Charleston and the Bloomsberries

The Norfolk Contemporary Arts Society organised a visit to Charleston during the first days of June.  Apart from glimpses in television programmes it was my first exposure to the hand-painted farmhouse and the overpoweringly beautiful garden on a perfect summer’s day. One would be either cold or churlish not to succumb – for it is undoubtedly a seduction.

As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, it seems that there is no stone unturned when it come to writing about the Bloomsberries. I noticed while browsing the gift shop that even their cook has a dedicated volume of biography.

The Victorian roots of the artistic and intellectual phenomenon that was Bloomsbury are interesting. I was struck by the confluence of the families  – the Stracheys, the Grants, and the Stephens  – they were all deeply involved in colonial administration and the Grants and the Stracheys had spent many years in India.  Can one, I wonder, trace cultural influences of that exotic sub-continent in their work? Has anyone done this already?
 
Next stop Ipswich for filming the Haunted Hotel – watch out for a spooky  July Blog.