Snailsleap Lane
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Snailsleap Lane was written and illustrated by Beshlie in 1977. At the time she and her husband Dominic Reeve, also an author, were living the itinerant life. Beshlie draws on her experiences to describe and depict the life of itinerant traders but she portrays them as various animals andamphibians rather than human beings.
Each chapter is headed by a beautiful colour illustration of the character featured and there are also one or two black and white illustrations within the text. The detail is wonderful, from the clothes on the characters to the insects and the plants surrounding them. I particularly enjoy searching for the numerous beetles, spiders, caterpillars and butterflies which are resting on leaves, crawling along the ground or climbing up stems, I'm still not sure I've seen them all. Having seen how the wild flowers are depicted in their vivid colours, the next time I am weeding my garden I shall be more selective about what I throw out, as they look every bit as good as the garden plants I grow! The endpapers of the books are also superbly illustrated - it's just like looking at a wild verge, a mass of intertwining plants with detailed foliage and colourful flowers and, of course, a few insects to spot.
The story features Grizzles the Vole, a Crossing-Sweeper for Snailsleap Lane which is a winding pathway from 'Romany Wood' to 'Up and Along Crossing'. Grizzles spends his days clearing unsightly rubbish from the wild flower lined lane and chatting to passers-by. One day however his routine is unsettled by Valantine de Gasche, a shrew who introduces himself as 'a professional Vagrant, a long-distance itinerant, a genuine Gentleman-of-the-Road'. Valantine is wearing a mauve velour hat and carries a small silver snuff box in a purse at his waist. Grizzles is entranced by Valantine's tales of his life and the characters he met during his wanderings - a memorable one being a Lizard who sold Crickets and Grasshoppers from little wire cages which he had made himself. All too soon Valantine goes on his way but in the short time spent sharing lunch he has unsettled Grizzles to a point that will change his life forever. Grizzles now feels that he has never been anywhere or done anything - he has the urge to get out into the big wide world, to travel, to meet others, to explore! But who will look after Snailsleap Lane?
His question is answered the very next day when he rescues a sobbing Wood Mouse called Dreamer from nearby Sweetwater Pool. Poor Dreamer has lost his home and his family and is distraught - how he longs to have a little place to call home and more importantly a job like Grizzles. It is the perfect solution, so after a little training Dreamer becomes the Crossing-Sweeper and Grizzles is ready to set off on his adventure. He can't get all his essentials into a handkerchief like Valantine so he makes do with a drawstring bag and off he goes.
The first of many characters he meets is Pemberline a Gypsy field mouse and flower seller, followed by a green frog, wearing a fez, who sold rugs and carpets, another frog who sold pots and pans and further along a Field Vole called Trevellyan who was a Pieman. He spends a little time with each Traveller that he meets, maybe shares a meal or walks along for a while with them and in doing so learns a little more about what a Traveller or Hawker's life is like.
After travelling for some time he starts to feel uneasy and mentions this to Star-Lena Penfold, a Bank Vole. Star-Lena is a Strawberry Seller whose cart Grizzles helps to free from brambles. Without hesitation she replies 'Home Sickness' which is a problem for Grizzles as he doesn't have a home anymore. Star-Lena suggests that he is the type of person who needs a home and he should go back to Snailsleap Lane but he should try to take a long holiday every now and then so that he doesn't get bored.
Grizzles takes Star-Lena's advice and starts to head back to Snailsleap Lane. Soon he begins to recognise his surroundings and his excitement grows as he nears home. Although his sudden reappearance is a shock to Dreamer it is also a lovely surprise. Grizzles tells Dreamer of his adventures and Dreamer tells Grizzles of his need to see more of the world, so they swap places. Over the next few days Grizzles settles happily back into his old life and Dreamer sets off into the big wide world.
I really enjoyed this story and it brought to mind the saying 'There's no place like home' - as much as Grizzles enjoyed his trip he was glad to get home to familiar surroundings.
(Published 17th Dec 2014)
