The Mingham Air

by Elizabeth Fair

“The best thing one can say about the Priory is that it would have made a splendid ruin,” she stated. “If only the Seamarks had left it alone …”

Hester Clifford has come to Mingham to recover from pneumonia, at the invitation of her godmother, Cecily Hutton, an eccentric painter with a predilection for ruins. Hester determines to bring order to the Huttons’ easygoing lives, not to mention those of the villagers—including elderly Mrs. Hyde-Ridley, attempting to enforce her Edwardian standards of behaviour, Mrs. Merlin, the Rector’s wife, equally determined to share the joys of country dance with an unenthusiastic parish, and Thomas Seamark, a classic example of the wealthy, brooding widower. Amidst conflict, manipulation, matchmaking, and general hilarity, Hester clearly has her work cut out for her.

Furrowed Middlebrow is delighted to make available, for the first time in over half a century, all six of Elizabeth Fair’s irresistible comedies of domestic life. These new editions all feature an introduction by Elizabeth Crawford.

“Miss Fair’s understanding is deeper than Mrs. Thirkell’s and her humour is untouched by snobbishness; she is much nearer to Trollope, grand master in these matters.”--Stevie Smith

“Miss Fair makes writing look very easy, and that is the measure of her creative ability.”--Compton Mackenzie

Genres: Fiction, British Literature, Humor, Romance, Classics, Novels

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Elizabeth Mary Fair was born in 1908 in Haigh, Lancashire, a small village not far from Wigan.] Her father was the land agent for the 10th Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, whose family seat, Haigh Hall, was nearby. Elizabeth and her sister were educated by a governess. Her father died in 1934 and the family moved to Hampshire, where they had a small house and a large garden in New Forest.

During World War II Fair served for five years as an ambulance driver in the Civil Defence Corps in Southampton. In 1944 she joined the Red Cross and spent eighteen months in Ceylon, India, and Belgium.[3]

After returning to England in 1947, she moved to Boldre in Hampshire.

Fair wrote six novels of English village life that humorously and gently dissected the "polite social politics" of village denizens while managing to incorporate a romance or two. Reviewers typically compare her work to that of Margery Sharp or Angela Thirkell, with Stevie Smith and other reviewers noting that her work has affinities with Trollope. Of her novel All One Summer, the author wrote that it was meant for people like herself who "prefer not to take life too seriously". Writer Compton Mackenzie said of this novel that it was "in the best tradition of English humour".

Fair's third novel, The Native Heath (1954) was published with a jacket design by Shirley Hughes.

Fair published her last novel in 1960 and died in 1997 (Taken from Author Bio in her books, added in other information from online resources)

Reviews

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

It was a very good reason, Maggie thought, her Hutton inertia reinforced by antagonism Hester was much too managing, she had already started to reform Denis and one could see she had her eye on Mrs Pilgrim. If she was like this in convalescence what on earth would she be like when fully restored to health.

Hester, recovering from a broken heart and an illness, has accepted her grandmother's invitation to stay with her and her family in Mingham. She sees problems with the family which she sets about fixing. Bennet, the father is an invalid/hypochondriac, he starts to take more of an interest in what is going on around him. Denis goes from one job to another, Cecilia has caused offence to the local squire, plenty for her to manage.

The family were both endearing and infuriating, there are also the neighbours who were mostly amusing, but would be infuriating to live near. Add in a touch of romance, and a village date threatening to be a wash out, and we have an amusing and entertaining read.

Sadly, I have now come to the end of Elizabeth Fair's books, but I'm sure I will enjoy rereading them soon enough.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light and amusing read very much in the vein of Angela Thirkell. There's a blurb on the back from Stevie Smith, of all people (I would have expected her to be too busy being post-modern or something to read this), saying that Elizabeth Fair is nicer and less snobbish than Thirkell, which is probably true.

The plot concerns of young woman named Hester, who's ostensibly suffering from a broken heart, who makes an extended visit to her godmother's family to recover. Flora Post-like (from Cold Comfort Farm), she sets about trying to reform the family from their personality flaws, although they suffer more from genteel vagueness than stubborn rural squalor. It was a pleasant read.

I love that so many books of this ilk are being republished by the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint of the Dean Street Press, and expect to buy and read many more of them. I just wish that there was some evidence that someone proofread the scans of the texts before sending them to the printers.

[Abigail Bok · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hester is a young woman who has been jilted by her fiancé and has worried herself into pneumonia. An orphan, she can’t quite face going to recuperate with her ancient aunts, but luckily she’s rescued by a godmother, Cecily Hutton. So now she is spending a summer with the Huttons in their village, the Mingham of the title.

Elizabeth Fair specializes in this sort of story—a young woman from town, hiding out for a stretch with people she doesn’t know well and has little in common with. The reader can come into a restricted society and see it from the outside, without having to be too invested. It’s a situation that must have happened often in England during the upheavals of World War II and immediately afterward, but it seems a bit odd in a book published in 1960. The 1960s also seem like the far end of an era in which people can get pneumonia and take months to recuperate, abandoning whatever life and job they had before. Nevertheless, here we are.

I like this type of story but I only somewhat enjoyed this one, probably because only one and a half of the characters seemed at all sympathetic. Both Mrs. Hutton and her husband are pretty difficult people, many of the villagers are actively unpleasant, and even Hester herself is excessively managing, though the reader can enjoy knowing a good deal more about her than she knows about herself. There are some unpromising young men around who become somewhat more promising in the eye of the beholder, and there are some mildly entertaining village shenanigans. Fair’s greatest gift is for making the reader feel the full awkwardness of awkward social situations, and she deftly renders every complex aspect of the awkwardness.

This was diverting for a couple of afternoons, but it wasn’t a book I stayed up late to finish.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll definitely be reading more from this author. She's a milder Angela Thirkell. I really enjoyed her gentle tale of family and village. In this story, Hester, recovering from a broken heart, comes to stay with her friends the Huttons. The father is an invalid, the mother is an occasionally vacant artist, the daughter is a rather messy farm girl, and the son is a dissatisfied banker in training. Hester feels that they all need to be "managed" into a more satisfactory state of life. But even Hester has some growing to do. I liked that all the characters in the family each had their time to shine; each of them was recognized as a valid human with both good points and flaws. This was a fun book with a couple of cute, light love stories and plenty of wit.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second Elizabeth Fair novel and one that I enjoyed as much as "Brampton Wick"; the previous one I had read. Once again, the setting is a small English village whose residents are forever into each other's business. Here, the focus is one family, the Huttons, and their cousin Hester who has come to Mingham for the summer to recover from a bout with pneumonia. We get to spend time with each of the family members as they interact with themselves and the community. They are interesting, imperfect, engaging people who we grow more fond of as the story progresses. And yes, once again, much tea is enjoyed throughout. Cheers!

[Jessie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hester Clifford is a young woman recovering from a broken engagement and a bout of pneumonia. She leaves London at the invitation of her godmother, Cicely, to recuperate in the village of Mingham. Here she stays with the Huttons, including Cicely, her “invalid” husband Bennet, and their two grown children Derek and Maggie. Hester quickly throws herself into managing the family and to improving their lives. Yet, Hester herself will have plenty of changing to do too. The Mingham Air is full of hilarious snippets of village life, sweet romance, witty dialogue, and enough misunderstandings to keep things interesting.

Fair allows us glimpses into the inner thoughts and feelings of multiple characters. While many of them are quite eccentric and hilarious, they never felt like unrealistic caricatures. Hester reminded me a bit of Flora Poste from Cold Comfort Farm- although admittedly with less self-knowledge and finesse. She is more flawed and perhaps more realistic than Flora. I, like Cicely, had certain expectations for how the relationships between the younger characters were going to pan out. I love that Fair managed to surprise me part way through, and that everything ended as it should-although not in the manner I had first suspected.

Fittingly, for a novel set in spring and summer, there are themes of second-chances, renewal, and transformation woven throughout. I laughed out loud at several points and enjoyed every moment I spent with Mingham’s residents.

The Mingham Air is a charming read and a breath of fresh air.

[Elena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Захопившись затишною атмосферою попередньої книжки авторки, мені захотілося по довше залишитися в англійській сільській місцевості і я одразу взялася за наступну її книгу.

Початок мені навіть здався трохи схожим — цього разу головна героїня, Естер, тікає від свого життя в Лондоні і розбитого серця та приїздить до своєї хрещеної Сесіль. Сім’я тітки їй видається абсолютно безпомічною — чоловік Сесіль сраждає на іпохондрію, син Дерек, хоч і її одноліток, але досі the baby of the family, і донька Меггі, якій бракує витонченості і охайності. Тож із завзяттям і самовпевненість Емми Вудхаус, Нстер береться «рятувати» сім’ю.

Історія хороша, тут і весняні пікніки і антикварна крамниця і маленькі чайні кафе, але чи то я вже перенаситися English countryside чи засилля другорядних сільських бабусь, яких в один момент я перестала розрізняти, викликало у мене бажання поскоріше дочитати.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hester is recovering from a long bout of pneumonia and a failed romance. Her godmother, Cecily Hutton, invites her to her home in Mingham to assist her with her recovery. Little does Cecily know that Hester will find new life through managing the lives of Cecily's family.

Elizabeth Fair creates some unconvential characters and their lives in a small village. Mrs. Merlin, the rector's wife, decides to organize a country dance but unfortunately she herself is sadly very disorganized. Bennet, Cecily's husband, is an invalid who rarely has an outing... but on the other hand, is he really that incapacitated? Derek, Cecily's son, decides to quit yet another job and disappoint his parents (Cecily and Bennet) once again as he enters new territory. In all of these situations and more, Hester comes to the rescue but in the process finds that she herself has some growing to do and her help is not always necessary.

"When his future employer remarked that he had a lot to learn, Derek replied that it was the kind of stuff he could learn with ease, and both of them believed it. Confidences were exchanged; Mr. Frost admitted that the business had suffered since his sister's departure, and Derek confessed that his family thought him irresponsible because he had had too many jobs already.

"But I'll stick to this one," he said.
"I hope so, my boy. Why didn't you stick to the other?"
"They were soul-destroying."
"You mean they were not your own choice."
"Well, I had to do something."

A fun light read with some wonderful insights and a satisfying conclusion always works for me!

[Squeak2017 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cheerful novel with a cast of characters who develop as the novel goes on and better understand themselves and each other at the conclusion. Fair is adept at showing us how people think and feel, almost as if she inhabits her characters, which gives rise to much of the comedy since we know that one character's wishes do not fit into the schemes of another. Self deception and confusion are rife but all is skilfully resolved, with an interesting invitation to the reader to consider how self deception and public misconceptions are liable to become a straightjacket. One character is trapped in the guise of a heartbroken bereaved husband, another as a helpless invalid - both must struggle to assert themselves as individuals contrary to the general consensus. Fair cleverly avoids obvious stereotypes. The domestic servant in the novel is not a cipher to highlight the "servant problem" or a joke figure of the lower classes but has a fully drawn personality, though appearing briefly, who has likes and dislikes, who enjoys the soap opera her employers' lives offer to her and who mutters complaints when she feels slighted. As we all do. A light and amiable read in the hands of a perceptive and very competent writer.

[Lynnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty, charming, cosy - a delight to read. My third Elizabeth Fair and I'm glad there are a few more to look forward to.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mingham is a place that probably never existed, but after reading this novel of rural affairs you may well wish it did, together with characters that have a life of their own. Elizabeth Fair’s 1960 novel, recently republished by Furrowed Middlebrow at Dean Street Press, is a true gem of observation of life in a village in the mid twentieth century. Combining characters who attempt to manage, a family which needs organising, an ill fated Fiesta and a big house which forms a bone of contention, this comedy of manners and fate is enjoyable, hopeful and deeply engaging. Some characters make the reader wince, others frustrate, and others just amuse, as this novel proceeds without earthshattering events, but with a certain dramatic flair. I was very pleased to receive a copy to read and review.
The novel opens with Hester and her godmother Cecily looking at pictures of a Priory which has been remodelled by its reclusive owner and widower, Thomas Seamark. Certain tactless remarks set up an uneasy relationship between the family and the local squire, as Cecily realises that she must handle the situation better, as well as improving her own relationships with her daughter Maggie and her son Derek. As we see the family in its own setting, we discover Bennet, husband and father, has decided to adopt the role of invalid who must be continually placated and humoured. He is beginning to discover that to be involved in other people’s business he must stage a sort of recovery, with the option to fall back on fragility as necessary. Meanwhile Mrs Hyde – Ridley, while conniving to get as much rent as possible from her memorably named tenant, Chrysanthemum, is anxiously game playing with her troublesome visitor, Mrs Vandevint, with her programme of cheap entertainment. A Rector’s wife, Mrs Merlin, is determined to put on a Country Dancing Fiesta, which is beset with problems. Hester tries to manage several situations, despite Cecily’s conviction that she is still suffering from a broken romance, and tries to encourage despite fixations such as Bennet’s “precious car”, a changeable lord of the manor, and a secret ambition on another character’s mind. Summer weather confounds the best laid plans, and gentle humour pervades the whole novel as misunderstandings, mistakes and general mayhem ensues.
This is a novel which can remind the reader of the gentle humour and characters of Austen’s “Emma”, and the sort of ongoing polite battles of Benson’s “Mapp and Lucia”. I appreciated the reality of these characters, was fascinated by the attempted machinations of Bennet Hutton, and loved the humour of the dialogue. Fair’s novel is a finely balanced read of great confidence and maturity, and this final novel of six to be reprinted stands as a really good read. I thoroughly recommend it as a cosy read with some underling power, as Hester discovers the true nature of what she wants from life, family roles and relationships are readjusted, and the minutiae of daily life is examined in a glorious and often telling narrative. While Elizabeth Fair’s six novels have not been well known, she is an author well worth discovering, and I am so glad that they are now available both in paperback and digital formats.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sixth, and final, Elizabeth Fair novel. I am a great Barbara Pym fan and delved into these books that have the same quirky village character feel. Though they do not contain the same sharp wit of Pym they were a satisfying read. Fair has often been compared to Angela Thirkell but with ‘an understanding deeper than Thirkell,’ of this I cannot comment as I have yet to visit Thirkell’s Barsetshire writings...but they are next up on my list.

[Gypsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elegant and efficient Hester Clifford, recovering from pneumonia combined with a broken heart, has left London to spend the summer with her godmother, Cecily Hutton, in the small village of Great Mingham. Cecily's family consists of her husband, Bennet, who enjoys ill health; Maggie, her anything BUT elegant daughter who takes great delight in working on a farm to the consternation of Cecily; and her indolent son, Derek, who can't settle to any job. Hester sees her visit as an opportunity to change for the better the entire Hutton family, as well as their friend Thomas Seamark, the young, brooding widower of Mingham Priory. As Cecily describes her, Hester has "restless vitality"; "change and action, clean sweeps and new enterprises, seemed to her good in themselves, because she felt the need for an outlet for her own abundant energy". The Mingham Air follows Hester and her good intentions through the summer, and ends with some surprising outcomes.

This delightful, witty novel is filled with excellently-drawn characters, believable situations, and intelligent prose. The Mingham Air is Fair's sixth and final novel, and while they are all wonderful studies of life, this one surpasses the others in depth and maturity. The gradual emotional growth of the young people and the slow changes of the parents, are both well-written and a pleasure to read. Overall, this gentle but perceptive book is a forgotten gem, and I recommend it, as well as Fair's five others, wholeheartedly.

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful Elizabeth Fair title. The characters and their foibles in this story are recognizable but endearing. (Although I felt like Maggie was lacking in spice. I much preferred Hester but I'm not sure the author did.) The humor is gentle but I found myself actually laughing out loud a time or two.

[Charlotte]

fine, but not outstanding

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful read, if you like gentle and perceptive village comedies set in the English countryside, with matchmaking, meddling, and misunderstandings. It all works out quite nicely.

First published in 1960 and reprinted by Furrowed Middlebrow/Dean Street Press.

[Sonia Gensler]

My introduction to Elizabeth Fair -- her name tends to come up when one is searching for books like those of Angela Thirkell and D.E. Stevenson. Judging from this story, I'd say her genre was "light domestic comedy/drama." Very pleasant read -- I will look for more by her.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another example of why it’s fun to wander through the stacks at the UW Memorial library looking for dusty old books that haven’t been read for a while! The author of this one has been pretty much forgotten (although her novels are currently being reprinted by Dean Street Press a publisher that spotlights the works of British women who wrote in the first half of the 20th century.)

Like all Fair’s novels, this one is characterized by its English country village setting and the people who live there. It’s a “cozy read” in much the same vein as Angela Thirkell’s novels but without the snobbery that often gets in the way of her books. Like Jane Austen, Fair has a keen eye for capturing the best and worst of human nature, as well as the seemingly insignificant and often amusing details of daily life.

This novel begins when its chief protagonist, Hester Clifford arrives in the small village of Mingham at the invitation of her godmother Cecily Hutton, to recover from pneumonia and a broken love affair. Hester moves in with the Hutton family for an indeterminate amount of time and despite her broken heart (which as it turns out wasn’t all that badly damaged anyway) quickly settles into managing everyone’s affairs much like Emma Wodehouse would have done.

This book was a lot of fun to read largely because of Elizabeth Fair’s knack for creating clever dialogue and memorable characters - like the arrogant Mrs. Hyde-Ridley, with her outdated Edwardian standards of behavior; the carefree and extravagantly named tenant Chrysanthemum Bavington; Mrs. Merlin, the disorganized wife of the Rector and her ill-fated plans for holding a country dance fiesta that ended disastrously, and so many others. They all would have been equally at home in one of Angela Thirkell’s novels. And just like Angela Thirkell, Jane Austen and Anthony Trollope, Elizabeth Fair made sure to include the possibility that sooner or later there would be a proposal of marriage.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third Elizabeth Fair book and not my last. She hasn’t failed me yet when I need a classic British comedy. So glad that Dean Street Press has brought her books back to life.

No village is complete without a nosy gossip, a fete, matchmaking gone awry, and a meddlesome do-gooder. All of which are seen and met in this book. There are always plenty of misunderstandings and doing things “proper” or not. And the supporting characters were well portrayed.

This is one of those stories where the characters do all the plotting and entertaining. It does take a minute to get into the style of writing Fair takes, but once it starts be ready to breathe in the Mingham air.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second of Fair's novels that I've read this month--Mingham Air is another slice-of-village life sort of book. It's gentle and undemanding, and I wanted very much to like the cast of odd characters and the absurdities they get up to. But, as with Bramton Wick, I found it hard to connect with any of the characters. None of them were terrible, but they fell just short of endearing. The book is *almost* delightful, but doesn't quite succeed.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, with humorous elements. Definitely reminiscent of the Mapp and Lucia books in spots- as when the two older lady frenemies keep trying to outwit each other. Some endearing characters as well- Derek and Maggie, for example. I didn’t like the way some of the main action occurred “off-stage,” or the implication that Bennet’s fake invalidism was due to his wife’s having money. Overall a pleasant and fun read.

[Gerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Elizabeth Fair books, but this was my least favorite of the ones that I have read so far. It took me a little longer to get into it. There were number of characters introduced early on, and it took awhile before I had a clear picture of them all. That being said, it was still an enjoyable read. But I connected more with the characters in Bramton Wick and Seaview House. It was still a nice light read with a bit of Fair’s signature humor.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whiling away the hours during a power outage, I needed something light and this book worked perfectly. A gentle novel about nothing much except life in a small English village. Hester is staying with her godmother while recovering from a broken heart. Fortunately for everyone, Hester is a take charge person who puts her talents to use to nudger her godmother's family to get out of their personal ruts. Of course there is a vicarage, the requisite busybody, and romance.

[Ness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like other Elizabeth Fair books, there is a variety of quirky characters in this small town, and many who are quite frustrating in their own ways. I didn't like this as much as the first one I read. It was entertaining enough, but I couldn't really get past the cousin romance (although they weren't first cousins).

[Amy Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite of all of Elizabeth Fair's novels. The characters felt fleshed out, and they were so "characters" in every sense of the word, it made for most enjoyable entertainment.

[Cbx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another charming book by Elizabeth Fair. This one has more distinctive and entertaining characters than the others I have read, and is similarly pleasant and comforting.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last Elizabeth Fair book! They were a lot of fun.

[Margaret Conmey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Pleasant read
My main enjoyment in reading this and similar books is for the ‘time travel’ element and the social commentary rather than the plot

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not my favorite Elizabeth Fair - I think some of the characters are a little hard to love - but still very charming.

[Deborah Brooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring!!!

This is the most boring book I have ever attempted to read. It goes on and on telling the reader that so and so did this then it goes on and on. It rambles from one person to the next without any plot whatsoever.