I was alerted to this lovely little book by a post on social media – it completely passed me by when it was published in 2024.
This inspiration was a book Mackenzie’s father was given when he was a child, If Jesus Came to My House. The young Mackenzie was entranced by the possibilities of the book: imagine if ghosts you admired could come to your house and spend time with you!
MC was only 3 when Nick Drake died, and only discovered his music 20 years later. The nagging wish that they’d known each other stayed with him, and the result is this book, The beautiful illustrations are by Crook: Nick Drake has a halo, like an angel, and MC has an excellent eye for pre-war houses (even Fairport puts in an appearance). The text is a series of simple, touching verses.
Some samples:
‘If Nick Drake came to my house
and knocked upon the door
I’m sure I’d been more happy
than I’ve ever been before.’
‘I’d let him read my poems
and he wouldn’t laugh or sneer
I’d tell him how his music
helped me through a troubled year.’
‘And when at last the bus turned up
I’d shake his hand and say
“It was really nice to see you Nick,
come round another day.”’
If anybody still needs convincing of the wonder that is Mackenzie Crook’s imagination, buy this book.
Love those curved windows!
Lovely.
They are very 20s/30s deco. Possibly by a firm called Crittal? There was a house I used to pass regularly that had similar. One day, uPVC replacements, with straight lines. Sad, but I do get why. I think my favourite building is the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, but frankly, I’d have got the firm who did our windows in to do the whole chuffing lot.
I’d imagine they’re Crittal windows too
Probably!
They were quite common in my part of Metroland when I was a kid, along with green, Spanish style roof tiles. There are some on the south coast too.
One of the tile manufacturers in the Bridgwater area in the past made green roof tiles – single Romans? Very rare now, though there’s a house about two miles away which has them. Our roof is black. They also did a maroon colour, which I’ve only ever seen in a reclamation yard.
My late mum and dad’s council 3-bed semi (1951-built) had Crittal windows until the ’80s when uPVC windows replaced them, along with new uPVC front and back doors.
In Essex the glottal stop comes into play when people say Crittal. Made in Essex.
In Silver End, near Witham (Silver End was created as a factory village by Mr Crittall). Awful things given to warping and offering less than zero insulation because of the metal frames. Pretty enough on a twee drawing, a nightmare to live with.
I’m imagining a factory where they churn out glottal stops (thinly insulated with metal frames) – supplied to every primary school in the county.
All my years in Witham and I’ve never been to Silver End. (We go via the Notleys to Braintree). Now I’m wondering what I’ve been missing.
There’s nothing to see of the factory, which has been levelled and is allocated for housing but held up by discussions between developers and the council on the planned uses. It’s Braintree Local Plan application SILV 388 if you want to look in depth. I’ve never been there either, but I expect plenty of early C20 domestic architecture for those who enjoy that sort of thing.
According to the Profile of him on BBC R4 the other week, he’s always sitting in the corner, sketching.
{Edith: found it}
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002s2yd
I have this down to purchase, I believe Fairport house appears in it.
It does.
Lovely.
I heard him being interviewed about it and his use of music in his productions. Apparently the music is ruining in his head all the time as he creates them rather than being tacked on after.
Thumbs up for Crook’s use of the Unthanks’ music in Detectorists.
Thanks @mikethep I shall have a look.