Sir Osbert was the author of poems, short stories, novels, and memoirs. Most of his verse is light and satiric. His works include: Triple Fugue (1924), short stories; Before the Bombardment (1926), a novel; Collected Poems and Satires (1931); Selected Poems (1943); Four Songs of the Italian Earth (1948); Collected Stories (1953); The Four Continents (1954), discursions on travel, art, and life; and Tales My Father Taught Me (1962).
His five-volume reminiscences about his family are a delightful account of British society of the Edwardian era-Left Hand, Right Hand (1944), The Scarlet Tree (1946), Great Morning (1947), Laughter in the Next Room (1948), and Noble Essences (1950). Upon his father's death in 1943, he became 5th baronet.
Sacheverell Sitwell 1897-1988
Sir Sacheverell was known for his art criticism-Southern Baroque Art (1924), German Baroque Art (1927), and The Gothick North (1929)-and for his poetry-The Cyder Feast (1927) and Canons of Giant Art (1933). He was also the author of biographies, Mozart (1932) and Liszt (rev. ed. 1955); essays and observations, Conversation Pieces (1936), The Hunters and the Hunted (1948), and Cupid and the Jacaranda (1952); and travel books, Spain (1950), Denmark (1956), and Golden Wall and Mirador (1961).
The youngest child of Sir George and Lady Ida Sitwell, known as 'Sachie', was the only one to marry, and Renishaw now belongs to his elder son, Sir Reresby Sitwell.
Alison Uttley
Alison Uttley, English author, was born on December 17th 1884, first child of Henry and Hannah Taylor, at Castle Top Farm near Cromford in Derbyshire.
She started school in the village of Lea when she was seven and as a child revelled in the wonderful festival traditions of Victorian England, memories of which she later recaptured in some of her books. Whilst at school she also developed a love of science, and won a scholarship to read physics at Manchester University. In 1906 she became only the second woman honours graduate of the university.
Her husband, James Arthur Uttley, died in 1930, his health broken by service in the First World War. She turned to writing as a means of supporting herself and her young son. 'The Country Child' was published in 1931 and was followed by a flood of books mainly for children which revealed her great love and knowledge of the countryside and country lore.
Many of her books were in the Beatrix Potter style and feature much loved characters such as Little Grey Rabbit, Sam Pig and Little Red Fox. Later, she also wrote books for older children and adults and produced over one hundred titles, for which was awarded an honorary Litt.D. by Manchester University in 1970.
Izacc Walton 1593 - 1683
Izaak Walton, English writer, was born in Stafford in 1593, son of an alehouse keeper. Though he lived in London for much of his life, he was well aquainted with Charles Cotton, from Beresford, which lies on the Staffordshire, Derbyshire border, and the two men spent a great deal of time fishing and strolling along the banks of the River Dove.
He is best remembered for writing the 'Compleat Angler' or the Contemplative Man's Recreation', which became and remains the greatest classic of angling literature and is a unique celebration of the English countryside. It became one of the most reprinted books in the history of English Literature with over 300 new reprints.
The Compleat Angler tells the story of 3 sportsmen, Auceps, the fowler, Venator the hunter and Piscator the fisherman, who compare their favourate pastimes whilst travelling through the English Countryside along the River Lea. The discourse is enlivened by songs, poems, country folklore, recipes anecdotes, moral meditation, quotes from the bible and classic literature, and lore about fishing and waterways. Charles Cotton wrote a second part to the 5th edition which is mainly concerned wth fly fishing.
The 2 men built a fishing temple which still stands on private ground on the bank on the River Dove in Beresford Dale.
Walton was also known for his biographies of several senior churchmen, including ones of John Donne (1640), Sir Henry Wotton (1651), and George Herbert (1670), all of whom were his friends. Walton was married twice and upon the death of his second wife, he moved to Farnham Castle as a permanent guest of George Morley the Bishop of Winchester. He died in 1683 and is buried in the cathedral.
The Izaak Walton cottage in Shallowford, near Stone, stafford, is a museum dedicated to the man.
Ashbourne in Derbyshire is known as the gateway to Dovedale and Izaak Walton country. A popular hotel The Izaak Walton hotel is situated close to the southern enterance of Dovedale, the finest dale in Derbyshire, and Viator bridge in Milldale is named after a character in his book, The Compleat Angler.
Don Shaw
Don Shaw is a man of many parts. His pre-writing careers have included a brief stint at Sandhurst, teaching the deaf and acting. He also found time to manage a Grand Prix motor racing team (The British Racing Team) in the seventies, competing in the British, Dutch and Spanish GPs. In 1968 he became a full-time writer, known for programmes such as 'Z-Cars’, ‘Softly Softly’, ‘Dangerfield’, ‘Bomber Harris’, 'Wingate’, 'Danger UXB', 'Crown Court', 'Van der Valk' and ‘Beyond Fear’. He is Visiting Professor in drama at Derby University.
Don has run marathons from the age of 22 and started jogging before it became fashionable. He still runs three miles every day. He drives a sports car (Mercedes SLK Kompressor), and when not hiking follows his other great passion - flying. He has his own aeroplane, a Piper 22.
Married with three children, Don lives in Mickleover, near Derby and London, near Marble Arch. He is a competition judge for the Derby Telegraph, and speaks regularly on Radio Derby and at local events and dinners. He is a patron of the Derby Heritage Development Trust.
Writing and Television Career
Don has been a full-time writer for film, stage, radio and TV since 1968. He won his first award (Best TV Drama) for ‘A Question of Honour’, and went on to become one of the top television writers of the 1970s-90s. Other awards include a Bafta for the BBC 2 trilogy of plays ‘Wingate’ in 1976, a Bafta ‘Best Drama’ award for ‘Bomber Harris’ in 1989 and winner of the International Science Film Festival gold award for 'Faraday’s Dream' in 1992.
Actors who have starred in Don’s work include Robert Hardy, John Thaw, Tom Baker, Thora Hird, Donald Sinden, Michael York, Barry Foster, Gwen Taylor, Johnny Lee Miller, Michael Kitchen, Nigel Havers and Nigel le Vaillant.
Don has appeared on television on several occasions:
BBC2 1970s–90s. Studio discussions with Paul Foot and others on the Carl Bridgewater murder – 'Bad Company', with military experts on his trilogy of plays 'Wingate’, with theologians about the Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer – 'True Patriot', TV interviews about his play ' Bomber Harris', and with Ted Dexter and Hugh Mclvanny on the topic of ‘Are we a sporting nation?’ (Don led the 'Keep Brian Clough at Derby' campaign in 1973). Studio discussion on the IRA – 'Are You Dr Herrema?', and his play 'The Falklands Factor' re the war to save the Falklands. Plus other interviews, Midlands TV and radio.
Don also wrote the feature film 'True Blue' story of an internal revolt within the Oxford University Boat Club, directed by Ferdie Fairfax. His Hollywood movie, 'Wingate' directed by Norman Jewison, had to be abandoned on location when the Egyptian army invaded Israel in October,1973. This film had a three hundred million dollar budget (in today's money after inflation).
BBC1 1968-90s. Two BBC Breakfast programmes with Nick Ross re drama series 'The Citadel', a ten-part series that beat 'Coronation Street' for viewing figures.
Others
There must be many other writers and poets who have spent some time in Derbyshire. Agatha Cristie spent many happy hours in Derbyshire, walking the windswept moors around Kinder Scout, possibly the setting of one of her murder mysteries. In 1830 the poet William Wordsworth spent three days travelling through the county with his trip inspiring him to write at least 2 sonnets, one called 'A tradition of Oaker Hall in Darley Dale, Derbyshire' and another about the splendors of Chatsworth.
Edward Carpenter, the socialist author lived out near Millthorpe and was visited bt the likes of W.B.Yeats, John Galsworthy, E.M.Forster and H.G.Wells. The novelist Olive Shreiner rented a cottage adjacent to Cordwell Farm in the same area as Carpenter. Henry Salt, the Humanitarian Reformer, also built himself a house in the area calling it Little Orchard and was often visited by George Bernard Shaw.
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