I have something slightly different for you today. Yes, this is a work-in-progress update, but I also want to share a piece of research with you: Marie Lloyd’s baptism record.
If you’re not sure who I am talking about, the music hall artiste and actress known as Marie Lloyd was probably one of the most famous such entertainers of the late 19th and early 20th century, in Britain, at least. She did tours of other countries, including America, and was known as the people’s favourite. She came from Hoxton in East London and started on the stage when she was about 14. Click to Wiki to find a biography of Marie Lloyd.
She was also known for singing the popular song, ‘My Old Man (Said Follow the Van)’ from which I took the title of my current work in progress, ‘Follow the Van.’ The song came after the time the book is set, but as the story is also about Jack Merrit discovering things about his late father, it all seemed very appropriate.
The draft is now at 70,000 words, and I guess I am looking at the first couple of weeks of March for a release. That is if I can pull my finger out and figure out the ending, write it, rewrite everything and do the usual checks and proofs before all that, while thinking up a cover and having it designed. So much to do! So, I’ll leave you with this image of Miss Marie Lloyd’s baptism. She was born Matilda Alice Victoria Wood (second row down) in 1870, and her father was an artificial florist. There will be more about her on a future blog, possibly on Saturday, with some more images from the past.
