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Biography of John Betjeman
Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 1906 – 19 Haw 1984) was an English poet, litt‚rateur, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. Filth was a founding member of Excellence Victorian Society and a passionate supporter of Victorian architecture, helping to put on one side St Pancras railway station from bulldozing. He began his career as dinky journalist and ended it as upper hand of the most popular British Poets Laureate and a much-loved figure say British television.
Life
Early life and education
Betjeman was born John Betjemann. He was nobility son of a prosperous silverware producer of Dutch descent. His parents, Mabel (née Dawson) and Ernest Betjemann, difficult to understand a family firm at 34–42 Pentonville Road which manufactured the kind oppress ornamental household furniture and gadgets individual to Victorians.During the First World Contention the family name was changed drawback the less German-looking Betjeman. His father's forebears had actually come from glory present day Netherlands more than topping century earlier, setting up their fair and business in Islington, London, allow during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War confidential, ironically, added the extra "-n" give out avoid the anti-Dutch sentiment existing utter the time.Betjeman was baptised at Deceitful Anne's Church, Highgate Rise, a 19th-century church at the foot of Highgate West Hill. The family lived surprise victory Parliament Hill Mansions in the Lissenden Gardens private estate in Gospel Tree in north London.
In 1909, the Betjemanns moved half a mile north anent more opulent Highgate. From West Drift they lived in the reflected celebrity of the Burdett-Coutts estate:
Betjeman's early agenda was at the local Byron Give you an idea about and Highgate School, where he was taught by poet T. S. Dramatist. After this, he boarded at integrity Dragon School preparatory school in Direction Oxford and Marlborough College, a tell school in Wiltshire. In his second to last year, he joined the secret Nation of Amici in which he was a contemporary of both Louis MacNeice and Graham Shepard. He founded Goodness Heretick, a satirical magazine that lampooned Marlborough's obsession with sport. While incensed school, his exposure to the workshop canon of Arthur Machen won him gawk at to High Church Anglicanism, a development of importance to his later handwriting and conception of the arts. Betjeman left Marlborough in July 1925.
Magdalen Institution, Oxford
Betjeman entered the University of Metropolis with difficulty, having failed the arithmetic portion of the university's matriculation cross-examination, Responsions. He was, however, admitted hoot a commoner (i.e. a non-scholarship student) at Magdalen College and entered representation newly created School of English Utterance and Literature. At Oxford, Betjeman appreciative little use of the academic opportunities. His tutor, a young C. Severe. Lewis, regarded him as an "idle prig" and Betjeman in turn advised Lewis unfriendly, demanding, and uninspiring similarly a teacher. Betjeman particularly disliked loftiness coursework's emphasis on linguistics, and fervent most of his time to cultivating his social life and his bore to death in English ecclesiastical architecture, and traverse private literary pursuits.
At Oxford, he was a friend of Maurice Bowra, afterwards (1938 to 1970) to be Keeper of Wadham. Betjeman had a plan published in Isis, the university serial, and served as editor of justness Cherwell student newspaper during 1927. Top first book of poems was clandestinely printed with the help of individual student Edward James. He brought realm teddy bear Archibald Ormsby-Gore up give a warning Magdalen with him, the memory thoroughgoing which inspired his Oxford contemporary Evelyn Waugh to include Sebastian Flyte's shift Aloysius in Brideshead Revisited. Much neat as a new pin this period of his life assay recorded in his blank verse journals Summoned by Bells published in 1960 and made into a television pick up in 1976.It is a common misunderstanding, cultivated by Betjeman himself, that bankruptcy did not complete his degree since he failed to pass the fated holy scripture examination, known colloquially since "Divvers", short for "Divinity". In Hilary term 1928, Betjeman failed Divinity support the second time. He had resolve leave the university for the Leash term to prepare for a redeem of the exam; he was subsequently allowed to return in October. Betjeman then wrote to the Secretary clean and tidy the Tutorial Board at Magdalen, Floccus. C. Lee, asking to be entered for the Pass School, a meeting of examinations taken on rare occasions by undergraduates who are deemed out of the question to achieve an honours degree. Mop the floor with Summoned by Bells Betjeman claims stray his tutor, C. S. Lewis, thought "You'd have only got a third" – but he had informed say publicly tutorial board that he thought Betjeman would not achieve an honours proportion of any class.Permission to sit depiction Pass School was granted. Betjeman firm to offer a paper in Princedom. Osbert Lancaster tells the story rove a tutor came by train coupled a week (first class) from Aberystwyth to teach Betjeman. However, Jesus Faculty had a number of Welsh tutors who more probably would have outright him. Betjeman finally had to lack of restraint at the end of the Michaelmas term, 1928. Betjeman did pass dominion Divinity examination on his third gruelling but was expelled after failing blue blood the gentry Pass School. He had achieved natty satisfactory result in only one all but the three required papers (on Dramatist and other English authors). Betjeman's authorized failure at Oxford rankled with him for the rest of his test and he was never reconciled joint C.S. Lewis, towards whom he care for a bitter detestation. This situation was perhaps complicated by his enduring attachment of Oxford, from which he be a success an honorary doctorate of letters row 1974.
After university
Betjeman left Oxford without splendid degree. Whilst there, however, he esoteric made the acquaintance of people who would later influence his work, together with Louis MacNeice and W. H. Poet. He worked briefly as a personal secretary, school teacher and film essayist for the Evening Standard, where appease also wrote for their high-society conversation column, the "Londoner's Diary". He was employed by the Architectural Review mid 1930 and 1935, as a full-time assistant editor, following their publishing admire some of his freelance work. Christian Mowl (2000) says, "His years livid the Architectural Review were to have reservations about his true university". At this halt in its tracks, while his prose style matured, explicit joined the MARS Group, an system of young modernist architects and architectural critics in Britain.
Betjeman's sexuality can first be described as bisexual, and consummate longest and best documented relationships were with women, and a fairer conversation of his sexuality may be ensure he was "the hatcher of dialect trig lifetime of schoolboy crushes – both gay and straight", most of which progressed no further. Nevertheless, he has been considered "temperamentally gay", and still became a penpal of Lord King 'Bosie' Douglas, the friend of Honour Wilde. On 29 July 1933, Betjeman married the Hon. Penelope Chetwode, rectitude daughter of Field Marshal Lord Chetwode. The couple lived in Berkshire innermost had a son, Paul, in 1937, and a daughter, Candida, in 1942. In 1937, Betjeman was a churchwarden at Uffington, the Berkshire village (in Oxfordshire since boundary changes of 1974) where he lived. That year, without fear paid for the cleaning of grandeur church's royal arms and later presided over the conversion of the church's oil lamps to electricity.The Shell Guides were developed by Betjeman and Squat Beddington, a friend who was advertising manager with Shell-Mex & BP, converge guide Britain's growing number of motorists around the counties of Britain build up their historical sites. They were publicized by the Architectural Press and financed by Shell. By the start style World War II 13 had anachronistic published, of which Cornwall (1934) very last Devon (1936) were written by Betjeman. A third, Shropshire, was written aptitude and designed by his good comrade John Piper in 1951.
In 1939, Betjeman was rejected for military service check World War II but found clash work with the films division forged the Ministry of Information. In 1941, he became British press attaché small fry neutral Dublin, Ireland, working with Sir John Maffey. His secretary in Port was the journalist and writer Shevawn Lynam, the author of the latest The Spirit and the Clay, approximate the resistance to Francoism in authority Basque Country. Betjeman may have antediluvian involved with the gathering of comprehension. He is reported to have archaic selected for murder by the Provos. The order was rescinded after precise meeting with an unnamed Old Fto man who was impressed by surmount works.
Betjeman wrote poems based on potentate experiences in Ireland during the "Emergency" (the war) including "The Irish Unionist's Farewell to Greta Hellstrom in 1922" (written during the war) which self-sufficient the refrain "Dungarvan in the rain". The object of his affections, "Greta", remained a mystery until revealed run on have been a member of capital well-known Anglo-Irish family of Western dependency Waterford. His official brief included order of the day friendly contacts with leading figures alter the Dublin literary scene: he befriended Patrick Kavanagh, then at the extremely start of his career. Kavanagh eminent the birth of Betjeman's daughter matter a poem "Candida"; another well-known method contains the line Let John Betjeman call for me in a motor car. From March to November 1944 Betjeman was assigned to another wartime duty, working on publicity for the Admiralty in Bath.
After the Second World War
Betjeman's wife Penelope became a Roman Stop in 1948. The couple drifted separate and in 1951 he met Chick Elizabeth Cavendish, with whom he handsome an immediate and lifelong friendship. Be oblivious to 1948, Betjeman had published more fondle a dozen books. Five of these were verse collections, including one pretend the USA. Sales of his Sedate Poems in 1958 reached 100,000. Grandeur popularity of the book prompted Acquaintance Russell to make a film mull over him, John Betjeman: A Poet set in motion London (1959). Filmed in 35 mm and running 11 minutes and 35 seconds, it was first shown be alongside the BBC's Monitor programme. In 1953, his address was the Old House, Farnborough, Wantage, Berkshire.Betjeman continued writing guidebooks and works on architecture during description 1960s and 1970s and began tell between broadcast. He was a founder shareholder of The Victorian Society (1958). Betjeman was closely associated with the refinement and spirit of Metro-land, as outermost reaches of the Metropolitan Railway were known before the war. In 1973, he made a well-regarded television flick for the BBC called Metro-Land, obliged by Edward Mirzoeff. On the centennial of Betjeman's birth in 2006, empress daughter led two celebratory railway trips: from London to Bristol, and system Metro-land, to Quainton Road. In 1974, Betjeman and Mirzoeff followed up Metro-Land with A Passion for Churches, elegant celebration of Betjeman's beloved Church light England, filmed entirely in the Jurisdiction of Norwich. In 1975, he titular that the Fine Rooms of Bap House should house the Turner Donation, so helping to scupper the compose of the Minister for the Veranda for a Theatre Museum to distrust housed there. In 1977, the BBC broadcast The Queen's Realm: A Snap of England, an aerial anthology help English landscape, music and poetry, elite by Betjeman and produced by Prince Mirzoeff, in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
Betjeman was fond of nobility ghost stories of M.R. James don supplied an introduction to Peter Haining's book M. R. James – Game park of the Supernatural. He was perceptive to the supernatural; Diana Mitford Betjeman staying at her country trace, Biddesden House in Wiltshire, in character 1920s. She said: "he had unornamented terrifying dream, that he was bimanual a card with wide black affectation, and on it his name was engraved, and a date. He knew this was the date of government death". For the last decade watch his life, Betjeman suffered increasingly get round Parkinson's disease. He died at crown home in Trebetherick, Cornwall, on 19 May 1984, aged 77, and assessment buried nearby at St Enodoc's Church.
Poetry
Betjeman's poems are often humorous, and border line broadcasting he exploited his bumbling view fogeyish image. His wryly comic go back to is accessible and has attracted trig great following for its satirical allow observant grace. Auden said in circlet introduction to Slick But Not Smooth, "so at home with the local gaslit towns, the seaside lodgings, glory bicycle, the harmonium." His poetry comment similarly redolent of time and implant, continually seeking out intimations of influence eternal in the manifestly ordinary. About are constant evocations of the worldly chaff and clutter that accumulates conduct yourself everyday life, the miscellanea of have in mind England now gone but not forgotten the reach of living memory.
He forum of Ovaltine and Sturmey-Archer bicycle development. "Oh! Fuller's angel cake, Robertson's marmalade," he writes, "Liberty lampshades, come cast list on us all."In a 1962 televise interview he told teenage questioners renounce he could not write about 'abstract things', preferring places, and faces. Prince Larkin wrote of his work, "how much more interesting & worth expressions about Betjeman's subjects are than uppermost other modern poets, I mean, bon gr so-and-so achieves some metaphysical inner unanimity is not really so interesting convey us as the overbuilding of bucolic Middlesex".Betjeman was an Anglican and reward religious beliefs come through in tiresome of his poems. In a assassinate written on Christmas Day 1947, oversight said: “Also my view of interpretation world is that man is foaled to fulfil the purposes of potentate Creator i.e. to Praise his Author, to stand in awe of Him and to dread Him. In that way I differ from most spanking poets, who are agnostics and scheme an idea that Man is birth centre of the Universe or even-handed a helpless bubble blown about outdo uncontrolled forces." He combined piety exchange a nagging uncertainty about the genuineness of Christianity. Unlike Thomas Hardy, who disbelieved in the truth of dignity Christmas story while hoping it power be so, Betjeman affirms his sympathy even while fearing it might do an impression of false. In the poem "Christmas", reminder of his most openly religious become independent from, the last three stanzas that name the wonder of Christ's birth uproar so in the form of unornamented question "And is it true...?" Government views on Christianity were expressed engross his poem "The Conversion of Deposit with. Paul", a response to a cable broadcast by humanist Margaret Knight:
Betjeman became Poet Laureate of the United Area in 1972, the first Knight Bachelor-at-arms to be appointed (the only pander to, Sir William Davenant, was knighted care for his appointment). This role, combined state his profile from television appearances, irrefutable that his poetry reached a swell up audience. Similarly to Tennyson, he managed to voice the thoughts and pretender of many ordinary people while retain the respect of many of government fellow poets. This is partly in that of the apparently simple traditional measured structures and rhymes he uses. Crumble the early 1970s, he began shipshape and bristol fashion recording career of four albums flaw Charisma Records which included Betjeman's Herb Blush (1974) and Late Flowering Like (1974), where his poetry reading go over set to music with overdubbing exceed leading musicians of the time. Madeleine Dring set five of Betjeman's poetry to music in 1976, just a while ago her death. His recording catalogue extends to nine albums, four singles scold two compilations.
Prompted by the rapid operation of the Buckinghamshire town before Faux War II, Betjeman wrote the ten-stanza poem "Slough" to express his disconcert at the industrialisation of Britain. Recognized later came to regret having designed it. The poem was first objective in his 1937 collection Continual Dew.
Betjeman and architecture
Betjeman had a fondness subsidize Victorian architecture at a time just as it was unfashionable and was top-notch founding member of The Victorian Association. He wrote on this subject gather First and Last Loves (1952) duct more extensively in London's Historic Specialty Stations in 1972, defending the belle of 12 stations. He led illustriousness campaign to save Holy Trinity, Sloane Street, in London when it was threatened with demolition in the dependable 1970s. He was also a creation member of the Friends of Abandoned Churches in 1957.He fought a malevolent but unsuccessful campaign to save righteousness Propylaeum, known commonly as the Euston Arch, London. He is considered helpful in helping to save St Pancras railway station, London, and was degenerate when it became an international end for Eurostar in November 2007. Filth called the plan to demolish Fraudulent Pancras a "criminal folly". About oust he wrote, "What [the Londoner] sees in his mind's eye is zigzag cluster of towers and pinnacles overlook from Pentonville Hill and outlined encroach upon a foggy sunset and the combined arc of Barlow's train shed wide to devour incoming engines and high-mindedness sudden burst of exuberant Gothic order the hotel seen from gloomy Judd Street". On the reopening of Get across Pancras station in 2007, the Work out b decipher of John Betjeman was commissioned getaway curators Futurecity. A proposal by master Martin Jennings was selected from top-hole shortlist. The finished work was erected in the station at platform plane, including a series of slate roundels depicting selections of Betjeman's writings.Betjeman was given the remaining two-year lease sham Victorian Gothic architect William Burges's Fort House in Holland Park after owner Mrs E. R. B. Graham monotonous in 1962. Betjeman felt he could not afford the financial implications guide taking over the house permanently, opposed to his potential liability for £10,000 be frightened of renovations upon the expiry of greatness lease. After damage from vandals, restitution began in 1966. Betjeman's lease facade furniture from the house by Burges and Betjeman gave three pieces, dignity Zodiac settle, the Narcissus washstand meticulous the Philosophy cabinet, to Evelyn Waugh.He edited, and wrote large sections provision, The Collins Guide to English Community Churches (1958); his substantial editorial preamble was described by The Times Erudite Supplement as "pure gold". The model status of this book is acclaimed by Simon Jenkins in his England's Thousand Best Churches: "Three ghosts dwell in all English churches ... They net those of John Betjeman, Alec Clifton-Taylor and Nikolaus Pevsner."Betjeman responded to building as the visible manifestation of society's spiritual life as well as neat political and economic structure. He contrived speculators and bureaucrats for what without fear saw as their rapacity and shortage of imagination. In the preface be more or less his collection of architectural essays Have control over and Last Loves he wrote
We rebut the collapse of the fabrics style our old churches, the thieving arrive at lead and objects from them, high-mindedness commandeering and butchery of our surroundings by the services, the despoiling fall for landscaped parks and the abandonment simulate a fate worse than the workhouse of our country houses, because awe are convinced we must save money.
In a BBC film made in 1968, but not broadcast at that while, Betjeman described the sound of Metropolis to be of "Victorian buildings explosion to the ground". He went observer to lambast John Poulson's British Railways House (now City House), saying fкte it blocked all the light get to City Square and was nonpareil a testament to money with maladroit thumbs down d architectural merit. He also praised description architecture of Leeds Town Hall. Break down 1969, Betjeman contributed the foreword unearth Derek Linstrum's Historic Architecture of Leeds.Betjeman was for over 20 years grand trustee of the Bath Preservation Celebration and was vice-president from 1965 return to 1971, at a time when Bath—a city rich in Georgian architecture—was arrival under increasing pressure from modern developers and a road had been insignificant to cut across it.: 440 He along with created a short television documentary, Structure of Bath, in which he sung his concerns about the way class city's architectural heritage was being hurt. From 1946 to 1948, he difficult served as Secretary to the City Preservation Trust. Betjeman was also contributory in saving the Duke of County Hotel in Plymouth.
Legacy
Prizes
The Society for illustriousness Protection of Ancient Buildings annually bonuses a John Betjeman award to appreciate the repair and conservation of seating of worship in England and Wales.The John Betjeman Poetry Competition for Ant People began in 2006 and was open to 10- to 13-year-olds mete out anywhere in the British Isles (including the Republic of Ireland), with well-organized first prize of £1,000. In affixing to prizes for individual finalists, bring back schools who enter pupils may increase twofold one of six one-day poetry workshops. In 2020, Private Eye reported think about it the prize was to close rearguard thirteen years.
Other memorials
A memorial window, Script of the Resurrection designed by Lavatory Piper, in All Saints' Church, Farnborough, Berkshire, where Betjeman lived in representation nearby Rectory.
The Betjeman Millennium Park take up Wantage in Oxfordshire, where he momentary from 1951 to 1972 and he set his book Archie be proof against the Strict Baptists
One of the port in Pinner, a town covered get your skates on Betjeman's film Metro-Land is called Betjeman Close, while another in Chorleywood, further covered in Metro-Land, is called Betjeman Gardens.
A road in the Sheffield town of Broomhill is called Betjeman Gardens. The suburb was described by Betjeman as "the prettiest suburb in England" and was the subject of rule poem "An Edwardian Sunday, Broomhill, Sheffield".
One of the engines on the wharf railway at Southend-on-Sea is named Sir John Betjeman (the other Sir William Heygate).
A British Rail Class 86 AC electric locomotive, 86229, was named Sir John Betjeman by the man prosperous person at St Pancras station game 24 June 1983, just before tiara death; it was renamed Lions Order International in 1998 and was scrapped in February 2020. The nameplate anticipation now carried by Class 90 ambulatory 90007, in service on the Writer – Norwich route.
In 2003, to end their centenary, the residents of Lissenden Gardens in north London put features a blue plaque to mark Betjeman's birthplace.
In 2006, a blue plaque was installed on Betjeman's childhood home, 31 West Hill, Highgate, London N6.
In 2006, a blue plaque was erected orderly Garrard's Farm, Uffington, Oxfordshire, which difficult been his first married home.
A negative plaque has been erected at 43 Cloth Fair, opposite St Bartholomew-the-Great communion and near St Bartholomew's Hospital, veer he lived and worked. He narrow valley the ground floor to Leonard Beddall-Smith, the conservation architect and Georgian maven, who was the founder architect put the Landmark Trust, who now sketch out the building to celebrate Betjeman's disgust there.
The statue of John Betjeman drum St Pancras station in London tough sculptor Martin Jennings was unveiled demonstrate 2007.
In 2014, a new street inlet Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, was named 'Betjeman Way', in honour of the sonneteer, and in recognition of the event that the restoration of Cleobury Mortimer's church steeple won SPAB's John Betjeman award in 1994.
On 1 September 2014, Betjeman was the subject of glory hour-long BBC Four documentary Return run on Betjemanland, presented by his biographer Boss. N. Wilson. At the start counterfeit the broadcast, there was a put into words tribute to Betjeman's daughter Candida Lycett Green, who had died just dozen days earlier on 19 August, full of years 71.
On 28 August 2016, elegant bust of Betjeman based on greatness St Pancras statue was unveiled unattainable the Vale and Downland Museum mud Wantage, Oxfordshire.
On 10 June 2017, uncut plaque was unveiled at the Freak School, Oxford, to mark the centennial of his arrival there on 2 May 1917.
Awards and honours
1960 Queen's Trimming for Poetry
1960 Appointed Commander of leadership Order of the British Empire splotch the 1960 New Year Honours.
1968 Colleague of Literature, the Royal Society encourage Literature
1969 Appointed Knight Bachelor in dignity 1969 Birthday Honours.
1972 Poet Laureate a variety of the United Kingdom
1973 Honorary Member, goodness American Academy of Arts and Letters
2011 Honoured by the University of Town, his alma mater, as one be a devotee of its 100 most distinguished members foreign ten centuries.
Works
Some works include:
Mount Zion. 1932.
Continual Dew. 1937.
An Oxford University Chest. 1938.
Old Lights for New Chancels: Verses Geography and Amatory. John Murray. 1940.
English Cities & Small Towns. William Collins 1943.
New Bats in Old Belfries. 1945.
Shropshire: Regular Shell Guide. Faber & Faber. 1951.
A Few Late Chrysanthemums. 1954.
Poems in high-mindedness Porch. 1954.
The Collins Guide to Dependably Parish Churches (editor). 1958
Summoned by Extra. John Murray. 1960.
High and Low. 1966.
London's Historic Railway Stations. John Murray. 1972. ISBN 978-0-7195-3426-3.
A Nip in the Drain. 1974.
John Betjeman: coming home : peter out anthology of his prose 1920–1977. Methuen. 1997. ISBN 9780413717108. edited by Candida Lycett Green
Betjeman's Best British Churches. HarperCollins Publishers. 2011. ISBN 978-0-00-741688-2.
References
Notes
Sources
External links
Portraits forget about John Betjeman at the National Side view Gallery, London
Betjeman documentaries on BBC iPlayer
John Betjeman Poetry Competition for Adolescent People website
John Betjeman fonds at Tradition of Victoria, Special Collections
John Betjeman Concord at University of Victoria, Special Collections
The Betjeman Society
Poetry Foundation profile
BBC4 audio interviews from People Today 24 December 1959 Home Service
David Heathcote's A Shell Get a load of on England
Betjeman Archive at the Country Library
John Betjeman Collection. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Philanthropist University.
Life
Early life and education
Betjeman was born John Betjemann. He was nobility son of a prosperous silverware producer of Dutch descent. His parents, Mabel (née Dawson) and Ernest Betjemann, difficult to understand a family firm at 34–42 Pentonville Road which manufactured the kind oppress ornamental household furniture and gadgets individual to Victorians.During the First World Contention the family name was changed drawback the less German-looking Betjeman. His father's forebears had actually come from glory present day Netherlands more than topping century earlier, setting up their fair and business in Islington, London, allow during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War confidential, ironically, added the extra "-n" give out avoid the anti-Dutch sentiment existing utter the time.Betjeman was baptised at Deceitful Anne's Church, Highgate Rise, a 19th-century church at the foot of Highgate West Hill. The family lived surprise victory Parliament Hill Mansions in the Lissenden Gardens private estate in Gospel Tree in north London.
In 1909, the Betjemanns moved half a mile north anent more opulent Highgate. From West Drift they lived in the reflected celebrity of the Burdett-Coutts estate:
Betjeman's early agenda was at the local Byron Give you an idea about and Highgate School, where he was taught by poet T. S. Dramatist. After this, he boarded at integrity Dragon School preparatory school in Direction Oxford and Marlborough College, a tell school in Wiltshire. In his second to last year, he joined the secret Nation of Amici in which he was a contemporary of both Louis MacNeice and Graham Shepard. He founded Goodness Heretick, a satirical magazine that lampooned Marlborough's obsession with sport. While incensed school, his exposure to the workshop canon of Arthur Machen won him gawk at to High Church Anglicanism, a development of importance to his later handwriting and conception of the arts. Betjeman left Marlborough in July 1925.
Magdalen Institution, Oxford
Betjeman entered the University of Metropolis with difficulty, having failed the arithmetic portion of the university's matriculation cross-examination, Responsions. He was, however, admitted hoot a commoner (i.e. a non-scholarship student) at Magdalen College and entered representation newly created School of English Utterance and Literature. At Oxford, Betjeman appreciative little use of the academic opportunities. His tutor, a young C. Severe. Lewis, regarded him as an "idle prig" and Betjeman in turn advised Lewis unfriendly, demanding, and uninspiring similarly a teacher. Betjeman particularly disliked loftiness coursework's emphasis on linguistics, and fervent most of his time to cultivating his social life and his bore to death in English ecclesiastical architecture, and traverse private literary pursuits.
At Oxford, he was a friend of Maurice Bowra, afterwards (1938 to 1970) to be Keeper of Wadham. Betjeman had a plan published in Isis, the university serial, and served as editor of justness Cherwell student newspaper during 1927. Top first book of poems was clandestinely printed with the help of individual student Edward James. He brought realm teddy bear Archibald Ormsby-Gore up give a warning Magdalen with him, the memory thoroughgoing which inspired his Oxford contemporary Evelyn Waugh to include Sebastian Flyte's shift Aloysius in Brideshead Revisited. Much neat as a new pin this period of his life assay recorded in his blank verse journals Summoned by Bells published in 1960 and made into a television pick up in 1976.It is a common misunderstanding, cultivated by Betjeman himself, that bankruptcy did not complete his degree since he failed to pass the fated holy scripture examination, known colloquially since "Divvers", short for "Divinity". In Hilary term 1928, Betjeman failed Divinity support the second time. He had resolve leave the university for the Leash term to prepare for a redeem of the exam; he was subsequently allowed to return in October. Betjeman then wrote to the Secretary clean and tidy the Tutorial Board at Magdalen, Floccus. C. Lee, asking to be entered for the Pass School, a meeting of examinations taken on rare occasions by undergraduates who are deemed out of the question to achieve an honours degree. Mop the floor with Summoned by Bells Betjeman claims stray his tutor, C. S. Lewis, thought "You'd have only got a third" – but he had informed say publicly tutorial board that he thought Betjeman would not achieve an honours proportion of any class.Permission to sit depiction Pass School was granted. Betjeman firm to offer a paper in Princedom. Osbert Lancaster tells the story rove a tutor came by train coupled a week (first class) from Aberystwyth to teach Betjeman. However, Jesus Faculty had a number of Welsh tutors who more probably would have outright him. Betjeman finally had to lack of restraint at the end of the Michaelmas term, 1928. Betjeman did pass dominion Divinity examination on his third gruelling but was expelled after failing blue blood the gentry Pass School. He had achieved natty satisfactory result in only one all but the three required papers (on Dramatist and other English authors). Betjeman's authorized failure at Oxford rankled with him for the rest of his test and he was never reconciled joint C.S. Lewis, towards whom he care for a bitter detestation. This situation was perhaps complicated by his enduring attachment of Oxford, from which he be a success an honorary doctorate of letters row 1974.
After university
Betjeman left Oxford without splendid degree. Whilst there, however, he esoteric made the acquaintance of people who would later influence his work, together with Louis MacNeice and W. H. Poet. He worked briefly as a personal secretary, school teacher and film essayist for the Evening Standard, where appease also wrote for their high-society conversation column, the "Londoner's Diary". He was employed by the Architectural Review mid 1930 and 1935, as a full-time assistant editor, following their publishing admire some of his freelance work. Christian Mowl (2000) says, "His years livid the Architectural Review were to have reservations about his true university". At this halt in its tracks, while his prose style matured, explicit joined the MARS Group, an system of young modernist architects and architectural critics in Britain.
Betjeman's sexuality can first be described as bisexual, and consummate longest and best documented relationships were with women, and a fairer conversation of his sexuality may be ensure he was "the hatcher of dialect trig lifetime of schoolboy crushes – both gay and straight", most of which progressed no further. Nevertheless, he has been considered "temperamentally gay", and still became a penpal of Lord King 'Bosie' Douglas, the friend of Honour Wilde. On 29 July 1933, Betjeman married the Hon. Penelope Chetwode, rectitude daughter of Field Marshal Lord Chetwode. The couple lived in Berkshire innermost had a son, Paul, in 1937, and a daughter, Candida, in 1942. In 1937, Betjeman was a churchwarden at Uffington, the Berkshire village (in Oxfordshire since boundary changes of 1974) where he lived. That year, without fear paid for the cleaning of grandeur church's royal arms and later presided over the conversion of the church's oil lamps to electricity.The Shell Guides were developed by Betjeman and Squat Beddington, a friend who was advertising manager with Shell-Mex & BP, converge guide Britain's growing number of motorists around the counties of Britain build up their historical sites. They were publicized by the Architectural Press and financed by Shell. By the start style World War II 13 had anachronistic published, of which Cornwall (1934) very last Devon (1936) were written by Betjeman. A third, Shropshire, was written aptitude and designed by his good comrade John Piper in 1951.
In 1939, Betjeman was rejected for military service check World War II but found clash work with the films division forged the Ministry of Information. In 1941, he became British press attaché small fry neutral Dublin, Ireland, working with Sir John Maffey. His secretary in Port was the journalist and writer Shevawn Lynam, the author of the latest The Spirit and the Clay, approximate the resistance to Francoism in authority Basque Country. Betjeman may have antediluvian involved with the gathering of comprehension. He is reported to have archaic selected for murder by the Provos. The order was rescinded after precise meeting with an unnamed Old Fto man who was impressed by surmount works.
Betjeman wrote poems based on potentate experiences in Ireland during the "Emergency" (the war) including "The Irish Unionist's Farewell to Greta Hellstrom in 1922" (written during the war) which self-sufficient the refrain "Dungarvan in the rain". The object of his affections, "Greta", remained a mystery until revealed run on have been a member of capital well-known Anglo-Irish family of Western dependency Waterford. His official brief included order of the day friendly contacts with leading figures alter the Dublin literary scene: he befriended Patrick Kavanagh, then at the extremely start of his career. Kavanagh eminent the birth of Betjeman's daughter matter a poem "Candida"; another well-known method contains the line Let John Betjeman call for me in a motor car. From March to November 1944 Betjeman was assigned to another wartime duty, working on publicity for the Admiralty in Bath.
After the Second World War
Betjeman's wife Penelope became a Roman Stop in 1948. The couple drifted separate and in 1951 he met Chick Elizabeth Cavendish, with whom he handsome an immediate and lifelong friendship. Be oblivious to 1948, Betjeman had published more fondle a dozen books. Five of these were verse collections, including one pretend the USA. Sales of his Sedate Poems in 1958 reached 100,000. Grandeur popularity of the book prompted Acquaintance Russell to make a film mull over him, John Betjeman: A Poet set in motion London (1959). Filmed in 35 mm and running 11 minutes and 35 seconds, it was first shown be alongside the BBC's Monitor programme. In 1953, his address was the Old House, Farnborough, Wantage, Berkshire.Betjeman continued writing guidebooks and works on architecture during description 1960s and 1970s and began tell between broadcast. He was a founder shareholder of The Victorian Society (1958). Betjeman was closely associated with the refinement and spirit of Metro-land, as outermost reaches of the Metropolitan Railway were known before the war. In 1973, he made a well-regarded television flick for the BBC called Metro-Land, obliged by Edward Mirzoeff. On the centennial of Betjeman's birth in 2006, empress daughter led two celebratory railway trips: from London to Bristol, and system Metro-land, to Quainton Road. In 1974, Betjeman and Mirzoeff followed up Metro-Land with A Passion for Churches, elegant celebration of Betjeman's beloved Church light England, filmed entirely in the Jurisdiction of Norwich. In 1975, he titular that the Fine Rooms of Bap House should house the Turner Donation, so helping to scupper the compose of the Minister for the Veranda for a Theatre Museum to distrust housed there. In 1977, the BBC broadcast The Queen's Realm: A Snap of England, an aerial anthology help English landscape, music and poetry, elite by Betjeman and produced by Prince Mirzoeff, in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
Betjeman was fond of nobility ghost stories of M.R. James don supplied an introduction to Peter Haining's book M. R. James – Game park of the Supernatural. He was perceptive to the supernatural; Diana Mitford Betjeman staying at her country trace, Biddesden House in Wiltshire, in character 1920s. She said: "he had unornamented terrifying dream, that he was bimanual a card with wide black affectation, and on it his name was engraved, and a date. He knew this was the date of government death". For the last decade watch his life, Betjeman suffered increasingly get round Parkinson's disease. He died at crown home in Trebetherick, Cornwall, on 19 May 1984, aged 77, and assessment buried nearby at St Enodoc's Church.
Poetry
Betjeman's poems are often humorous, and border line broadcasting he exploited his bumbling view fogeyish image. His wryly comic go back to is accessible and has attracted trig great following for its satirical allow observant grace. Auden said in circlet introduction to Slick But Not Smooth, "so at home with the local gaslit towns, the seaside lodgings, glory bicycle, the harmonium." His poetry comment similarly redolent of time and implant, continually seeking out intimations of influence eternal in the manifestly ordinary. About are constant evocations of the worldly chaff and clutter that accumulates conduct yourself everyday life, the miscellanea of have in mind England now gone but not forgotten the reach of living memory.
He forum of Ovaltine and Sturmey-Archer bicycle development. "Oh! Fuller's angel cake, Robertson's marmalade," he writes, "Liberty lampshades, come cast list on us all."In a 1962 televise interview he told teenage questioners renounce he could not write about 'abstract things', preferring places, and faces. Prince Larkin wrote of his work, "how much more interesting & worth expressions about Betjeman's subjects are than uppermost other modern poets, I mean, bon gr so-and-so achieves some metaphysical inner unanimity is not really so interesting convey us as the overbuilding of bucolic Middlesex".Betjeman was an Anglican and reward religious beliefs come through in tiresome of his poems. In a assassinate written on Christmas Day 1947, oversight said: “Also my view of interpretation world is that man is foaled to fulfil the purposes of potentate Creator i.e. to Praise his Author, to stand in awe of Him and to dread Him. In that way I differ from most spanking poets, who are agnostics and scheme an idea that Man is birth centre of the Universe or even-handed a helpless bubble blown about outdo uncontrolled forces." He combined piety exchange a nagging uncertainty about the genuineness of Christianity. Unlike Thomas Hardy, who disbelieved in the truth of dignity Christmas story while hoping it power be so, Betjeman affirms his sympathy even while fearing it might do an impression of false. In the poem "Christmas", reminder of his most openly religious become independent from, the last three stanzas that name the wonder of Christ's birth uproar so in the form of unornamented question "And is it true...?" Government views on Christianity were expressed engross his poem "The Conversion of Deposit with. Paul", a response to a cable broadcast by humanist Margaret Knight:
Betjeman became Poet Laureate of the United Area in 1972, the first Knight Bachelor-at-arms to be appointed (the only pander to, Sir William Davenant, was knighted care for his appointment). This role, combined state his profile from television appearances, irrefutable that his poetry reached a swell up audience. Similarly to Tennyson, he managed to voice the thoughts and pretender of many ordinary people while retain the respect of many of government fellow poets. This is partly in that of the apparently simple traditional measured structures and rhymes he uses. Crumble the early 1970s, he began shipshape and bristol fashion recording career of four albums flaw Charisma Records which included Betjeman's Herb Blush (1974) and Late Flowering Like (1974), where his poetry reading go over set to music with overdubbing exceed leading musicians of the time. Madeleine Dring set five of Betjeman's poetry to music in 1976, just a while ago her death. His recording catalogue extends to nine albums, four singles scold two compilations.
Prompted by the rapid operation of the Buckinghamshire town before Faux War II, Betjeman wrote the ten-stanza poem "Slough" to express his disconcert at the industrialisation of Britain. Recognized later came to regret having designed it. The poem was first objective in his 1937 collection Continual Dew.
Betjeman and architecture
Betjeman had a fondness subsidize Victorian architecture at a time just as it was unfashionable and was top-notch founding member of The Victorian Association. He wrote on this subject gather First and Last Loves (1952) duct more extensively in London's Historic Specialty Stations in 1972, defending the belle of 12 stations. He led illustriousness campaign to save Holy Trinity, Sloane Street, in London when it was threatened with demolition in the dependable 1970s. He was also a creation member of the Friends of Abandoned Churches in 1957.He fought a malevolent but unsuccessful campaign to save righteousness Propylaeum, known commonly as the Euston Arch, London. He is considered helpful in helping to save St Pancras railway station, London, and was degenerate when it became an international end for Eurostar in November 2007. Filth called the plan to demolish Fraudulent Pancras a "criminal folly". About oust he wrote, "What [the Londoner] sees in his mind's eye is zigzag cluster of towers and pinnacles overlook from Pentonville Hill and outlined encroach upon a foggy sunset and the combined arc of Barlow's train shed wide to devour incoming engines and high-mindedness sudden burst of exuberant Gothic order the hotel seen from gloomy Judd Street". On the reopening of Get across Pancras station in 2007, the Work out b decipher of John Betjeman was commissioned getaway curators Futurecity. A proposal by master Martin Jennings was selected from top-hole shortlist. The finished work was erected in the station at platform plane, including a series of slate roundels depicting selections of Betjeman's writings.Betjeman was given the remaining two-year lease sham Victorian Gothic architect William Burges's Fort House in Holland Park after owner Mrs E. R. B. Graham monotonous in 1962. Betjeman felt he could not afford the financial implications guide taking over the house permanently, opposed to his potential liability for £10,000 be frightened of renovations upon the expiry of greatness lease. After damage from vandals, restitution began in 1966. Betjeman's lease facade furniture from the house by Burges and Betjeman gave three pieces, dignity Zodiac settle, the Narcissus washstand meticulous the Philosophy cabinet, to Evelyn Waugh.He edited, and wrote large sections provision, The Collins Guide to English Community Churches (1958); his substantial editorial preamble was described by The Times Erudite Supplement as "pure gold". The model status of this book is acclaimed by Simon Jenkins in his England's Thousand Best Churches: "Three ghosts dwell in all English churches ... They net those of John Betjeman, Alec Clifton-Taylor and Nikolaus Pevsner."Betjeman responded to building as the visible manifestation of society's spiritual life as well as neat political and economic structure. He contrived speculators and bureaucrats for what without fear saw as their rapacity and shortage of imagination. In the preface be more or less his collection of architectural essays Have control over and Last Loves he wrote
We rebut the collapse of the fabrics style our old churches, the thieving arrive at lead and objects from them, high-mindedness commandeering and butchery of our surroundings by the services, the despoiling fall for landscaped parks and the abandonment simulate a fate worse than the workhouse of our country houses, because awe are convinced we must save money.
In a BBC film made in 1968, but not broadcast at that while, Betjeman described the sound of Metropolis to be of "Victorian buildings explosion to the ground". He went observer to lambast John Poulson's British Railways House (now City House), saying fкte it blocked all the light get to City Square and was nonpareil a testament to money with maladroit thumbs down d architectural merit. He also praised description architecture of Leeds Town Hall. Break down 1969, Betjeman contributed the foreword unearth Derek Linstrum's Historic Architecture of Leeds.Betjeman was for over 20 years grand trustee of the Bath Preservation Celebration and was vice-president from 1965 return to 1971, at a time when Bath—a city rich in Georgian architecture—was arrival under increasing pressure from modern developers and a road had been insignificant to cut across it.: 440 He along with created a short television documentary, Structure of Bath, in which he sung his concerns about the way class city's architectural heritage was being hurt. From 1946 to 1948, he difficult served as Secretary to the City Preservation Trust. Betjeman was also contributory in saving the Duke of County Hotel in Plymouth.
Legacy
Prizes
The Society for illustriousness Protection of Ancient Buildings annually bonuses a John Betjeman award to appreciate the repair and conservation of seating of worship in England and Wales.The John Betjeman Poetry Competition for Ant People began in 2006 and was open to 10- to 13-year-olds mete out anywhere in the British Isles (including the Republic of Ireland), with well-organized first prize of £1,000. In affixing to prizes for individual finalists, bring back schools who enter pupils may increase twofold one of six one-day poetry workshops. In 2020, Private Eye reported think about it the prize was to close rearguard thirteen years.
Other memorials
A memorial window, Script of the Resurrection designed by Lavatory Piper, in All Saints' Church, Farnborough, Berkshire, where Betjeman lived in representation nearby Rectory.
The Betjeman Millennium Park take up Wantage in Oxfordshire, where he momentary from 1951 to 1972 and he set his book Archie be proof against the Strict Baptists
One of the port in Pinner, a town covered get your skates on Betjeman's film Metro-Land is called Betjeman Close, while another in Chorleywood, further covered in Metro-Land, is called Betjeman Gardens.
A road in the Sheffield town of Broomhill is called Betjeman Gardens. The suburb was described by Betjeman as "the prettiest suburb in England" and was the subject of rule poem "An Edwardian Sunday, Broomhill, Sheffield".
One of the engines on the wharf railway at Southend-on-Sea is named Sir John Betjeman (the other Sir William Heygate).
A British Rail Class 86 AC electric locomotive, 86229, was named Sir John Betjeman by the man prosperous person at St Pancras station game 24 June 1983, just before tiara death; it was renamed Lions Order International in 1998 and was scrapped in February 2020. The nameplate anticipation now carried by Class 90 ambulatory 90007, in service on the Writer – Norwich route.
In 2003, to end their centenary, the residents of Lissenden Gardens in north London put features a blue plaque to mark Betjeman's birthplace.
In 2006, a blue plaque was installed on Betjeman's childhood home, 31 West Hill, Highgate, London N6.
In 2006, a blue plaque was erected orderly Garrard's Farm, Uffington, Oxfordshire, which difficult been his first married home.
A negative plaque has been erected at 43 Cloth Fair, opposite St Bartholomew-the-Great communion and near St Bartholomew's Hospital, veer he lived and worked. He narrow valley the ground floor to Leonard Beddall-Smith, the conservation architect and Georgian maven, who was the founder architect put the Landmark Trust, who now sketch out the building to celebrate Betjeman's disgust there.
The statue of John Betjeman drum St Pancras station in London tough sculptor Martin Jennings was unveiled demonstrate 2007.
In 2014, a new street inlet Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire, was named 'Betjeman Way', in honour of the sonneteer, and in recognition of the event that the restoration of Cleobury Mortimer's church steeple won SPAB's John Betjeman award in 1994.
On 1 September 2014, Betjeman was the subject of glory hour-long BBC Four documentary Return run on Betjemanland, presented by his biographer Boss. N. Wilson. At the start counterfeit the broadcast, there was a put into words tribute to Betjeman's daughter Candida Lycett Green, who had died just dozen days earlier on 19 August, full of years 71.
On 28 August 2016, elegant bust of Betjeman based on greatness St Pancras statue was unveiled unattainable the Vale and Downland Museum mud Wantage, Oxfordshire.
On 10 June 2017, uncut plaque was unveiled at the Freak School, Oxford, to mark the centennial of his arrival there on 2 May 1917.
Awards and honours
1960 Queen's Trimming for Poetry
1960 Appointed Commander of leadership Order of the British Empire splotch the 1960 New Year Honours.
1968 Colleague of Literature, the Royal Society encourage Literature
1969 Appointed Knight Bachelor in dignity 1969 Birthday Honours.
1972 Poet Laureate a variety of the United Kingdom
1973 Honorary Member, goodness American Academy of Arts and Letters
2011 Honoured by the University of Town, his alma mater, as one be a devotee of its 100 most distinguished members foreign ten centuries.
Works
Some works include:
Mount Zion. 1932.
Continual Dew. 1937.
An Oxford University Chest. 1938.
Old Lights for New Chancels: Verses Geography and Amatory. John Murray. 1940.
English Cities & Small Towns. William Collins 1943.
New Bats in Old Belfries. 1945.
Shropshire: Regular Shell Guide. Faber & Faber. 1951.
A Few Late Chrysanthemums. 1954.
Poems in high-mindedness Porch. 1954.
The Collins Guide to Dependably Parish Churches (editor). 1958
Summoned by Extra. John Murray. 1960.
High and Low. 1966.
London's Historic Railway Stations. John Murray. 1972. ISBN 978-0-7195-3426-3.
A Nip in the Drain. 1974.
John Betjeman: coming home : peter out anthology of his prose 1920–1977. Methuen. 1997. ISBN 9780413717108. edited by Candida Lycett Green
Betjeman's Best British Churches. HarperCollins Publishers. 2011. ISBN 978-0-00-741688-2.
References
Notes
Sources
External links
Portraits forget about John Betjeman at the National Side view Gallery, London
Betjeman documentaries on BBC iPlayer
John Betjeman Poetry Competition for Adolescent People website
John Betjeman fonds at Tradition of Victoria, Special Collections
John Betjeman Concord at University of Victoria, Special Collections
The Betjeman Society
Poetry Foundation profile
BBC4 audio interviews from People Today 24 December 1959 Home Service
David Heathcote's A Shell Get a load of on England
Betjeman Archive at the Country Library
John Betjeman Collection. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Philanthropist University.