The House in Little Chelsea
Release date September 2018
“I have just finished reading Clare Hastings book, and greatly enjoyed it. It’s a delightful story of social change and the evolution of a neighbourhood, full of human interest and the richness and sadness of the passing of time - I loved the irrepressible character who was once barrister, chef and advertising genius, and the first poor owner with her aesthetic aspirations and her artwork - the kind of history we imagine for our houses, but not so fully assembled from small relics and suggestions - very well done.”
A middle class house, for a middle class family. Part of a terrace of six symmetrical houses, set slightly back from the road. Since the building was topped out in 1873 over seventy people have lived in this house. This is the story of some of the people who lived in the house. Their characters are imagined, but their names,ages and professions, provided by the census records, are all real.
Who were they ? The reader is about to find out. Follow the tales of The Newly-Weds ,The Bookseller and The Life and Sole as the story unfolds, and track the fortunes of the house itself. a building very much on the borders of Little Chelsea.
The House in Little Chelsea will be released in September 2018. Published by The Pimpernel Press.
“I have always wanted my own library. I said to Mrs Avery if we ever move the first thing I want to build are shelves. Shelves for books. We have now, in an effort to settle my debts, moved from some style in the West End to the borders of Little Chelsea. We are to give shelf room not to books, but to lodgers.”
“Originally I had added the words ‘saver of soles’ underneath my name on a brass plaque on the door, but this attracted more attention from the bible fraternity, eager to point out my mistake, than customers in need of a nail operator, so now it just my name and profession. A pity really.”
“It is not that I am a prude, far from it, but I do think there is a time and a place to discuss plumbing. It is not at 10.30 a.m on a Tuesday morning, when I am just getting ready to go out.”