Thinking beyond the poems...

So - what to do with this blog? It started with the hidden poems, but it feels like there's more to talk about than them alone. They're very lovely poems indeed. But they don't culminate in a tale of an intriguing love affair, just an appreciation, an admiration, an acknowledgement of Marianne and her passion for Cyril's own passion - books. Perhaps at most, she was a muse for his poetry. I'm sure Mr Nash wrote many poems over time, and gave them on occasion to his customers. Perhaps over the journey of this blog, we might start to piece together a fuller picture.

To this end, a few weeks ago I got in touch with Laurence Worms, former President of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association, eminent blogger, and the man who bought Jon Ash bookshop from Cyril Nash and Hugh Jones in the early 1970s. He evolved it into Ash Rare Books which moved to larger premises at the Royal Exchange, before most recently moving to private premises in South-West London. My sister and I know that our mother carried on being a customer of Ash Rare Books beyond Cyril's 'reign' as it were, with a number of Ash Rare Books catalogues from the 1970s and 80s being among her paperwork. Laurence has been incredibly generous in sharing his time and knowledge to provide some background and insight into Cyril Nash and his life as part of Jon Ash. He kindly passed on what he knew of Cyril from their business relationship, and gave me contact details of two longstanding customers who started their book collecting habits with Jon Ash back in the day, who therefore may well have known Marianne. Amazing :) He also sent over these two photos - one of Cyril and Hugh in their shop, absorbed and surrounded by their life passion, and one of the shop exterior. I visited Cullum Street earlier this year in the snow - it's certainly changed since the 1950s and I struggled to identify which building was No. 18. I'll go back for another visit soon now I have this photo to refer to.

Cyril Nash (l), Hugh Jones (r) - 1970

Jon Ash, Cullum Street, London

So, of the blog. It already feels like we're on an exciting path of exploration and learning, and I have material for several further blog posts already around the story of Cyril, Jon Ash bookshop and the poems. And then there is our mother's impressive book collection itself. My sister and I would like to learn more about the books - what makes them rare and collectable, how to look after them, which ones we might want to keep, which ones we might consider finding new homes for. We might even read a few...!

More soon :)