Northern Trip 2023 Gallery
‘“Clear the way then…” Surtees Crossing the Country’
Lecture to The R.S. Surtees Society
Northern Tour
The Bowes Museum
16th March 2014
In his speech at the Society’s Goose and Dumpling Dinner last night, Alistair Martin, our speaker, quoted the key phrase from Surtees’s Hawbuck Grange: “There are two things in this world that there is seldom any mistake about—the smell of a fox and the smell of roast goose.” My own story on the subject of goose, comes from my mother’s contribution, at her cousin’s request, to a cookery book being compiled for sale in aid of the Limerick Hunt, of which her cousin was Joint-master. My mother has beautiful but not easily-read handwriting. Her page in the printed version of the book read “Roast Grouse: this is a dish that can easily feed 10 to 12 people.” This must have much confused the hunting folk of Limerick. Grouse are hardly to be found in Ireland and certainly none that can feed so many. I suddenly realised that the recipe was for roast goose.
Ladies and Gentlemen, fellow Surtees devotees, I have a slightly daunting task to deliver. We had our truly delightful day at Hamsterley yesterday, our magnificent Goose and Dumpling Dinner under the perhaps somewhat surprised gaze of the Zurburan saints in that great room in Auckland Castle and a visit to Surtees’s grave this morning. The priest-in-charge at Ebchester Church, preparing for a service was amazed to see us, had never heard of Surtees, had no idea his grave was there but prayed for Surtees’s soul in the service and welcomed our group of Surtees members. Now I am afraid that you, Surtees experts and fans all, have to hear me on the subject many of you know well—Surtees and his writings.
I apologise at the outset that some of what I will say will be already known to a few of you. I only hope that you will either have a memory lapse or will pretend you have.
Read Lord Charles’ speech in full..
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