty of the NUJ

It was encouraging that the work and legacy of Orwell is safe and continues to inspire a new generation. Refreshments and a wonderful buffet lunch were provided by the Society before more stimulating talks and discussion. The surprises kept coming with a magnificent Orwell-themed birthday cake and a glass of bubbly as we all toasted Orwell’s birthday.

Karen Blair’s magnificent cake

The evening was spent in The Swan public house with a fantastic paella and even some impromptu signing. Once again, our appreciation was marked with a presentation to David, the owner and chef. So, to bed.

Sunday was an early start for those travelling to Shiplake for a guided tour of places near Orwell’s childhood home.

Justin Bowles was our expert guide, and at least thirty members were taken to visit Orwell’s childhood home at Rose Lawn.

An even greater treat was in store at our next stop at the Buddicom’s Quarry House. Very generously, the present owners had kindly agreed to let us look inside their home and garden. The deeds and an original photograph album were also put on display. We finished with a group photograph on the lawn.

Sunday Lunch was back at the Swan in Sutton Courtenay before making our way to the churchyard for a reading from Richard Blair from Orwell’s brilliant essay ‘Some Thoughts on the Common Toad’.

Once again, the graveside was packed with members and visitors and finished with Richard’s granddaughters laying a simple bouquet of flowers on the grave. The day was completed with the usual cream tea in the Church and a talk by Richard on his childhood on Jura with Orwell.

For this magnificently successful weekend to take place, without a hitch, required long and painstaking organisation, planning and research. Here we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Quentin and Liz who worked tirelessly behind and in front of the scene. There are lots of other members who also must have made this wonderful event possible, who also deserve a big thank you.

If we ever required an advertisement for the benefits of becoming a member of the Orwell Society, this was surely it.

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Written by Brian Rubin

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Photograph of prize winners by Frances Rafferty

Photographs by Quentin Kopp

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George Orwell was born Eric Arthur Blair on 25 June 1903 in Motihari, Bengal, where his father was a civil servant. His mother brought the family back to England, settling in Shiplake on the Thames, while his father continued to work in India until retirement. Orwell died in the night of 20th/21st January 1950 at University College Hospital in London, and was subsequently interred at All Saints church in Sutton Courtenay (now in Oxfordshire, then in Berkshire). The Orwell Society’s 120th anniversary commemoration thus brought together the early and last parts of Orwell’s life.

In February 1944 George Orwell published an article in The Observer celebrating the centenary of Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit. When it was republished in 1968 his editors, Sonia Orwell and Ian Angus, gave it the title ‘A Hundred Up’. What was good enough for them is good enough for us. George Orwell, 120 Up!