Beverley Nichols
He was a socialite surrounded by a constellation of the brightest stars of the first half of the twentieth century. His inner circle included the aristocracy, giants of commerce, stars of the stage and screen and the leading creatives of his age. Blessed with a talent that delivered success in multiple disciplines in the arts, Nichols remained a bona fide celebrity for his entire adult life. Yet, despite the acclaim he enjoyed, the fame of Beverley Nichols has dimmed in the years following his death in 1983.
Now 120 years after his birth, inspired by his fascinating and often contradictory life, individuals from both sides of the Atlantic are collaborating on a project to reintroduce Mr. Nichols to a modern audience. We invite you to join us!
Martin Cousin Plays Beverley Nichols
On 25th May 2024, a special piano recital was held in Glatton as part of the Fenlandia Festival to celebrate the musical legacy of Beverley Nichols. Renowned British pianist Martin Cousin performed a selection of works inspired by Nichols’ choices for his BBC Desert Island Discs appearance in 1955.
The recital featured beloved compositions by Rachmaninov, Elgar, and Chopin, as well as two of Nichols’ own rarely-heard piano pieces, performed for the first time in modern history. The audience was treated to an evening of extraordinary music that brought Nichols’ passion for the piano to life.
The event was a beautiful tribute to Nichols’ artistry and his enduring influence in Glatton and beyond.
If walls could talk
Although the cottage is a private home and is not open to the public, in 2018 the owners allowed a photographer to take pictures of the famous ‘autograph wall, offering a fascinating glimpse into a bygone age of celebrity at the place that inspired the Glatton trilogy.
Beverley Nichols
Chronology
Beverley Nichols Weekend
The wall at Allways
Beverley Nichols Weekend
Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest and most popular heritage festival. It enables people to see and visit thousands of places that are normally closed to the public or charge for admission. It happens every year over four days in September and is a great chance to explore local history and culture. By opening doors, we hope to open people’s eyes and minds.
The Beverley Nichols Weekend has been planned to celebrate and commemmorate the life of Glatton’s most famous resident on the 120th anniversary of his birth. Despite his prodigious creative ouput and position at the very centre of high society in the twenties and thirties, the memory of Beverley Nichols has faded in the public consciousness. In September 2018, the parish of Glatton and the Fenland Trust plan to rekindle interest in the life of a man who rubbed shoulders with the luminaries of his age in the place that he loved most; Glatton.
Councillor Tim Alban on the Beverley Nichols project
Stilton resident and Huntingdonshire District Councillor Tim Alban is a keen supporter of local heritage. Tim represents the District on the Great Fen steering group, one of Europe's most ambitious landscape reclamation projects, which has an important heritage...
The Parish of Glatton
Fenlandia
Sawtry History Society
University of Reading
University of Delaware
Penguin Random House