Did they pick the quinces?

A laden quince tree in a wet garden in the North of England proved tempting this week, and I dashed outside between showers to rescue fruit that would otherwise go to waste. And so quinces came back to London with me, to be turned into something else. I fear that Quince Marmalade is beyond me - but perhaps this is just as well. That preserve brings danger along with its sweetness. “Pickled greens, and pears in an aromatic syrup and quince marmalade” are served at a disastrous dinner at Stephen Gardiner’s house in The Mirror and the Light. Thomas Cromwell accuses the Duke of Norfolk of putting his niece Katherine Howard in the King’s sight; the Duke storms out, raging (as usual); Gardiner warns Cromwell to “mind your back”.

In happier times, in an earlier book, Cromwell asks his cook Thurston whether the quinces have been picked. He’s in the kitchens at Austin Friars, catching up on the household affairs after a summer away with the King, and Thurston has the London gossip - some of it obscene, news of family and friends, and a touching care for Cromwell. He is that rare character in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy - someone who can stand up to Thomas Cromwell. He’s been with Cromwell since Fenchurch Street days, so Cromwell doesn’t mind when Thurston tells him to “be a gentleman sir”; that if his latest dish “works, you’ll eat it”; dusts flour from his coat; or instructs him in the correct preparation of eels. “Inky fingers out!” roars Thurston, before he realises it is Cromwell himself, not a household clerk, who has entered his domain. But Cromwell goes along with him and holds his hands out for inspection.

If only the wonderful and irreverent Thurston could help me prepare my quinces. I don’t enjoy cooking but I have seen mention of a Tudor Quince Pie so I might give that a go. Apparently I will need a sharp knife.

In My Studio

I have a new term feeling in my studio today. I’ve just arrived, with two new cork noticeboards, ready to be filled with notes, images, and bits of work. My other three boards are already full with ideas for future work and scraps of projects - and new blank spaces provide endless possibilities.

It’s also a new term feeling because it’s now the time of year when I get more creative time. When I am not stitching Cromwell, I work part time as a marriage registrar (which is such a privilege - it’s a wonderful job) so my springs and summers are filled with ceremonies, while autumn and winter tend to be about studio time.

I am working up my smaller Cromwell Houses - I am putting the windows into the first Austin Friars house today - and I have a strong sense of how the whole piece will come together. And while picking quinces in the rain, I had a flash of inspiration for another project I’ve had on my mind for years. So - yes - the creative brain is getting properly into gear for the colder months.

What caught my eye?

I went to Chichester Cathedral last week to see a painting by Lambert Bernard which is supposed to be the first full length representation of Henry VIII and dates from the 1530s. Painted on wooden panels, and measuring 14ft by 32ft the King is granting protection to bishopric of Chichester, and the Cathedral. The painting was restored in the 2010s and does look magnificent.

The day I visited, the sun was shining directly onto Henry so I took a lot of pictures in which he isn’t visible, but I did manage to get a reasonable photograph, albeit from a side angle. I’m now intrigued as to the identity of the others in the painting - but that’s a task for another day.