Gretton Foster – SOE in Burma/China Borders

I heard William Boyd the author on the radio the other day commenting that in real life you do meet people with the most extraordinary names – it’s true. I think of Midnight in Peking and wonder could I ever have made up Edward Theodore Chalmers Werner, Gladys Nina Ravenshaw, Wentworth Baldwin Prentice and a ex-London copper called Dick Dennis? I doubt it.

Gretton Foster is a good name and worth knowing too – sadly he just passed away at 94 but he was officially Lieutenant-Colonel Gretton Foster, an SOE Officer in Burma, DSO and MC. He fought remorselssly in the region and after the Japanese surrender worked Kachins on the Chinese-Tibetan border (prior to China’s invasion of Tibet obviously).

Anyway, he’s not been forgotten – the Daily Telegraph did an obituary of this remarkable man.

Beijing Postcards present: the Story of the Gate of Heavenly Peace – 9/10/12 – 7.30pm

Beijing Postcards present: the Story of the Gate of Heavenly Peace

The Gate of Heavenly Peace. Join us as Beijing Postcards takes us through the history of this world famous monument and learn how this gate become the most important piece of architecture in modern China. Through their own collection of historical photographs and extensive research, Beijing Postcards will piece together this fascinating history. The pictures collected cover a time span from around year 1900 up till early 1980s.

Midnight in Peking Rebroadcast on Diane Rehm

Excuse this rather obvious plug but earlier this year while in Washington I did a long interview about Midnight in Peking with the legendary and lovely Diane Rehm on NPR. It was probably the best, longest and most thorough interview I’ve done to date on the book and a very enjoyable experience. I’m afraid I was only vaguely aware of Miss Rehm prior to doing her show back in May but now obviously appreciate just what a broadcasting power she is over in the US.

Anyway, NPR just rebroadcast the show I did with Diane and so it’s on the internet again (here) both as a recording to listen to and as a transcript too.

The Return of the East India Company…in a frock!!

What to make of this – the venerable East India Company is about to make a comeback as a dress designer!!

This from London’s Evening Standard…

‘The East India Company was founded in 1600 and dissolved after the Indian Mutiny in 1857-8 for being too powerful. Next season, however, a new design team will see the company resurrected. Expect elegant evening gowns with decadent couture details.’

Where has the Company been all this time?

They used to have their own in-house army, will they now have their own in-house fashionistas?

Where’s the opium in all this??

I’m all at sixes and sevens and frankly a bit giddy!!

here’s an old East India company button – I’d quite fancy them as cufflinks meself!!

Talking of the Hong Kong Lit Fest – Lindsay Shen Appearing and talking about the Amazing Florence Ayscough

The Hong Kong Lit Fest is underway now and this coming weekend will be busy (I’ll post my own events asap). Time to mention though, having mentioned Julia Boyd’s appearance, that one of my  RAS Shanghai-Hong Kong University Press China Monograph authors, Lindsay Shen, will be appearing to talk about her fantastic new biography of Florence Ayscough.

Thursday, 11 October 2012

A Tale of Two Cities: Peking and Shanghai

Participants:  Lindsay Shen, Julia Boyd, Vanessa Collingridge

17:00 – 18:00

Culture Club

General Ticket Price HKD$180.00

 

Culture vs. commerce.  Intellect vs. indulgence.  Antiquity vs. le dernier cri.  For foreigners living in China in the early 20th century, Peking and Shanghai could as well have been the capital cities of different countries.  Join Julia Boyd, author of A Dance with the Dragon, and Lindsay Shen, author of Knowledge is Pleasure:  Florence Ayscough in Shanghai, as they explore the stereotypes and surprises of these two very distinct cities.  Moderated by Vanessa Collingridge who is a broadcaster and author, and Director of Monster Media Productions.  She’s a correspondent for the BBC, ITV, and ABC specializing in current affairs, science and history.  Price includes on drink.

Friday, 12 October 2012

Florence Ayscough, a Shanghai Tale of Art Dealings,

Theft, Jealousy and Rivalry

Participants:  Lindsay Shen

19:00 – 21:00

Club Lusitano

General Ticket Price HKD$550

Wealthy Shanghailanders were found more often at the Country Club or Race Course than in the library, or perusing seals and scrolls.  But Florence Ayscough (1857-1942) was far from the normal Shanghailander – privileged and well-positioned, she became a poetry translator and writer on Chinese life; she also introduced contemporary Chinese painting to an unsuspecting American public and her own collections now form the basis of some of North America’s most impressive Asian art collections.  Lindsay Shen’s new book Knowledge is Pleasure: Florence Ayscough in Shanghai is one of the first in an exciting new series of China Monographs from the Royal Asiatic Society Shanghai and Hong Kong University Press.  Lindsay Shen is Associate Professor at the Sino-British College, Shanghai.  She is Honorary Journal Editor for the Royal Asiatic Society China in Shanghai.  She has published in the fields of design and museum studies in Europe and the United States.  Price includes dinner.  This event is sponsored by Hong Kong University Press and The Sino-British College.

Julia Boyd on the Lost World of Beijing’s pre-1949 Expats – China Speaking tour

I’ve recommended Julia Boyd’s latest book A Dance with the Dragon: the Vanished World of Peking’s Foreign Colony before. And Julia is on a little tour out East, so if you’re in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou or Hong Kong this October…

Here are details of Julia’s talks in Hong Kong at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival on the 10th and 11th of October

14th October – Royal Asiatic Society Suzhou talk – Suzhou Bookworm

16th October – Shanghai Royal Asiatic Society talk

21st October – Beijing Bookworm

And here’s a longer interview with Julia about her book, old Peking and the foreigners that lived there conducted by the Beijing Bookworm folk

Nevius’s China and the Chinese: A General Description of The Country and its Inhabitants

A lovely cover here from 1882 of the Reverend John L Nevius’s China and the Chinese. Nevius was an American Presbyterian missionary from Philadelphia in the 19th century who established a number of missions across China.

Return to Nanyang 1910

I blogged the other weeks with a map of the floor space for the 1910 Nanyang Expo in Nanjing. Thanks to Graham Thompson for this picture and others (which are on my overspill tumblr site)