Twist & Shake

Hello from a sunny Sweden, Dear Reader!

For several hundered years stood Furnival’s Inn opposite the church of Saint Andrew’s in Holborn. Though originating as an Inn of Chancery (offices for judicial clerks) it had, by 1818, been rebuilt and transformed into apartments.

Furnival’s Inn, 1828. T.H. Shepherd, courtesy of British Library.

Here Charles Dickens lived whilst writing his Pickwick Papers, perhaps looking out over the church yard, contemplating his next phrase. He moved away in early 1837, but when he wrote Oliver Twist, his old view stayed with him.

‘Now, young ‘un!’ said Sikes, looking up at the clock of St. Andrew’s Church, ‘hard upon seven! you must step out. Come, don’t lag behind already, Lazy-legs!

In 1820, Dickens’ fame was still a long way off, but when my own character’s travels through London took her to that same spot I couldn’t resist giving a nod to Old Chaz. In this excerpt, Lady May finds herself in a spot of bother.

At the stand near the junction of Red Lion Street and Holborn, the jarvey leered at her.
—‘I don’t take no tarts in me carriage, me.’
—‘How dare you! I am the Baroness Ta…’
—‘Don’t fink so, luv. Goin’ t’a public ‘ouse? Alone? Wif no luggage, like? Nah, yer a tart all right for all them black weeds. Yer ‘Ighness.’ He aimed a generous gob at the street in front of her. Spittle sprinkled the toes of her boots. Laughter from the choir of waiting hackney drivers wedged through the bright Mayday morning like a flock of honking geese. It was hard upon seven! She must hurry, soon the domestics were bound to discover her flight.
—‘Please…’ The pitiful squeak of her plea mortified her equally. Lady May found herself confined by a toothy rim of ugly grins edging closer.

[…]

Emerging from the yard, she recognised the church as St Andrew’s and ran the short distance into Holborn. Leaning on the corner to catch her breath, she glanced up at the church tower as the bell ding-donged the half hour.

© M Y Rönneus 2023