For years I’ve been reading
books about the Bloomsbury Set, a bohemian group of novelists, painters and
artists which was active in first half of the twentieth century. Bouncing
around the letters and diaries written by some of the members is the name of
the society hostess - Ottoline Morrell - who was hub around whom everyone revolved.
I found her grave in sprawling Nottinghamshire countryside behind a pretty
church. I’d read so much about her that I couldn’t quite believe she was under
the stone before me.
This 6 foot tall strutting peacock comes across
as an attentive, lovable person but she was treated poorly by the nexus of
artists, intellectuals and philosophers who gravitated to her large country home.
The compendium of famous guests (Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell, Virginia
Wolf, Augustus John and more) talked about her behind her back, bitched about
her lack of talent, took advantage of her hospitality, used her to meet other
famous people, stayed at her home for free for months and mocked her odd looks
and eccentric attire.
She was to married Liberal politician Philip
Morrell with whom she shared pacifist views and an open marriage. They had
twins - one of each - but the son died after three days. Her husband fathered a
few children which Ottoline ended up caring for. The couple also owned a large terraced home on
Gower Street in Bloomsbury in London which became a political salon (I’ve visited
it and saluted the blue plaque.) Anyone famous of that era visited the bisexual
conscientious objector couple who lived there. Visitors were invited for the
weekend to their country home Garsington Manor near Oxford but they often
stayed for weeks.
In her autumn years Ottoline suffered from cancer
and necrosis of the jaw. As her jaw was crumbled away she had to bandage up her
face and hide herself away from the maelstrom of luminary visitors. She was almost
killed by her well-meaning doctor her injected her face with an experimental
drug which contained poison (after her death her medical records disappeared
and the doctor killed himself.) Aged 64 she suffered a stroke and spent three
months in a clinic at Tunbridge Wells. She recovered but was back within a year
where she died of heart failure.
I thought other fans may have left flowers on her
grave but there was nothing there. She's buried next to her husband (the
children are buried elsewhere.) As I took some photos a man was looking around
the place. I was going to say "are you looking for this one?" but judging
his football shirt and hideous shorts I doubted he'd heard of the Bloomsbury
Group. I did a salute and left.
Garsington Manor...
Ottoline and her husband...
Some members of the Bloomsbury Group...