Dorset – Page 2 – Maddie Grigg

Why Plashy Fen?

The title of my new novel, Plashy Fen, came to me in the middle of the night a few years ago.

I wasn’t happy with the working title I’d given it, as who the hell did I think I was, calling it Dylan’s Wake, in a nod to the author of the wonderful Under Milk Wood, which is one of my favourite books.

And anyway, early beta readers told me they thought it was going to be about the funeral party of someone called Dylan.

I’ve been writing a column for The People’s Friend for over a decade now, after the then editor emailed me out of the blue telling me she’d seen my blog, The World From My Window, and would I like to write for the magazine?

She said (and it’s etched in my mind): ‘I think you might just be the writer we’ve been looking for! I like your ability to write with humour about the minutiae of daily life, but with a touch of emotional depth, too.’

So I introduced my village to Friend readers as Lush Places, named after the fictional newspaper column by the hapless and fictional nature writer William Boot, who, through a case of mistaken identity, becomes a war correspondent for The Daily Beast.

Boot is the main character in Scoop by Evelyn Waugh, which was published in 1938. It’s dated now and very politically incorrect but I loved the juxtaposition of a naïve, gentle writer in the cut-and-thrust world of horrid Fleet Street hacks out to make a name for themselves in a forgotten corner of the world.

I was redrafting my latest novel about Lush Places’s seaside sibling when the new village’s name – and book title – came to me during the early hours of the morning.

There is a line in one of Boot’s nature columns – ‘feather-footed through the plashy fen passes the questing vole’ – which has come to signify an affected style when it comes to nature writing.

I guess the the term plashy fen must have stuck with me. It’s become a bit of a personal joke and serves the purpose of making me check my prose style every now to make sure I’m not coming across as a complete jerk.

So that’s the story of how Plashy Fen got its name.

But the characters, well, they’re a different story…

Taking a break

Just to let you know, the blog is taking a back seat for a while.

I’ve had lots of things going on and I’m currently knee-deep in work around the publication of new novel by an indie press. It’s due out in the autumn – more news to follow.

Have a lovely summer, and maybe catch up with you through posts on my Instagram and Facebook pages, although these will also be a bit sporadic over the coming months.

Love, Maddie x

Come into the garden, Maud…

Apologies for the dearth of posts this past week or so.

We’ve done a bit of travelling and are now heavily involved in a village event coming up at the end of May.

The weather here in Dorset is absolutely splendid and it’s wonderful to get out in the garden and soak up the sights and sounds. Flowers are bursting forth from lush green foliage, bees are buzzing and blackbirds are singing their dear little hearts out.

I made the mistake of watching some of the Chelsea Flower Show programmes on the BBC this week.

One was probably enough, to be honest.

I mean, I love seeing the incredible gardens and plants on display but there is only so much I can take of grinning presenters we are clearly meant to know (their names only appear in the credits at the end) and celebrities I have never heard of.

Grayson Perry described Chelsea along the lines of being Middle England’s ‘Glastonbury for people who wear linen’, and he’s not wrong.

There is no way I could cope with all those crowds. I get slight agoraphobia just by watching it on the telly.

So this spring bank holiday weekend, I’m looking forward to spending time in my own glorious garden -small but on the way to being perfectly formed – as the sun beats down from a clear blue sky.

Enjoy the weekend, where ever you are.

Born & Bred: the movie

Last year I was involved in a project in my Dorset village.

This is the film that goes with it. It’s just been uploaded to YouTube and I thought you might like to see it.

This is the link to the accompanying article on the Windrose Rural Media Trust website that tells you all about it.

It was a privilege to lead this project, which combined oral history, creative arts and community participation to explore rural life and identity.

My cohort of local people were a joy to work with, and the film by my colleague Simone Einfalt brings tears to my eyes.

Of course we should listen to locals who are born and bred in a place. Not to do so is arrogant folly.

New projects with Windrose are on the horizon, if I can find the funding to implement them.

Please get in touch if you’re in Dorset, Somerset or Wiltshire if you think our creative paths could converge.

The Red Dress Project

Kirsty Macleod and The Red Dress when it was completed in 2023.
Picture by Mark Pickthall

I’m thrilled to be involved in a local heritage project bringing the magnificent Red Dress to Bridport, Dorset, next summer.

It doesn’t happen until 31 July – 15 August 2027 but it’s such a coup to have secured it.

The town won’t know what’s hit it – believe me, the place will be absolutely buzzing with people coming to see this extraordinary creation which tells the stories of ordinary women – often vulnerable or living in poverty- through embroidery.

The Red Dress Project was conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod as a collaborative artwork showcasing the creativity of women globally.

Since its inception, women from all walks of life—craftswomen, textile artists, volunteers, and community members—have contributed their skills, creating a dress that tells countless personal and cultural stories through embroidery, patchwork, and textile art.

I was contacted about it by an old friend, for whom I used to model at vintage fashion shows (the 1950s was my favourite era), who wondered if I could help with the publicity.

She didn’t have to ask me twice. It’s such an incredible project – a beautiful piece of art with the most amazing back story and stories, bringing disparate groups of women together from all over the world to create something truly stunning and inspirational.

I’ve written about the project for this month’s Marshwood Vale Magazine – you can read the article here.