Thank you so much for this wonderful account. Like others, I didn’t own any Orlando books but my husband says he remembers having the stories read to him in the 1940s when they were still quite new. From somewhere in the depths of my memory came a recollection from many years ago, in the early 1970s, of being in a cottage in a room where Orlando books were on display and an old lady was talking about them to another visitor. It must have been an Oxford art week or perhaps even a village gardens open event but I remember that the old lady was Kathleen Hale and it was her cottage, Tod House in Forest Hill outside the city. Apparently she used the village in illustrations in some of her books. I wish I could remember now what she said!
Oh how marvellous, thank you so much for letting me know. Yes, she moved to Oxfordshire when the Rabley Willow became too much for her and her husband. She used to sketch constantly and her drawings were often reused in her books. Augustus John was the art master to the kittens in one. The stories are so funny, she was a natural writer and her autobiography is a joy. Her move to Oxford only appears in the last chapter ( she moved there in 1961) but she sounds as though she was very happy there.
That was lovely! It's so good to read about this talented artist whose books I adored as a child in the mid 1950s. I still have the huge one about Orlando getting a large poodle, it was the biggest book I possessed and the story with the enchanting pictures made me giggle. But something else I loved about them, even as a 6 year old, was the landscapes - the trees were characters, though still realistic and she could paint fields and lanes that I felt I knew; snow scenes in the countryside were magical - and all the different sized pawprints! I must visit my archive in the loft and bury myself in their vivid charm again! Her unconventional (for the time) life sounds challenging but very rich; thank you for writing about her.
Thank you very much, I am glad you liked it. I think you one you mention is "Orlando keeps a dog" which apparently was her favourite as she was so pleased with how the drawings worked out. There is such an attention to detail in her work and I still find extra little details every time I look at them. Her landscapes and garden paintings were very fine too ( I just ran out of room!) and she is certainly shows how valuable keeping a sketchbook is!
How lovely that was! I had never heard of Kathleen Hale or her magical cat books 🐈 , so thanks for that. What a fascinating life and imagination she had. Well researched and a delight to read.
Your post reminded me that when I was a child my family had a ginger cat called Arnie, who was the favourite of my Mu , and was thus despised by all the other pets (we had a lot of rescue animals, dogs, cats, a ferret, bunnies, guinea pigs etc). On cold winter nights fights would often break out between the six cats who all wanted to sit on her lap by the fire. Arnie, of course, was always victorious and got to sit in prime position with the other cats forced to spread down her legs like a rug… I’m sure my Mum used this as an excuse to get us to fetch and carry for her, since their combined weight effectively immobilised her 😸
Ginger cats are like no other! They somehow manage to wheedle their way in your heart (and lap!) and leave others looking on in disbelief! Arnie sounds quite a fellow.
I am so pleased you liked the post and thank you very much for letting me know.
Thank you so much, Deborah for another fascinating read. I can only imagine the work that goes into these posts! They are all so interesting and full of lovely rabbit holes :) xx Sarah
It is amazing what difference to someone's life just one good teacher can make. You have introduced me to another inspiring woman that I had never heard of! I will look out for her books as the illustrations look beautiful. Your cat was very handsome - ginger cats are the best.
I thought Miss Burstall was remarkable for her time and clearly took time to help Kathleen who had a very tough start. The illustrations are marvellous and each time I see some witty little featuer that makes me smile. Alan was very special and loved everyone! Thank you very much for reading it all.
You always find the most fascinating people to write about Deborah. What an interesting life she led and I enjoyed listening to the Desert Island Discs with her too (while I was slicing oranges for marmalade!) I’m not sure we ever owned any Orlando books but I recall getting them from the library… maybe it was for my own children but I can’t really remember. Thank you again for an interesting read.
Thank you, Gina. There is nothing that smells better than marmalade cooking! She was quite feisty, wasn't she? Sue Lawley certainly didn't get the better of her!
I loved that at the end even at her great age her luxury item was chosen so she would look glamorous just in case her Prince Charming might appear to rescue her! What a character
I just discovered your blog recently. Your posts are beautifully written and illuminating. So far, I am discovering artists that are completely unfamiliar to me and they are gems. Thank you, Deborah.
I know Orlando very well. My Mother and her sisters had the books as children and then they were passed on to my sister and me. I’m glad to own a big pile of Orlando books. My aunt wrote to her (to let her know I had a dolls house based on Mr Catermoles shop for cats) and I still have the letter that she kindly wrote back to us. I also have a drawing of Orlando by Hale. Now I know more about her, as an artist, from you I respect her all the more.
I am very envious of your collection! The larger format ones are so difficult to obtain now, although I was bought a copy of "Orlando Goes to the Seaside" at Christmas, which is a delight. How lovely that she wrote to you. She was so talented, and I am sure she would have been such marvellous company, as everyone seems to have had such affection for her. Do you still have the doll's house? I do hope so. Thank you very much for your message and I am so glad you enjoyed the piece.
My 87 year old mother still has some of her original Orlando books from her childhood. We loved reading them as kids although the books had become somewhat disheveled and as a cat loving family they held a special place in our hearts. When my mother turned 80, we bought her a pristine original of one of the Orlando books - she was so touched!
Another incredibly well researched and well written post. Kathleen Hale sounds incredible and her pencil portraits show wonderful sensibility and skill. The illustrations are beautiful with their fluidity of the lines…
PS I’ve never thought about the reasons behind the difficulty to draw cats… But that’s exactly that- their shape adjusts to the contenant…:)
Granny had quite a few of the Orlando books in a little bookshelf next to my bed at her house. I have the same bookshelf next to the bed now, but alas, the books went elsewhere 😞 We must try and collect them again!
Oh you must, they are magical books and so inventive. I loved the photos of your granny, she had such a kind face and how lovely that she enjoyed them too.
I enjoyed this very much Deborah, thankyou! I hadn’t come across her before and I love the look of her Orlando stories! The idea of the two cats dancing until they dropped and most of all, the clothes boiled up to make soup! It reminds me a little of the stories of Leonora Carrington, an artist I’ve always loved.
Thank you very much, Jess. They are so delightful and the tenderness between Orlando and Grace so touching. I love the details in her dress! I know the paintings of Leonara Carrington, but not the stories, so I am off on a hunt!
I know Kathleen Hale only for Orlando, and I am thrilled to see her beautiful pencil drawings. I remember Orlando books in the Children's library when I was small but I don't remember reading them. We used to holiday often in Aldeburgh and of, course, Orlando was big in the independent bookshop there and the local hotels always had the books dotted about.
I managed to get a copy of "A Seaside Holiday" which is set in Aldeburgh / Owlbarrow as is such a beautiful book. Aren't her portraits exquisite? She had such talent.
Gosh, I enjoyed reading this so much! I'd forgotten about Orlando, how lovely to revisit, especially as I have my own Orlando now. And even better to be introduced to those wonderful portrait drawings. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this wonderful account. Like others, I didn’t own any Orlando books but my husband says he remembers having the stories read to him in the 1940s when they were still quite new. From somewhere in the depths of my memory came a recollection from many years ago, in the early 1970s, of being in a cottage in a room where Orlando books were on display and an old lady was talking about them to another visitor. It must have been an Oxford art week or perhaps even a village gardens open event but I remember that the old lady was Kathleen Hale and it was her cottage, Tod House in Forest Hill outside the city. Apparently she used the village in illustrations in some of her books. I wish I could remember now what she said!
Oh how marvellous, thank you so much for letting me know. Yes, she moved to Oxfordshire when the Rabley Willow became too much for her and her husband. She used to sketch constantly and her drawings were often reused in her books. Augustus John was the art master to the kittens in one. The stories are so funny, she was a natural writer and her autobiography is a joy. Her move to Oxford only appears in the last chapter ( she moved there in 1961) but she sounds as though she was very happy there.
That was lovely! It's so good to read about this talented artist whose books I adored as a child in the mid 1950s. I still have the huge one about Orlando getting a large poodle, it was the biggest book I possessed and the story with the enchanting pictures made me giggle. But something else I loved about them, even as a 6 year old, was the landscapes - the trees were characters, though still realistic and she could paint fields and lanes that I felt I knew; snow scenes in the countryside were magical - and all the different sized pawprints! I must visit my archive in the loft and bury myself in their vivid charm again! Her unconventional (for the time) life sounds challenging but very rich; thank you for writing about her.
Thank you very much, I am glad you liked it. I think you one you mention is "Orlando keeps a dog" which apparently was her favourite as she was so pleased with how the drawings worked out. There is such an attention to detail in her work and I still find extra little details every time I look at them. Her landscapes and garden paintings were very fine too ( I just ran out of room!) and she is certainly shows how valuable keeping a sketchbook is!
How lovely that was! I had never heard of Kathleen Hale or her magical cat books 🐈 , so thanks for that. What a fascinating life and imagination she had. Well researched and a delight to read.
Your post reminded me that when I was a child my family had a ginger cat called Arnie, who was the favourite of my Mu , and was thus despised by all the other pets (we had a lot of rescue animals, dogs, cats, a ferret, bunnies, guinea pigs etc). On cold winter nights fights would often break out between the six cats who all wanted to sit on her lap by the fire. Arnie, of course, was always victorious and got to sit in prime position with the other cats forced to spread down her legs like a rug… I’m sure my Mum used this as an excuse to get us to fetch and carry for her, since their combined weight effectively immobilised her 😸
Ginger cats are like no other! They somehow manage to wheedle their way in your heart (and lap!) and leave others looking on in disbelief! Arnie sounds quite a fellow.
I am so pleased you liked the post and thank you very much for letting me know.
Thank you so much, Deborah for another fascinating read. I can only imagine the work that goes into these posts! They are all so interesting and full of lovely rabbit holes :) xx Sarah
Yes, quite a lot of work! I hope you had fun going down the rabbit holes, I find them irrisistible too! xx
It is amazing what difference to someone's life just one good teacher can make. You have introduced me to another inspiring woman that I had never heard of! I will look out for her books as the illustrations look beautiful. Your cat was very handsome - ginger cats are the best.
I thought Miss Burstall was remarkable for her time and clearly took time to help Kathleen who had a very tough start. The illustrations are marvellous and each time I see some witty little featuer that makes me smile. Alan was very special and loved everyone! Thank you very much for reading it all.
You always find the most fascinating people to write about Deborah. What an interesting life she led and I enjoyed listening to the Desert Island Discs with her too (while I was slicing oranges for marmalade!) I’m not sure we ever owned any Orlando books but I recall getting them from the library… maybe it was for my own children but I can’t really remember. Thank you again for an interesting read.
Thank you, Gina. There is nothing that smells better than marmalade cooking! She was quite feisty, wasn't she? Sue Lawley certainly didn't get the better of her!
I loved that at the end even at her great age her luxury item was chosen so she would look glamorous just in case her Prince Charming might appear to rescue her! What a character
I know! I think she must have been tremendous fun.
I just discovered your blog recently. Your posts are beautifully written and illuminating. So far, I am discovering artists that are completely unfamiliar to me and they are gems. Thank you, Deborah.
What a lovely message to receive, thank you very much.
I know Orlando very well. My Mother and her sisters had the books as children and then they were passed on to my sister and me. I’m glad to own a big pile of Orlando books. My aunt wrote to her (to let her know I had a dolls house based on Mr Catermoles shop for cats) and I still have the letter that she kindly wrote back to us. I also have a drawing of Orlando by Hale. Now I know more about her, as an artist, from you I respect her all the more.
I am very envious of your collection! The larger format ones are so difficult to obtain now, although I was bought a copy of "Orlando Goes to the Seaside" at Christmas, which is a delight. How lovely that she wrote to you. She was so talented, and I am sure she would have been such marvellous company, as everyone seems to have had such affection for her. Do you still have the doll's house? I do hope so. Thank you very much for your message and I am so glad you enjoyed the piece.
My 87 year old mother still has some of her original Orlando books from her childhood. We loved reading them as kids although the books had become somewhat disheveled and as a cat loving family they held a special place in our hearts. When my mother turned 80, we bought her a pristine original of one of the Orlando books - she was so touched!
They are magical books, aren't they, and can imagine copies would become worn with love! How lovely to have found a replacement for her.
Magical is the perfect word for them!
Fascinating account of her life and work, thank you!
Thank you very much.
Catching up after a too busy spell and much enjoying your words, thank you
Thank you, Mark. I am looking forward to the book!
Another incredibly well researched and well written post. Kathleen Hale sounds incredible and her pencil portraits show wonderful sensibility and skill. The illustrations are beautiful with their fluidity of the lines…
PS I’ve never thought about the reasons behind the difficulty to draw cats… But that’s exactly that- their shape adjusts to the contenant…:)
PPS Beautiful family of cats :)
Granny had quite a few of the Orlando books in a little bookshelf next to my bed at her house. I have the same bookshelf next to the bed now, but alas, the books went elsewhere 😞 We must try and collect them again!
Oh you must, they are magical books and so inventive. I loved the photos of your granny, she had such a kind face and how lovely that she enjoyed them too.
I enjoyed this very much Deborah, thankyou! I hadn’t come across her before and I love the look of her Orlando stories! The idea of the two cats dancing until they dropped and most of all, the clothes boiled up to make soup! It reminds me a little of the stories of Leonora Carrington, an artist I’ve always loved.
Thank you very much, Jess. They are so delightful and the tenderness between Orlando and Grace so touching. I love the details in her dress! I know the paintings of Leonara Carrington, but not the stories, so I am off on a hunt!
I know Kathleen Hale only for Orlando, and I am thrilled to see her beautiful pencil drawings. I remember Orlando books in the Children's library when I was small but I don't remember reading them. We used to holiday often in Aldeburgh and of, course, Orlando was big in the independent bookshop there and the local hotels always had the books dotted about.
I managed to get a copy of "A Seaside Holiday" which is set in Aldeburgh / Owlbarrow as is such a beautiful book. Aren't her portraits exquisite? She had such talent.
Gosh, I enjoyed reading this so much! I'd forgotten about Orlando, how lovely to revisit, especially as I have my own Orlando now. And even better to be introduced to those wonderful portrait drawings. Thank you.
I am so pleased, thank you. The books are such a joy and it was great fun researching her life and work. Do send my fondest wishes to your Orlando!