I received an interesting email from London resident Jane Winter, member of the Clarence Bicknell Association, today. Can you help her in her research?
“I think we came across each other when I was researching my biography of Will Arnold-Forster and his wife Ka Cox. Will was a keen plantsman and artist, among other things, and he spent some time on the Italian riviera when Clarence was there. I was trying to find a garden in Bodighera that Will had designed for one of his in-laws (it turned out to be Villa Capella), and Alyson Price at the British Institute suggested to me that Will may have known Clarence (in fact, they never met, so far as I could establish).
“Then when you made the film about Clarence and showed it in London, my husband Martin and I came to see it, and that was when you and I met, but you were inevitably very busy, so I’m not surprised that you don’t remember.
“As someone who has myself founded two or three organisations in my time, I was impressed by the way you had succeeded in rescuing Clarence from obscurity, and the biographer in me was also sympatico to such a project. The film convinced me that your project was indeed worthwhile, and I loved Clarence’s paintings, so I shall be delighted to have the print. I try to do what little I can to support endeavours such as yours, which in these turbulent times make the world a better place.”
Thank you, Jane, for you comments about our efforts for Clarence. Worthwhile. Yes, we agree.