Candida Lycett Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Candida Rose Lycett Green
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Candida Lycett Green (left) unveiling a plaque commemorating her father, John Betjeman, at Marylebone Station in 2006.
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| Born | Candida Rose Betjeman 22 September 1942 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 19 August 2014 (aged 71) England |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | Rupert Lycett Green (1963 – 2014, her death) |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Sir John Betjeman (father) Lady Penelope Betjeman (mother) |
Candida Rose Lycett Green (born Betjeman; 22 September 1942 – 19 August 2014) was a British author. She wrote many books, including English Cottages and The Perfect English House. She also made TV shows like The Englishwoman and the Horse.
Candida was known for her writing about the English countryside. Many people called her "the finest writer of our time on the English countryside." She also put together and introduced the letters and writings of her famous father, John Betjeman. She worked for English Heritage for nine years. One of her proudest achievements was helping to bring new life to Chatterley Whitfield Colliery in Stoke-On-Trent.
She was a member of the Performing Rights Society because she wrote song lyrics. From 1987, she was an editor for Vogue magazine. She was also part of the first team that started the satirical magazine Private Eye.
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Early Life and Family
Candida Rose Betjeman was born on 22 September 1942 in Dublin, Ireland. Her father, John Betjeman, was working there during World War II at the British Embassy. An Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh, even wrote a poem called "Candida" to celebrate her birth.
Her mother was Penelope Valentine Hester Betjeman. Her grandfather was Field-Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode. Candida had an older brother named Paul, born in 1937. Her family moved back to England in 1943.
School Days
Candida was known as "Wibz" to her parents. She went to St Mary's, Wantage school. When she was a teenager, she loved riding ponies and competed in shows. Once, a telephonist asked her father if he was related to "the little girl who wins all the prizes at the horse shows."
Later, she studied sculpture at a college in Oxford. There, she met John Wells and Richard Ingrams. They later started the funny magazine Private Eye, and Candida became a regular writer for it.
Marriage and Family Life
On 25 May 1963, Candida Betjeman married Rupert Lycett Green. He was a successful tailor who owned a shop called Blades in London. They had five children together. One of their daughters, Imogen, married Augustus Christie, who directs the Glyndebourne Opera. Candida and Rupert also became friends with the then Prince of Wales.
The 1960s and Beyond
During the "Swinging London" era of the 1960s, Candida and her family were part of London's exciting social scene. Many famous people, like the Beatles, visited Rupert's shop, Blades. In 1967, Candida wrote a poem called the Knightsbridge Ballade, which captured the feeling of that time.
Writing and Journalism
Candida Lycett Green put together two books of her father's letters. She also created a collection of his other writings called Coming Home. She wrote for many magazines, including Queen, Vogue, Country Life, and The Oldie.
Like her father, Candida cared deeply about protecting England's beautiful places. They both wrote columns about this. Her father started the "Nooks and Corners" column in Private Eye. Later, she wrote for "Unwrecked England" in The Oldie magazine.
In 2003, she wrote about things that are truly "English." These included cricket on the village green, the Trooping the Colour parade, and talking about the weather in a pub.
Celebrating Her Father (2006)
In 2006, Candida Lycett Green helped organize many events to celebrate 100 years since her father's birth. There was a big show in London and a festival in Cornwall for thousands of people.
They also had special train trips. Candida unveiled a plaque at Marylebone station to remember her father's love for railways. She gave the Mayor of Slough a book of her father's poems. She explained that her father had regretted his famous poem from 1937:
Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough
It isn't fit for humans now.
Candida wrote about organizing these events. She mentioned how tricky it was to plan the train stops and how a TV crew followed her around Cornwall.
In 2007, Candida was on a panel that chose the sculptor for a statue of her father. The statue of John Betjeman now stands at the London St Pancras station.
Death
Candida Lycett Green passed away on 19 August 2014, at the age of 71. She died from pancreatic cancer. She was survived by her husband, Rupert, and their five children: Lucy, Imogen, Endellion, David, and John.
