If You Go Inspiration with Adele Parks
Adele Parks gives a tour of the setting of If You Go Away – set in Derbyshire, England
About half my novel is set in the beautiful countryside of Derbyshire. When Vivian arrives she doesn’t see the beauty, she feels banished from London and trapped in a provincial, drab village. “The sky was a white veil; the autumnal sun glowed pathetically, its luminosity rendered ineffective behind the sheet of nothingness. They were at the top of the hill when the driver paused… From this viewpoint she could look down on the farms, the village, the green. Well-trodden footpaths, left brown snails’ trails. The smoke from the chimneys rose straight up like arrows aimed at God’s feet. Women had hung out their washing; patches of creams, greys, off-whites were everywhere. She wondered where the crimson, saffron and turquoise clothes were hung out to dry. She sighed, accepting that it was perfectly possible that the village didn’t know such colours.”
However, part of her emotional journey is that she starts to connect with the land and the people of Derbyshire, that process begins when she spots a deer in her garden. “At the far end of the garden a deer burst out from the hedge grow. It and it shuddered into the air. So frail yet strong, elegant but panicked. In a flash it was gone. Vivian laughed out loud with the surprise of it. She’d never been so close to a deer. What a wonderful creature.”
Blackwell
The particular village, Blackwell where Vivian lives is a product of my imagination; so sorry, this means you can’t visit it! Blackwell is an amalgamation of various pretty, quiet villages from an entire swathe of north England and the midlands. The village of Ashbourne near Derby, is quite typical. I imagine Blackwell to be quite similar.
Places to visit to experience the essence of If You Go Away are:
The Savoy Hotel in London, where Vivian spends her wedding night; it’s still an incredibly special place to go for cocktails.
The Apollo Theatre in London. In my imagination Warrington’s Playhouse was about that size and age, although maybe not as smart!
Ypres, a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders, is where Howard had his first taste of war. He was devastated by the razing of the imposing Cloth Hall that was built in the 13th century that was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages and of the destruction of the Gothic-style Saint Martin’s Cathedral, originally built in 1221. However both places have been entirely rebuilt and you can see them in all their glory. What a testament to humanity’s ability to survive and thrive.
Rather sadly, I also visited the war graves in Epehy Wood Farm Cemetery, France.
With thanks to Adele for her personal guided tours of If You Go Away
